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<\/p>\nNot that long ago, a lawyer joined a law firm, rose through the ranks, became a partner and finished out his or her career at that firm.\u00a0 All that has changed.\u00a0 Today, few lawyers start and finish their careers at the same law firms.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Partners leave law firms for a variety of reasons.\u00a0 Some may leave to teach, go into business or enter public service.\u00a0 Others may be \u201coutplaced\u201d because they don\u2019t have a sufficient book of business to succeed in today\u2019s highly competitive law firm environment.\u00a0 Still others, particularly those with \u201cportable billings,\u201d get caught up in \u201cthe grass is always greener\u201d view of life and are lured away to other law firms that offer a \u201cwider platform,\u201d more resources and greater financial rewards.<\/p>\n
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Whether the partner is outplaced or seeking greener pastures, there is a lot to think about.\u00a0 For the former group, one of the big challenges is to overcome a sense of failure and the belief that only the best lawyers or the most successful lawyers are those who remain at one firm or one type of firm for their entire careers.\u00a0 While the numbers are hard to come by, there is plenty of evidence that many lawyers have found professional lives in second or even third practice settings that are personally and professionally satisfying and financially rewarding.<\/p>\n
Another challenge for the outplaced partner is to identify the best next career move.\u00a0 How does the lawyer identify the best opportunities?\u00a0 How can the lawyer get the real story behind the new law firm\u2019s flashy website descriptions?\u00a0 One important way is to network.\u00a0 Learn as much as possible about the places under consideration.\u00a0 Also, the lawyer should use a \u201ccareer coach\u201d to help identify the lawyer\u2019s strengths and weaknesses and help figure out a realistic next move. \u00a0If no set of clear choices emerges, an experienced recruiter can help identify opportunities.<\/p>\n
The lawyers in the second group, i.e., the lawyers seeking greener pastures or who are being targeted by another firm, can also benefit from a realistic self-assessment.\u00a0 Generally speaking, however, these lawyers are seldom lacking in self-confidence.\u00a0 For this group, the biggest challenge is figuring out how to make the move in a way that does not run afoul of the law regarding departing partners.<\/p>\n
Those rules were first discussed almost twenty-five years ago in the widely cited Meehan v. Shaughnessy<\/span> case.\u00a0 In a nutshell, the SJC said that partners \u201cmay not act out of avarice, expediency or self-interest in derogation of their duty of loyalty.\u201d \u00a0The Meehan<\/span> rules still apply, perhaps more so today, in light of the greater focus on law firm economics, increased profitability and the changes in technology.\u00a0 Today, a lawyer can load thousands of pages of documents and client records on a thumb drive and transfer them with a click of the mouse.<\/p>\n What are some of the \u201cdo\u2019s and don\u2019ts\u201d for the partner with \u201cportable billings\u201d? \u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Although not a rule, the departing lawyer also should not burn bridges on the way out the door.\u00a0 While emotions can run high in these situations, there are good reasons for the departing lawyer to try to maintain contact and credibility with his former partners and associates.\u00a0 It is no accident that large firm \u201creunions\u201d have become immensely popular in recent years.\u00a0 There are lasting friendships on display at those gatherings.\u00a0 And, by the way, there are also potential \u201cbillings\u201d for those who are interested!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Not that long ago, a lawyer joined a law firm, rose through the ranks, became a partner and finished out his or her career at that firm.\u00a0 All that has changed.\u00a0 Today, few lawyers start and finish their careers at the same law firms.\u00a0 Partners leave law firms for a variety of reasons.\u00a0 Some may […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":62,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n