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Women Making the Lateral Partner Move

September 20, 2021job seekers, Uncategorized08817203686547

Making a lateral move is a big decision, it’s important for anyone making the career move does it for the right reasons.

Men still dominate lateral equity partners within law firms. There is plenty of room for women to use their leadership and marketing skills.

If you are overlooked for partner, you may think about taking your portfolio of business down the street to another firm.

Change is scary for everyone. Not making a decision is still a decision. Feel the fear, and do it anyway. You made the decision, now prepare. Dig deep inside yourself, tell me what you want.

-What practice areas do you provide to your clients?
-Do you need offices in other locations?
-Do you need to work virtual?
-Do you need marketing support?
-And most importantly, what do you bring to the table?

“That’s the basis of the strategic search, from here we can put you back in control of your career.” — Shari Davidson, President, On Balance Search Consultants.

Lateral Partner Process
-If you are a partner at current firm. Read your agreement now.
-Align yourself with a reputable recruiter.
-Have a clear idea what the next career move will be and why.

For example:
Your next firm must have a robust marketing group to support you and have offices throughout the United States to serve your clients. The firm must have a culture that allows you to be home for your children.

Research firms that are a good fit for your lifestyle and what your want. It is critical that your specialized skill-set must align with the firms strategic goals.

Make sure you have . . .
-A current CV, Business plan and Representative Matters available.
-Accurate billing information for the past (3) three years (originations, billings, hourly rates, hours billed, realization rates, etc.).
-Work with a recruiter.

A recruiter should be able to help you manage the process by:
-Carefully have your recruiter query the interest level without releasing prospective lateral name or firm.
-If there is mutual interest. Set up meetings and keep the conversations going.
-Prep and debrief before and after each meeting.
-Streamlining any materials, such as LPQ, compensation discussion and offer, prepping for resignation and most importantly be a sounding board for all concerns.

Virtual law firms may be the way to go. Working virtual is very doable, the support is there from cross selling to attorney collaboration. Keep in mind that not all virtual firms are equal, talk to On Balance Search to leverage this new normal.

Thankfully there are some great law firms for women to work for:
-Akerman Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer
-Baker McKenzie Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz
-Ballard Spahr Bass, Berry & Sims
-Blank Rome Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
-Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner Chapman and Cutler
-Cooley Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete
-Crowell & Moring Culhane Meadows
-Davis Graham & Stubbs Davis Wright Tremaine
-Day Pitney Dechert
-DLA Piper Dorsey & Whitney
-Duane Morris Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath
-Fenwick & West Fish & Richardson
-Goodwin Procter Hanson Bridgett
-Holland & Hart Holland & Knight
-Jackson Lewis P.C. Katten
-Kirkland & Ellis Latham & Watkins
-Littler Lockridge Grindal Nauen
-Lowenstein Sandler Manatt, Phelps & Phillips
-McDermott Will & Emery Michael Best & Friedrich
-Morgan, Lewis & Bockius Morrison & Foerster
-O’Melveny & Myers Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
-Perkins Coie Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman
-Quarles & Brady Reed Smith
-Ropes & Gray Seyfarth Shaw
-Shook, Hardy & Bacon Sidley Austin
-Steptoe & Johnson Stinson
-Taft Stettinius & Hollister Vinson & Elkins
-Wiley WilmerHale

Know the early warning signs, if your firm starts laying staff off or there is an increase in attrition, it may be time to start looking. Making a lateral move will have impact your career, resist the initial temptation to make a move based solely on compensation.

Consider all the factors, then don’t be shy, make it happen.

About: On Balance Search Consultants
On Balance offers great insight and industry intelligence. Shari Davidson, president of On Balance Search Consultants, advises experienced attorneys at every stage of their career to take them to the next level. From making the lateral partner move to succession planning.

Shari takes a proactive approach to advising law firms on how to take a firm to the next level and helps rising talent make the transition to the right law firm. On Balance Search identifies opportunities that exist today, not down the road.

Please note that the content of this blog does not constitute legal advice and is only intended for the educational purpose of the reader. Please consult your legal counsel for specifics regarding your specific circumstances and the laws in your states pertaining to social media and any legal restrictions regarding the law.

Amid ‘The Great Resignation,’ More In-House Lawyers Are Moving to Law Firms

September 20, 2021employers08817203686547

While the landscape of work is changing in the legal world and other fields, in a lot of cases for good, the separating line between working in-house and joining private practice is wearing thin. In the past few weeks, many lawyers have moved out of in-house roles to become partners, counsel or associates at law firms.

“In years past, lawyers who were interested in a more regular schedule or sought to avoid billable hours might pursue an in-house role where the primary responsibility was managing outside counsel,” said legal recruiter Maura McAnney of McAnney Esposito. “In recent years, however, lawyers in corporations are stepping up and often taking lead roles in deals; and the difference between the hours and responsibilities of law firm work and in-house work has diminished.”

Within less than a month, in-house counsel for CME Group, Cognizant, Griffin Capital, Magellan Midstream Partners, Continuum Energy, Concho Energy and OPKO Health have all left for law firm roles. Many of them have joined firms that represent their previous employer as outside counsel.

Are you interested in learning more about how more in-house lawyers are moving to law firms? Be sure to check out this law.com article.

What Legal Recruiters are Looking For: GRIT

September 13, 2021job seekers, Uncategorized08817203686547

Integrity. Perseverance. Passion. Do you have Grit?

Law Recruiters are looking for more than just good lawyers these days. You won a few trials, so what? Do you really have what it takes to be a part of your dream firm? If you have that winning way, yeah you know it, you got Grit.

What is Grit?
Grit is integrity . Grit is passion. Grit is staying past the end of the workday to make sure you know every line of your opening. It is something that goes beyond your knowledge of law and your performance in it. Grit can be defined as the reliability and mindset of a lawyer. This mindset can be broken down into a few key characteristics.

Mastering the interview — let’s get down to the nitty gritty.

InteGRITy
Being honest, not only with yourself, but also with whom you work with and for. Sometimes it means working for little reward but knowing that you’ve done the right thing and the best you could.

Loyalty is another important part of integrity. This is why confidentiality is so important, not only for clients, but for other firms as well. Even if you have had a bad experience with a previous employer or a competitor in the past, a lawyer with integrity never speaks ill of another.

Passion
A Gritty lawyer shows passion. Passion not only in what you know, but also in what you don’t: in what you hope to learn. This passion should come across in your interviews. It will show your potential employer your Grit and willingness to learn and grow as an individual and a lawyer. Your passion is your work. And you put it all into it.

Perseverance
The field of law can be riddled with ups and downs. It is a Gritty lawyer that takes the downs, the mistakes and the failures in stride. You can show your Grit by learning from these mistakes and allowing them to point out where you may be able to improve. A lawyer with Grit will always finds room to grow.

Talk about your Grit during your interviews, demonstrate how your Grit turned the case around (reference, What not to say during an interview). Showing your inteGRITy will make you shine in the employer’s eyes.

The Ability to Lead
Leadership is not only being able to assemble people and results effectively. It can also be classified as a certain type of Grit. Your Grit makes you a natural born leader. You need to be able to take charge and responsibility. Do you draw upon your Grit to voice flaws in your partner’s case, knowing it may be a political risk?

Grit is what all the top law recruiters are looking for.

Confessions of a Legal Recruiter: Reputation Is Everything

September 8, 2021job seekers, Uncategorized08817203686547

You are NOT a team player. You are disruptive and people find that you have a toxic influence on the firm.

Your colleagues say tell me you’re one of the top performers at the firm. They also tell me you are a brilliant jerk. Most attest that you are highly capable, productive and in the same breath they say you are difficult to work with. They say you are an arrogant, a prima donna and they wish they could work for someone else.

They resent the way you deal with your clients, that you always need to have the last word. You are loud, and abusive and take your frustrations out on the staff. You are not a team player and your attitude, is infecting the law firm’s reputation.

Do the ends justify the means?
Machiavelli, “Thus when fortune turns against them, you will be prepared to resist it. A man who neglects what is actually done for what should be done moves toward self-destruction rather than self-preservation.” Being a successful attorney is difficult, agreed. It’s cut-throat. It’s highly competitive and it’s adversarial.

You are the best. A fighter, a winner and a top litigator. At the end of the day your reputation is truly all you got. Means and ends of course are intimately related. The end determines the array of relevant means. But that is not the end of the story. Consider the collateral damage to your firm’s reputation:

–Revolving door: From the legal secretaries, to the associates, all the way to the top, the best and the brightest partners will begin to leave the firm.
–Lost business: A law firm with a bad reputation simply won’t get referrals.
–Recruiting: No one is going to want to work at a firm that has a poor reputation.
–How you are perceived in the industry: Your professionalism needs to be at the highest standards at the firm, in the courtroom and when you are out socially.

Play nice.
“I play nice, it’s not always easy but that’s how I’ve forged deep lasting connections with law firms and attorneys over the years. Niceness, however, does not need to mean weakness. You’ve got to be strong to be nice. I’m also known for being tough.” – Shari Davidson, President On Balance Search Consultants.

Nice people play well with others. Nice people genuinely care about others, listen to their needs, and instinctively want to meet those needs, which, in turn, forms the foundation of trust for successful business relationships.

“I’m constantly opening doors, my advice significantly benefits my candidate’s. I cannot begin to tell how many opportunities come my way. Why? Because I never deceive or mislead my clients. I’m committed to my clients’ success. It’s about respect. My clients trust my judgement, my integrity.” – Shari Davidson.

Staff Are Ready to Reimagine the Workplace Dynamic. Are Law Firms?

August 31, 2021job seekers08817203686547

For a long time, business professionals have been told that in order to work effectively at their firms, they have to be in the office. This was due to culture and connection.

All law firms were told that they worked in a meritocracy where their work was prime, and if they occasionally felt put-upon, the income involved made it worthwhile.

They were told that if they did not like their situation, they could leave, even though in order to make the same amount of income they would most likely have to move to another law firm where they would probably be treated the same way.

Of course, they were also told that they were valued, but as many know, law firm success is based on legal acumen. All are equal, but some are valued more than others, and that mind-set was reflected in the money and perks used to attract attorneys—money and perks that did not always trickle down to the staff level.

However, when the COVID-19 pandemic came, it pulled back the curtain on this process. Remote work was a success largely because of the work of the staff and business professionals to accommodate the sudden shift. And yet, it was the law firm partners who raked in profits and associates who were given bonuses and a new, fairly large, salary scale. Then, when office reopening plans started coming in, many were tiered, specifically reserving flexibility for lawyers.

Are you interested in learning more about how staff are ready to reimagine the workplace dynamic, but are law firms? Read more in this law.com article.

Promise With Purpose: A Leadership View of Achieving Real Change in the Workplace

August 24, 2021job seekers08817203686547

A business’s success is inextricably connected to the diversity of its leadership and staff. This has always been true. Gartner, a business management consultant company, has reported that companies with diverse and inclusive teams consistently outperform less inclusive counterparts by roughly 50%. Currently, diversity inclusion and belonging have become business priorities, recognized as opportunities for innovation and process. Companies have realized that the more inclusive they are, the more their business will flourish.

What’s so inspiring about this new focus is the vitality behind today’s discourse and the endurance of a new pool of allies ready to collaborate in a positive way for change. It exceeds anything that has been seen in recent years and gives hope that an important headway is happening.

As a foreign-born female executive leader of an organization that sits at the cross section of traditionally male-dominated industries—technology, law and consulting—Global CEO of FTI Technology Sophie Ross, knows that promises and programs can only go so far. To truly create change, leaders must pay close attention to the details, take positive action and continually live out and refresh their commitments to change.

Are you interested in learning more about Sophie Ross’s look into the leadership view of achieving real change in the workplace? Read more in this law.com article.

What Are the Highest-Paying Industries for Chief Compliance Officers?

August 16, 2021job seekers08817203686547

Chief compliance officers that are after larger paychecks would be wise to begin applying for positions in the health care and life sciences field—and if they do not already have a degree in law, they may want to consider getting one.

Public health care firms have paid their CCO’s an average of nearly $550,000 in total compensation the previous year, which is more than any other industry. The public energy field was the second-highest-paying industry at $485,000, followed by the consumer field at $470,000 and technology at $458,000.

This information is according to the latest compliance compensation report from executive search firm BarkerGilmore in Fairport, New York.

“Given the strain on healthcare providers, the race for an effective vaccine, and the plethora of other issues brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, compliance professionals in these industries have faced some truly unique challenges over the past year,” the report states. “It is encouraging to see them reaping a greater reward for their efforts and dedication.”

Are you interested in learning more about who are the highest-paying industries for chief compliance officers? Read more in this law.com article.

Inflexible Law Firms Should Brace for an Associate Exodus This Fall, Recruiters Say

August 12, 2021employers08817203686547

As law firms head back to the office this fall, they should brace for a wave of associate departures, especially at firms that have taken a more hardline approach on office attendance, several legal industry observers said.

Once lawyers experience more stringent office attendance policies in September, they will be prompted to find more flexible firms to continue their careers, said multiple attorney recruiters. They anticipated the moves based on what they know of the market and ongoing conversations with associates.

Dan Scott, who’s job is to place lawyers at large and midsize firms, said he talked with a tax associate at a large Midwest firm who had quit in mid July and planned to go to a job at an Am Law 100 coastal law firm that will allow her to work remotely indefinitely.

“The main reason she left is because she was unhappy with the firm’s return to work policy,” he said. “She will be making more money and be able to retain the lifestyle she has become accustomed to over the past year and a half.”

Are you interested in learning more about inflexible law firms and how recruiters say they should brace for an associate exodus this fall? Read more in this law.com article.

Two-Thirds of Legal Jobs Lost to Pandemic Have Been Regained

August 10, 2021job seekers08817203686547

Two-thirds of the 68,200 legal jobs lost from March to April in 2020 have come back to law offices and in-house legal departments around the United States, according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Situation Summary.

The increase in gains for legal, which was 3,300 jobs over the past month, were a tiny part of one of the best months in overall jobs growth since the COVID-19 pandemic started. Total employment rose by nearly 1 million jobs, and unemployment fell by 0.5% to 5.4%, however unemployment prior to the COVID-19 pandemic was 3.5%, and 5.7 million Americans remain unemployed.

Areas such as leisure and hospitality, local government education, and professional and business services added the most jobs as teleworking continued to fall, and more than one-third of the U.S. workforce teleworked in May last year. Nowadays just 13% continue to do so.

Are you interested in learning more about how two-thirds of legal jobs were lost due to the pandemic, but have now been regained? Read more in this law.com article.

Three Ways Chief Legal Officers Can Lead the Way on ESG

August 3, 2021job seekers08817203686547

Environmental, social and governance issues have been on the rise recently to a position of prominence for many organizations. As a matter of fact, 90% of the S&P 500 published some form of ESG disclosure in 2020, an increase from 20% in 2011.

The drive to a more strategic focus around ESG risks and opportunities is commonly fueled by the increased expectations of stakeholders, consumers, industries and other external communities.

Heightened expectations from stakeholders require a more intentional focus around ESG factors to drive long-term value. Simply, a broadened corporate decision-making framework that encompasses ESG often encompasses delivering value to all stakeholders as a means to drive shareholder value.

Combine the chief legal officer’s or general counsel’s typical deep understanding of risk, exceptional communication skills and standing as the established conscience of an organization. It’s easy to see how well positioned the CLO and GC is to help guide ESG programs as priorities shift and evolve.

Whether they directly oversee ESG efforts or not, CLOs have an opportunity to take on a leadership role in bringing these practices into the fold. However, where do you begin?
Are you interested in learning more about the three ways chief legal officers can lead the way on ESG? Read more in this law.com article.