Tag Archives: career

The Best Interview Question Yet – For the Candidate to Ask

job seekers,

One of the wonderful things about being a legal search consultant is that, even after over 30 years in the trenches, I learn something new almost every day. Today, I learned something from a candidate that I want to share, since it’s so good. This candidate, a mid-level associate, is wise beyond his years.

When debriefing this candidate after an initial job interview, he said he asked the question he always uses at the end of his interviews, as the answer reveals volumes about the actual job requirements, the interviewer’ expectations, and the priorities of the prospective law firm or in-house legal department. The answer lays out the road to success with that particular employer and allows the candidate to evaluate whether that is a path he can, or wants, to pursue.

The answer to this question gives him an opening during the interview to expand upon his strengths and fit for the position. Conversely, it also might reveal any weaknesses the interviewer perceives in the candidate, so he can address them before wrapping up the meeting.

So, what is this question? Drum roll, please . . .

Here it is: Imagine that you hire me for this position and, a year from now, we are sitting down for my performance evaluation. What could I have done during that year to exceed your expectations?

The candidate tells me that, usually, he is not too surprised by the answer, but finds it very helpful for him to wrap up the interview on a strong note. Today, however, was different. Today, the interviewing partner did not have a satisfactory answer to the question. The partner stumbled about a bit and could not provide any concrete information.

The candidate was surprised by this, but thought that the non-response was, itself, very revealing. It meant to him that the partner had not defined a clear role for the associate in this position. Since the candidate is interested in the law firm, based upon its reputation and other factors, he learned from the partner’s unclear answer that, if he is to pursue discussions with this firm further, he would need to make sure that other interviewers there could provide a much more substantive answer to this question. He wants to make sure that not only he, but also the lawyers for whom he would work,are clear about what it would take to succeed as an associate in that department.

He hopes to be invited back for another round of interviews, so he can ask that question again.

Valerie Fontaine is a partner in SeltzerFontaine, a legal search firm based in Los Angeles. The second edition of her book,“The Right Moves: Job Search and Career Development Strategies for Lawyers,” was published in 2013 by NALP. She can be reached at [email protected] or 310-842-6985.

Reconsidering Lateral Partner Moves After 60

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By Keith Fall and Ross Weil

This year’s new partner classes are advancing at a watershed moment in US history: In 2019, US Census data predict, Millennials will replace Baby Boomers as the biggest segment of the country’s population. In raw numbers, among big firm attorneys, Millennials now outnumber Boomers by almost two-to-one (47,000 to 24,000 according to 2017 data from 400 firms analyzed by ALM Intelligence). However, younger attorneys, born between 1984 and 2004, account for just 5 percent of partners. By contrast, the same analysis found that 40 percent of the firms’ partners ranged in age from 53-to-71.

In our experience as legal recruiters, especially in the New York and tri-state markets, a growing number of Big Law firm partners are choosing to continue working well into their 60s and beyond—even if doing so requires a lateral move. And while a popular old tale holds that investing in senior laterals is an overly risky and expensive growth strategy, we beg to differ. Recent lateral moves that have made headlines support our argument, and illustrate how some law firm managers are creating fresh opportunities for older partners:

Last November, Chris Smith left Shearman & Sterling after 40 years. At 67, he lateraled in to
the New York office of DLA Piper, becoming co-chair of the firm’s 600-lawyer real estate practice.

Last April, Buckley Sandler announced it had recruited from Jones Day the celebrated white collar
defense lawyer Henry (Hank) Asbill. A self-described “child of the sixties,” Asbill has 40-plus years
of trial experience.

Drinker Biddle recently recruited from Carlton Fields a 17-lawyer litigation group headed by
insurance and financial institutions specialist James Jorden.

Since 2014, we’ve been involved in more than a half dozen lateral partner moves for lawyers born in the boom years between 1946 and 1965. We’ve worked with partners who, despite having thriving practices, sensed that they were being sidelined by their former firms. (Two of the senior partners we helped place had annual books-of-business worth more than $10 million.). Some had seen their compensation drop off solely because of their age. Others jumped ship to escape mandatory retirement policies. Without exception, these accomplished lawyers made lateral partner moves that have recharged their professional lives and revived their sense of purpose with firms that share their values and their aspirations for growth.

Of course, every deal has two sides, and in order to succeed, every senior lateral partner move requires that both the firm and the partner make express commitments concerning transition and integration. The strongest deals hinge on two core components:

1. The partner candidate must present an ironclad and long range business case. It’s not enough for a candidate to prove that their practice is portable and profitable. They must also map out how they personally will contribute to the firm’s growth strategies three-to-five years out.

In mid-2018, we played a role in a senior international arbitration expert’s move from one AmLaw 100 firm to another. The partner was motivated to make the move in part because his prior firm had scaled back the resources it once committed to supporting his practice. At the same time, although his collections had not fallen off, the firm had cut his compensation. His new firm has not only restored his earnings, it’s also investing in associates and other resources he requires to grow his practice.

2. The partner candidate must be a genuine fit with and serve a clear purpose in the hiring firm’s growth strategies in terms of practice area, geographic region, or industry. At a time when clients search out law firms with improved differentiation and preeminence, lateral candidates need to enhance a firm’s competitive brand as well as its bottom line.

In mid-2018, we were involved in a deal that came together in large part because the acquiring firm’s growth strategy aligned with that of the candidate partner, who is a well-known and widely respected real estate finance expert. Although his former firm is a recognized leader in the space, on balance, the partner saw a greater long-term opportunity and sensed a better cultural fit with a close competitor. Indeed, the new opportunity was so attractive, several of his colleagues decided to move along with the partner we advised.

Although the examples cited in this article suggest a promising trend of leaders in Big Law cultivating a renewed appreciation for older lawyers, we hear about age-based biases often, and law firms would be well advised to remember the cautionary tales of Sidley Austin and Kelley Drye & Warren. In 2007, after a hard-fought battle against the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Sidley agreed to pay $25.7 million to 32 partners it had demoted. And in 2012, the EEOC ordered Kelley Drye to pay $574,000 to a lawyer who opted to keep working after he hit 70. At the same time,the firm agreed to rescind its policy of requiring partners to give up their equity stakes at 70. As the EEOC’s general counsel explained in a statement released at the time: “There is no reason why attorneys who are capable of continuing to practice at 70 either should be forced to retire or otherwise be dissuaded from continuing to work in their chosen profession just because of their age.”

We encourage law firm managers to keep an open mind when considering senior lateral partners. Double down on your due diligence, but also be prepared to give them ample business development and other professional support necessary to ensure a successful transition. The positive results will surprise you.

Keith Fall and Ross Weil are Partners with the New York-based legal recruiting firm, Walker Associates
www.walkersearch.com

Career Advice With Frank D’Amore

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Name: Frank Michael D’Amore
Company: Attorney Career Catalysts, LLC
Company Description: Legal Recruiting and Law Firm Mergers Firm
Company Website: www.attycareers.com

 What skills are most in demand in the legal industry right now?

IP continues to be hot and that is unlikely to change any time soon. Because of how litigation-heavy most law firms are—especially at the large firm level—there always is a need for lawyers in that practice. As a corollary, excellent transactional lawyers, because Continue reading Career Advice With Frank D’Amore →

Lateral Associates Gain Leverage From 2018 Pay Hikes

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As Labor Day rolls around and first-year associates embark on their careers at AmLaw 200 firms, it’s an opportune time to reflect on how the salary and bonus increases triggered this summer by Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCoy and Cravath, Swaine & Moore will impact the lateral associate market. With top-of-the-market associate salaries now ranging from Continue reading Lateral Associates Gain Leverage From 2018 Pay Hikes →

5 Skills to Develop Now to be Considered for GC in 5 Years

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General counsel is a key role within any organization, and the skills required to be successful at it go way beyond legal knowledge. For a corporation to hand the reins of their entire legal department to one individual is a huge show of faith, and candidates looking to be seriously considered for a GC role must prove themselves worthy of the responsibility. A GC is highly skilled in a multitude of disciplines. They also must possess a deep knowledge of both legal and business matters, and be able to predict how they will intersect and affect one another.

The following are 5 key skills you’ll want to develop now to position yourself as a strong candidate for general counsel within 5 years.

Leadership Skills

They say great leaders are born, not made, but there are attributes possessed by natural leaders that can be practiced and learned. Start by consistently making opportunities happen. Become known by firm leadership as the in-house counsel who’s always taking on more than you’re asked to do. Take the helm on important projects and be sure your contributions have measurable impact on the firm’s bottom line. Great leaders have a tendency to make those around them great as well, so don’t miss out on opportunities to mentor and coach your peers and colleagues. Companies also want GCs who can effectively delegate responsibility.  By inspiring those around you, people will learn to follow your leadership, which builds your reputation and is a good way to get noticed as someone who can take charge.

Continue reading 5 Skills to Develop Now to be Considered for GC in 5 Years →

Protect Yourself from Unauthorized and Unethical Resume Distribution

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Given the active lateral market, we’ve been hearing more and more troubling stories about legal recruiters submitting resumes to employers without authorization. Not only is this highly unethical, it has broader consequences for the job-seeking attorney that can severely impact your employment prospects. This article explains Continue reading Protect Yourself from Unauthorized and Unethical Resume Distribution →

Rethinking Diversity: Tackle the “Pipeline Problem” by Tapping into Overlooked Talent

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There is perhaps no hotter topic—and seemingly intractable problem—in the legal profession today than that of the diversity gap. Despite good intentions, client incentives, innovative ideas, best practices guides, tech tools, and a host of surveys, initiatives, benchmarks, and trainings, true diversity Continue reading Rethinking Diversity: Tackle the “Pipeline Problem” by Tapping into Overlooked Talent →

Emerging Industries in Legal Recruitment

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The legal sector has seen major growth where emerging markets require immediate organizational development and expansion. Many of these markets are quickly evolving and expanding. The candidate pools are limited, and the talent is in high-demand. Cluen develops recruitment software that supports strategic search teams all around the world. We interviewed some of our clients to decipher what specific industries have seen the most growth.

Data Privacy/Cybersecurity

Data breaches are increasing at an astonishing rate and so is the demand for legal professionals with data privacy experience. The explosion of regulatory compliance in areas like data hosting and storage has resulted in law firms all over the world rethinking their attorney hiring and internal operational hiring altogether. New positions have been created from Privacy Compliance Officer, Data Governance Director, Privacy and Data Protection Counsel to HIPPA Privacy Officer. With U.S. compensation laws coming into play and GDPR around the corner, the need for talent in this area is expanding at an exponential rate.

InsurTech

Technology has changed the way the insurance industry conducts business. This transformation has led to an overflow of regulatory issues and disruption within the insurance product cycle. We now have sensors in cars, personal devices and the ability to break-up various insurance products that allow for media and data tracking in real-time.  

Brad Bruner, East Coast Managing Partner at Mlegal Group, explains: “The continuing proliferation of InsurTech has not only disrupted the traditional insurance industry in its drive to squeeze out efficiencies in many innovative ways. It has also brought the highly regulated insurance industry into the former regulatory Wild West of technology innovation and online commerce. InsurTech is proving to be a bonanza for attorneys who have the relevant regulatory chops relating to insurance law and the requisite technical savvy to keep up with the lightning-fast changes affecting online commerce across numerous jurisdictions.”

Blockchain/Cryptocurrencies

These peer-to-peer decentralized networks enable developers to create markets for transactions of goods and services, without a middleman. This can drastically reduce the time it takes to make and log transactions as well as the cost and labor involved in property transfers.

Overall, we found the blockchain practice area to be one of the most challenging sectors in legal recruitment. Evan Fox, Director of Recruiting at Audrey Golden, explains: “We are seeing a very high demand for FinTech attorneys in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space. The work emerging is generally concerned–at this stage at least–with products or transactions that are covered by the securities laws. Thus, the ideal candidate is someone who has a thorough grasp of the technology and can counsel clients on securities issues and financial regulations.

Since the candidate pool is small, firms are interviewing more candidates that they may not otherwise have looked at, such as someone from a lower tier school, a smaller firm, or even someone who’s current practice covers only 20% of what they are looking for. I give all my candidates interested in blockchain the same advice. First, be flexible. Blockchain technology is evolving rapidly leaving everyone to guess the dominant legal issues in years to come. Second, do whatever you can to elbow your way into any deal concerning this technology, no matter how small the role – even the smallest experience can differentiate your resume from the others.”   

Interactive Gaming

The soon-to-be billion-dollar eSports industry has become mainstream, to say the least. Attorneys are being hired to help players, teams and game developers with their business and legal matters like contract negotiations, legal betting concerns, mergers and acquisitions, litigation, intellectual property, privacy/data collection, and endorsements.

Additionally, there is an increasing need for legal services within the VR/AR sectors. Copyright law, intellectual property, privacy/data collection and even contractual debates regarding collaborations between the two gaming platforms.

Energy

There have been significant increases in energy projects and various developments in renewable technologies. Specifically, clean tech, mining and oil and gas. This means energy companies are required to comply with an increasingly regulated environment. Finding the talent with knowledge of the ever-changing landscape will be vital in ensuring this success of this transforming industry.

Cannabis Industry

According to Cowen & Co, the $6 billion legal cannabis market is expected to reach $50 billion by 2026. Recreational use has been legalized in eight states, including California, and the District of Columbia. This means there has been the immediate need for attorneys to aid in defining countless regulations as well as in every aspect of the process from contracts, manufacturing to distribution, taxes, and sale.

Trending Practice Areas

Scott Love, President of The Attorney Search Group, explains: “One of the hottest practice areas for law firms is corporate transactional.  Not only is the immediate activity on an increasing trajectory in terms of short-term revenue potential, but strategically this practice area gives law firms deep roots into clients that can be parlayed into cross-selling opportunities for other practice areas.  The true client ownership experience usually starts in this practice area.  Once the client relationship is solid, opportunities for legal work can be then shared with other groups, such as IP, Labor and Employment, and commercial litigation.”

What It Means for Legal Recruitment

Law firms and in-house teams are moving quickly to hire within these markets. If your recruitment firm is looking to capitalize within these areas, you should update your recruitment database by making sure that you are capturing these sectors. Start assessing potential candidates along these vectors and create your talent pipelines accordingly. These positions are in high demand and the market for talent that excels within these industries happens to be limited.

 

Start your job search with Lawjobs.com today.

AUTHOR:

Kandace Miller.

The Cluen Corporation

[email protected]

linkedin.com/in/kandacem

www.cluen.com

 

 

Joe Ankus, Anus Consulting

Legal Recruiter Q&A: Career Advice from Joe Ankus, Ankus Consulting

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This post is part of our recruiter series where we ask legal recruiters for their insider tips and career advice.

This Q&A is with Joe Ankus who founded Ankus Consulting. After a career as an attorney with two AmLaw 100 firms, Joe has worked with thousands of lawyers for law firms and corporations primarily in South Florida. His Florida legal recruiting experience extends to placing 500+ top-level associates, partners and in-house counsel attorneys with both private and public corporations in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach.

What skills are most in demand in the legal industry right now?

For the South Florida market, we have current strong demand for corporate, real estate and litigation attorneys. The combination of economic growth and natural disasters (Hurricane Irma) have created a unique set of legal needs. We have building projects that are on-going at the same time homeowners are suing their insurance carriers for storm-related damage claims. It’s been interesting to see the merger of these diverse subsets of law evolve in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach.

Where are the biggest growth areas?

First Party Property (Plaintiff/Defense) cases have grown 1000% since Hurricane Irma. Law firms are actively growing in these areas and the demand for talent exceeds the supply. We also see a fair amount of growth in international corporate transactional work, construction litigation and class actions. Tax, Trusts & Estates and IP are fairly stable.

What traits are your clients looking for in candidates?

For lateral associates, the South Florida market still places a high premium on top school rank and Law Review as well as “hands-on” experience with a recognized law firm. For partners, the portable origination requirements grow every year- to be a competitive lateral partner candidate today, most larger statewide firms require at least $750K in sustained portable business and the largest national firms prefer at least $1.5 to $2 MM of the same.

What’s the coolest job you ever recruited for?

I got to recruit for a high tech company in South Florida whose office looked like a cross between something you’d see at a top-notch Silicon Valley corporation and an upscale college campus. There were open spaces, recreational facilities, and the most amazing artistic displays. It was truly a one of a kind work environment.  I remember visiting them- and when I entered the lobby- I literally gasped.

Do you have any career advice for our readers? 

To be successful as a lawyer in private law firm practice (which is approximately 75% of my business), the formula for success is, at the same time, simple and difficult. You have to be an excellent substantive lawyer, a consistent business generator, and a “working” partner who bills his/her own time. The most successful lawyers I know are top notch in their fields, work hard on their own matters, and also control sustained seven figure books of business. Skills alone will not protect a lawyer for their whole career unless they are in a firm that will always “feed them work” all the time.

Sadly, even the most talented lawyers- if they lack a portable client base- are often wondering what will happen “if the billable faucet turns off.” In 25+ years as a recruiter, I have seen, too many times, that if the lawyer is not producing revenue- for whatever reason- many  law firms will either cut their compensation, de-equitize them, or “invite them to explore other opportunities.”

All lawyers, from when they graduate, must remember that law is a profession AND a business. For those who forget this maxim, the market will always be there to remind them of this sobering truth.

Start your job search with Lawjobs.com today.