Ten Principles for Partners Exploring a Transition

A lateral move can expand your practice—or create avoidable risk. What you do before an offer often matters as much as the strength of your book of business. These ten principles will help you navigate the process with discretion, credibility and a clear view of whether the new firm is right for you.

1.      Protect your professional reputation throughout the process. Never speak ill of your current or former employers—or anyone else. Frame your reasons for seeking a new firm positively.

2.      Before any recruiting begins, confirm that your bio and résumé are current and accurate – and later in the process that they are consistent with the information you provide in the LPQ.  Discrepancies—even minor ones—can raise avoidable questions about preparation or credibility.

3.      Read and understand your fiduciary and other obligations, including notice requirements, under your current partnership agreement. If you have never read it—or have not read it recently—do so before beginning the process.

4.      Unless and until your current firm knows you are leaving, do not discuss the potential move with any current clients or ask whether they would follow you to a new firm.

5.      The same restraint applies internally: unless and until your current firm knows you are leaving, do not discuss the potential move with—or attempt to recruit—any non-partners or staff from your current firm.

6.      Even if you are not an “active” candidate—meaning the firm reached out to you through a recruiter or otherwise—arrive on time and prepared for every scheduled meeting, whether in person or virtual. If a genuine emergency arises, notify your recruiter and the firm immediately, ideally before the meeting. How you handle an unavoidable disruption can shape the firm’s impression as much as the disruption itself.

7.      Dress appropriately and remain attentive during meetings. Keep your phone out of sight, make eye contact, show genuine interest in the firm and ask thoughtful questions. Checking your phone does not signal that you are busy; it signals that your attention is elsewhere.

8.      Complete all paperwork, including the LPQ, fully, accurately and honestly. Do not withhold past bar issues, liens, lawsuits or tax issues, or similar concerns in the hope that the firm will not discover them.  Nondisclosure eliminates candidates from consideration faster than an honest account of past issues.

9.      Present your practice metrics accurately and support them with reasonable documentation. Inflated figures are likely to surface during the recruiting process or after the move, undermining your credibility and creating expectations that may be difficult to meet.

10. Treat everyone—the staff, the recruiting team and every lawyer—with professionalism and respect. In most firms, everyone’s opinion counts, and an unfavorable impression among administrators can end your candidacy.

Thoughtful preparation can make the recruiting process smoother and more productive. Just as important, use what you learn to clarify what you need from a new platform: the capabilities that would strengthen your practice, the colleagues and expertise required to support your clients fully, and the opportunities for genuine collaboration. That perspective will help you determine whether the firm could be your next professional home.