Biglaw, Lateral Moves

Law Firm Lateral Partner Hiring Doomed By Atrocious Due Diligence

This is a pretty expensive mistake.

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lawyer shruggingAll firms will fail at lateral hiring at some point. Unfortunately, these are extremely costly failures, impacting firm finances, cultural stability, brand and client relationships. In terms of significance, determining cultural fit is the most important decision a hiring firm will make. A hire that fails to meet this standard can be doomed regardless of the candidate’s legal skills or business acumen.

— Steve Kovalan, a senior analyst at ALM Legal Intelligence, commenting on the results of a lateral hiring report which indicated that while 96 percent of respondents considered hiring laterals with a client following important to their revenue growth strategies, less than half of laterals actually delivered on their expected books of business. It seems many firms have no formal vetting process for their laterals.

Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky is an editor at Above the Law. She’d love to hear from you, so feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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