Michael Di Gennaro
Ed. note: This is the latest installment in a series of posts from Lateral Link’s team of expert contributors. Michael Di Gennaro is a Senior Director based in the New York office where he focuses on moving attorneys of all levels of seniority into prominent positions with elite firms and companies throughout the United States, with a concentration in the East Coast. Before becoming a legal recruiter, Michael had a career predominantly focused on financial services regulation, including five years of legal practice for the Federal Reserve System. Michael holds a J.D. from The New York University School of Law, a Master’s degree from Columbia University, and an undergraduate degree from Cornell University.
Earlier in the year, Law360 asked for my advice on ways for associates to take steps in becoming rainmakers. In that article, I discussed the value of lateraling to a firm where an associate would stand a better shot of developing clients — specifically middle-market clients that may not be able to stomach the price of Biglaw hourly billing rates. While I have developed revenue-generating experience, the most valuable advice comes from the Rainmakers themselves. My focus in this article is on steps that associates can take from the first day they start their law career — focusing on personal brand management, skill development, and mindset.
Personal Brand Management
Presentation skills are not solely about making good client pitches, they are also about the way you present yourself in all aspects of your professional life. This includes everything that makes a first impression with a potential client — the way you dress, the way you carry yourself in meetings, your voicemail greeting, your web bio (keep current always), your LinkedIn profile (use early, often, and strategically), and even the professional photos on your web bio and LinkedIn page. Many Millennials have written off voicemail as obsolete. That said, one should absolutely consider the Baby Boomer client who will be leaving the message when putting one together. A current bio and profile picture help a client get a handle on who they will be meeting when they seek your counsel. When your client meets you, remember that you are dressing for your client. A meeting with clients from a Northern California tech startup likely requires different attire than a meeting with Wall Street investment bank clients.
You should also maintain a professional social media presence (separated entirely you’re your personal social media). Social media is a tremendous tool for marketing and promotion. For instance, on LinkedIn you can seek testimonials from individuals who recommend you and your work product. You can also share current news and articles which demonstrate that you have a firm handle on recent developments in your field of law. Both of these features can be invaluable when seeking business.
Skillset and Skill Development
Any lawyer worth their salt needs to develop impeccable oral and written communication skills. Whether you write briefs and deliver oral arguments, or counsel clients and draft contracts, these skills are at the core of every lawyer’s work product. Furthermore, to gain visibility in your field, and establish yourself as a subject matter expert and thought leader, you will need to construct and deliver presentations at conferences and write topical articles that have relevance to your peers and clients. Demonstrated thought leadership has the potential to be as valuable in developing business as effective client pitches.
Attorneys should work to enhance communication skills throughout their career. A close friend of mine happens to be a stellar salesperson in the senior ranks of a Fortune 500 technology company. English is neither his native language, nor did he move to the States with any real grasp of it. Today, he has to coach his U.S.-born sales staff on their oral and written English-language communication skills. He has made a lifelong commitment to self-improvement while others became complacent. His superior communication skills allow him to effectively speak the language of value understood by his clients. It also enables him to maintain relationships with existing clients and develop new ones.
In addition to being a great lawyer, effective client development and client relationship management allow lawyers to grow a portable book of business. Position yourself such that you are getting significant client interaction. While the chances of an institutional Biglaw client walking out the door with you to your next firm is slim to none, managing the relationship with that client for your firm is a critical skill to have if you ever hope to have your own clients. (It is not just about getting new clients, it is keeping the ones you have.) If you are not getting this experience after several years at your firm, have a conversation with a reputable recruiter who speaks intelligently about groups where you will get more responsibility and client interaction.
One of the biggest mistakes that I see attorneys make, even at the most prestigious firms, is waiting to be tapped for partnership (or recruited for a specific in-house spot) until they are too senior to be placed at a firm. Associates and counsels with average academic and firm pedigrees but significant books of business (minimum $500K and up in many markets) are far more attractive candidates for partnership, all else equal (somewhat different for stellar litigators — think graduating Order of the Coif from a Top 8 law school, with an impressive federal clerkship, a well-developed skill set, at a Chambers Band 1 ranked firm).
Mentality
A question that associates should ask themselves while they are relatively junior is, “Do I see myself developing business?” There will be a handful of your associate peers who will be fortunate enough to be tapped to handle the firm’s institutional clients. Others will be fortunate enough to develop expertise in a niche, in-demand field so that the counsel they provide will be indispensable for the foreseeable future. However, for most, a revenue-generation mentality will be key to a partnership with portable business.
What is a revenue-generation mentality? Think — I must ALWAYS service AND originate business to generate revenue in dollar amounts that are far greater than what I am paid in order to be a serious asset to my firm. In my seven-plus years as a recruiter, I estimate that well more than half of all lawyers who I have spoken with do not have this mentality, will not have this mentality, and do not want to have this mentality. They often view business development as slick salesmanship which has no natural nexus with sophisticated lawyering. Attorneys who fail to see law as a business and believe that their academic and law firm pedigree entitle them to a lifelong legal career are in for a rude awakening.
If you are grappling with questions about next steps, I’d love to chat. You can reach me at [email protected].
Lateral Link is one of the top-rated international legal recruiting firms. With over 14 offices world-wide, Lateral Link specializes in placing attorneys at the most prestigious law firms and companies in the world. Managed by former practicing attorneys from top law schools, Lateral Link has a tradition of hiring lawyers to execute the lateral leaps of practicing attorneys. Click ::here:: to find out more about us.