Office Politics: Are You Safely Navigating The Waters Of Your Firm?

Ed. note: This is the latest installment in a series of posts from Lateral Link’s team of expert contributors. Eamon Welch is based in Massachusetts where he oversees attorney placements and client services in the Boston and New York markets. Prior to joining Lateral Link, Eamon practiced law in Goodwin Procter’s Boston office and Greenberg Traurig’s Miami office. Eamon earned his J.D. magna cum laude and Order of the Coif from the University of Miami School of Law, and he also holds an M.A. from Duke University and a B.A. from Trinity College.

It’s the end of November and we’re rapidly approaching annual review season for Biglaw associates. Bill 2100 hours? Check. Complete assignments on time? Check. Turn in error-free work product? Check. Job security, maximum bonus, and promotion guaranteed as a result? Nope.

Too often, associates at all levels overlook or neglect the importance of office politics — to their own detriment. It’s easy to say “I’ll let my work speak for itself” or simply dismiss office politics as unsavory. But don’t be mistaken: office politics mater. If you’re not thoughtfully analyzing the political landscape of your firm and practice group and positioning yourself accordingly, you are self-imposing a ceiling on your career advancement.

Here are some considerations and tips that, if incorporated, will allow you to maximize your professional trajectory at your firm:

1. Not all partners are created equal. Although you should always endeavor to do your best work for all supervising attorneys and make them happy, the reality is that there’s a partner hierarchy. Does your firm have multiple partnership tracks (i.e., equity vs. non-equity)? Equity partners have more influence. There are exceptions, such as a young non-equity partner who’s known as a rising star or a soon-to-be-retired equity partner who’s handed off all of his clients, but 9 times out of 10, this is the case. Which partners have substantial books of business? Those partners who generate more revenue for their firm typically enjoy a higher standing (just because a partner often works for a certain client doesn’t mean that he or she is the relationship partner for that client and credited by the firm accordingly). Are there partners who consistently work on deals or try cases that make the Wall Street Journal or receive attention in industry periodicals? Generally speaking, partners renowned in their area of practice are well-regarded internally. Do partners whom you frequently work for sit on the executive committee or otherwise hold leadership positions in the firm or their practice group? Firm leadership can have a greater impact on your career. The more you can align yourself with partners who hold sway at your firm or in your practice group, the better off you’ll be. Again, the point isn’t to discount the importance of junior or less influential partners (as treating them differently would be detrimental to your career), but simply to highlight an internal firm reality.

 

2. Be nice, be likable — to everyone. This one should be self-evident, but it’s amazing how many associates disregard it, particularly when they encounter non-attorneys/support staff. It costs you nothing to smile and say hello when you pass a colleague in the hall or are waiting for a cup of coffee to brew, and it contributes to making the office a friendlier environment. People talk, and it’s much better to have a reputation as someone who’s “nice” than someone who’s a “jerk.” Another mistake junior/midlevel associates make is overestimating their value to partners vis-à-vis non-attorneys. An experienced paralegal or a long-time assistant is often far more valuable to a senior partner than a new junior associate, keep that in mind. In a similar vein, it’s in the self-interest of senior associates to treat more junior associates well; you’d rather have your deal or case team motivated to work hard than phoning it in. You don’t want to be the senior associate whom no junior associate wants to work for — that’s not helpful for your reputation around the firm.

 

3. Reviews. In addition to written commentary, many firms have a system where, prior to each review period, partners discuss in detail the performance of associates in their department. These discussions can influence, among other things, final reviews, bonus amounts, class-year advancement, and actual retention. Find out who the vocal advocates are in these meetings and have them — or at least one of them — on your side. It does you no good to spend all of your time working for a partner(s) who won’t champion you internally.

 

4. Show up. Make an effort to attend firm and firm-sponsored events. You don’t have to devote every second that you’re not logging .1s to socializing with your colleagues. But presence at major firm happenings and informal gatherings is important, whether expressly required or not. Think about it: in many cases, partners have committed most, if not all, of their careers to a particular firm. Accordingly, the firm is a significant part of their lives. Moreover, the overall health of the firm directly affects their financial well-being. Partners implicitly expect a certain personal investment in the firm from Associates; constant lack of attendance doesn’t go unnoticed…

 

5. Geographic office and practice group. This item is beyond your individual control, but it’s a material factor in the overall calculus. Is your city the firm’s headquarters, or is it a satellite office? If it’s a satellite office, does the office originate its own clients and matters, or does it function to service overflow work from the firm’s headquarters? Is your practice group prominent internally and standalone, or is it complementary to more prioritized practice groups? The nearer you are to the center of your firm’s action, the better positioned you’ll be. It’s harder to get internal traction when your office or practice group is less central to the firm’s strategy.

 

6. Assisting with client development and client relations. Contributing to client development and client relations is another way to improve your standing. You don’t need to originate an eight-figure client to offer value on this front; there are many more minor actions that you can take to pitch in. Is your firm hosting a training for one of its marquee clients? Volunteer to participate. Is a client being honored at an industry event and your firm has purchased a table? Go if invited. Did you learn that one of the business contacts at a firm client was promoted or read an informative article about a company that your firm represents? Pass the information along to the relationship partner. These small measures demonstrate to partners that you understand the importance of client development and how crucial it is to your firm’s operations.

 

7. Get to know your colleagues. Yes, some firm cultures are more formal than others, and some attorneys are more reserved about their personal lives. But when you’re working with other attorneys at your firm, there’s usually some opportunity get to know them personally. Despite the impression that Biglaw associates and partners have no lives outside of the office, that’s rarely ever the case. Find out about your colleagues’ families, hobbies, and interests. When you get to know your colleagues on a more personal level, it enhances your working relationship and general interactions with them.

 

8. Promotion and slowdown. All else being equal, firms will promote associates whom they like, politically, to partnership. If partnership is your goal, it’s critical that you don’t stumble upon this realization the year that you’re being evaluated for elevation. You also want to be safe during a slowdown. Three centuries ago, Newtonian physics taught us that what goes up, must come down. Although the legal economy is thriving now (and hopefully it will be for many more years to come!), probability dictates that growth will slow down eventually. If and when the next recession strikes, it’s harder for a firm to let go of someone whom people genuinely like; it’s much easier to dismiss someone whom people dislike or don’t really know.

In conclusion, ask yourself if you’ve been successfully navigating the political waters of your firm and practice group. If not, the good news is that you can start fresh and implement the tips in this article from the beginning. The associate hiring market is booming across the country — please reach out to me if you’re interested in learning more about your options in the lateral marketplace.

---

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.