Consultant Offers Roadmap for 'Do-It-Yourself' Lateral Law Firm Hiring
When law firms hire in today’s competitive economy, they often prefer to bring in lateral attorneys with experience and, even better, a book of business.
But not every lateral hire is a good hire, warns Altman Weil in a Law Firm Partnership and Benefits Report article that is reprinted in the legal consultant’s newsletter.
The article provides a roadmap for what it describes as “do-it-yourself” lateral hiring, suggesting, among other ideas, that law firms assess their needs and prioritize appropriate candidates to meet these needs, then employ a lateral hiring committee and the hiring firm’s own “A” players to recruit their counterparts elsewhere.
Also critical is due diligence that includes, but is not limited to, asking laterals the right questions, the article says.
A sidebar article (PDF) lists important queries. Among them, the form seeks detailed specifics about how the lateral is expected to enhance his or her new firm’s practice, if hired. And, it inquires, why is the lawyer leaving his or her soon-to-be former firm?
