Recruiting
Why Do Partners Move Firms?
By Raj M. Nichani
P
artners in law firms are large contributors to the business
aspect of the firm, and maintain close relationships with
clients to keep the firm running smoothly. However,
partners do not stay at law firms for the rest of their careers and
decide to move for many reasons.
One of the reasons is to help their clients. If moving to a law
firm that has a strong practice area that a partner practices in
not only benefits the partner by providing him or her with much
needed resources and support, that greater amount of support
and resources also means better services provided to their clients.
Other times, partners are not given the credit they deserve for
bringing in certain clients, or credit for maintaining a long
relationship with a large client.
Another reason why partners move firms is because they have
outgrown the firm. They desire new experiences and challenges
that one firm may offer that another does not. Some law firms
lose practice areas or a practice area shrinks and loses the
amount of support it had in the past. From this, it would be best
for a partner to move to a firm with a stronger practice area to
continue working successfully in that field. A partner can also
outgrow a firm because of geographical reasons, and a firm
decides to change its culture. For example, in Texas, energy law is
a major growing practice area, which can cause a firm to expand
support in that area, and take away from another. In order to
continue practicing in a partner’s practice area ???f??rF?6?G???"6?V?G'?F?B?2??v?FV??B??F?B&7F?6R&Vv?V?B&P???&R&V?Vf?6??F??7F???r??g&??f???6??7F?6R?'F?W"v????W2?FW&???fRvWG0??B??&R?F?W??&VG??fRF?RW?W&?V?6R2'F?W"B??F?W ?f?&??F?W?'&??rF?V?"???v?VFvR?6????2?F?V?B??B'W6??W72v?F??F?V??F?W2&V??rf?V&?R&W6?W&6RF?F?R?rf?&?6??&VBF??W'6??v???B??&Wf??W2'F?W"?6?F???W?W&?V?6R????F?W"&V6??v??'F?W"v?????fRF?F?ffW&V?Bf?&??0?&V6W6R?bF?fW'6?G??6??Rf?&?2????B&RF?fW'6RV??Vv??&V??p?&?RF?&?f?FRF?R?VVFVB6W'f?6W2F?6?V?B?2F?R?W?F??VW??p?F?R'W6??W727V7B?b?r?fR???f??rF??rf?&?v?F???F?ffW&V?B&7F?6R&V2?GF?&?W?2v?F?f&??W2&6?w&?V?G2??@???V?&W"?b7W?'B7Ffb?V?&W'2?VW2F?R?rf?&?'V????p?6???F??6?F?W?&R&?RF?&?f?FR??F???rF?F?V?"6?V?G2??7W?'B?2?6??VvRf7F?"v?V??B6??W2F???fV?V?B?b'F?W"?2??BvWGF??rF?R?VVFVB?"FW6?&VB7W?'Bg&???f?&??F?V??R?"6?R????fRF?f?&?F?B?2F?R7W?'BF?W???VVB?F??2?v?B?V???7&V6??rF?R??V?B?b?V?F?R'F?W ?vWG2g&??&?Vv?2?76?6?FW2?6?V?6V???B?F?W"7W?'B7Ff`?F??v?FV?F?Rv?&???B??F?W&R???6?&R6??f?7G2BF?Rf?&?F?Bv?????R?'F?W"FV6?FRF???fR???R6??f?7BF?B6??67W"?2?b?f?&??W&vW2??W&vW'27&VFR7G'V7GW&R6??vRv?F???f?&?F?B6??VBF?&?F?v??B?B&B?WF6??W2?F?W&R???6??&R'W6??W726??f?7G2?v?W&R6?V?G2F??( ?Bv?Bf?&?F?v?&??v?F?6??WF?F?"?f?"W???R?W6??B6?66???"?P??B?G&??B&R6????W26??WF??rv??7BV6??F?W"??@?&V6W6R?bF?V?"6??R?F?W??fR6???v??f?&?6?&W&W6V?@??"??B??b??R6????vW&RF?f??R?r7V?Bv??7B??F?W"?F?P??rf?&??VVG2F?&R&?RF?7W?'B??R6????????f??rF?F?ffW&V?Bf?&?6??ffW"w&?wF??B??'GV??F?W0?F?'V??B&7F?6R???f??r??F?F?ffW&V?Bf?&?6?&?f?FRF?P??VVFVB76?6?FW2?&?Vv?2??B7W?'B7Ffb'F?W"&WV?&W2F??6??F??VR'&??v??r??6?V?G2?B&?f?F??rW?6V??V?B6W'f?6RF??VW ?F?V?"'W6??W72?BF?R?rf?&?( ?2'W6??W72w&?v??r?Bf??W&?6???r??&?????6????W7??2F?R&W6?FV?B?b$???v??&?6V&6??gV???6W'f?6R?Vv?6V&6?6???7V6?????r??F?RW&??V?B?BFV??&'???6V?V?B?b?Vv?GF?&?W?2v?F??rf?&?2?@?6?'?&FR?Vv?FW'F?V?G2?&??B??2FV?&P?FVF?6FVBF??6??rF?R??v?W7BV?G?6?F?FFW0?&6VB??F?V?"?v?V??VR?VVG2?F?R?Vv??&V7'V?F??r6????v2&V6V?F???VBF?R7F?F??Vv?&V7'V?F??p?6??????F?R?F???'??t7&?76??r???R6?&V6?&?B?cs????C"?S?SR??"'?V???B&?&??v??&?6V&6??6???"'?f?6?F??rwwr??&??v??&?6V&6??6??f?"WFFVB??"?7F??w2?BgW'F?W"??f?&?F??????F?R&V7'V?F??r&?6W72??f???R???GF?&?W?B?r?v???\*?w&VFW"??V??#0??