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CAREER COUNSELOR’S CORNER
Dan Lewis, Partner Recruiter, BCG Attorney Search [5-31-04 by John J. Barnes] As a legal recruiter specializing in partner placements, Dan Lewis offers his perspective on the career arcs of attorneys, including where the defining moments for success and failure are.
We seldom run into anyone with an arcane
who was not getting along with whom, and
can, for purposes of illustration, be summed
specialty in law partner recruitment, so
the like. When you move a partner, you are
up by how I would advise a 2nd-year associ-
it was with considerable anticipation that
moving an entire line of business, and that
ate, which differs from what I might say to a
we met with Dan Lewis, who focuses on
creates a ripple effect. There are a lot of
5th-year associate. These two vantage points
law partner placement exclusively and has
complexities involved with this. For example,
represent two distinct and important stages
become one of the acknowledged best in
a partner is initially attractive because of the
of an attorney’s career development and are
this rare line of work. Dan’s a native New
amount of portable billings they have. There
necessary to understand.
Yorker, married with one child and a gradu-
may be key associates he or she wants to
ate of Hunter College who has been in the
bring along. Some of the portable busi-
“For example, the 2nd-year attorney tends
Los Angeles area for the last 16 years. He’s
ness may cause potential conflicts. There is
to be too trusting, or, as we say in the trade,
with BCG Attorney Search, the nation’s larg-
almost always more than one individual in
‘He’s drunk too much Kool-Aid.’ What’s
est recruitment firm devoted exclusively to
the acquiring firm to deal with, and each may
meant by this is that he has indiscriminately
attorney placement in private firms. When
have different takes on what the compensa-
swallowed the propaganda his firm puts out
asked how he got into this niche aspect of the
tion should be and other matters, some of
about benefits packages, its caring nature
placement business, he smiled.
them seemingly unimportant to everyone but
and the like. What the attorney does not
the individual raising them. Then there are
realize is that running a law firm is a busi-
“I just sort of fell into it after college,” he
innumerable timing issues and, as it so often
ness and business considerations almost
answered. “I started doing recruiting of
happens, at the last moment someone or
always take precedence over the needs of an
business consultants for companies such as
something can throw a monkey wrench into
individual. In my opinion, and I admit to being
Accenture, McKenzie and IBM. After a couple
the deal.”
biased, an attorney owes ultimate loyalty
of years of this, it was easy enough to make a sideways move into attorney placement as
to his or her career and not to any par“Can you give some examples?”
the compensation level as the career arc is
ticular firm. If the firm and the attorney are comfortable with each other, fine. But either
comparable for both business consultants
“Sure. Maybe the partner who’s going to
can break the contract almost at will. Young
and attorneys. As for partner placement, that
move is suddenly served with divorce by
attorneys need to keep this in mind and plan
was an outgrowth of my earlier experience.
his wife, a child or parent gets sick or an
accordingly.”
As a long-term growth strategy for myself, I
acquiring partner suddenly gets cold feet.
wanted to refine my skills in an area where
You never know. Because of these and other
“What is it about the 5th-year vantage point
I saw promise and felt I could innovate and
often untoward complexities, it can and often
that is any different from the advice you’d
contribute.”
does take a year or more to put together a
give to a 2nd-year?”
partner move. I love the work, don’t get me “And law partner placement was that niche
wrong, but it can be frustrating at times.”
area,” we offered.
“Fifth-years must realize that they are at a crossroads and that if they miss a rapidly
“Based on your 16 years of experience work-
closing window of opportunity they could
“Right. But what I soon learned was that
ing with associates and partners, can you
relatively quickly find themselves as a 9th- or
considerable patience is required, that much
offer any advice for our readers, especially
10th-year associate either with no partner-
on-going research of the market was neces-
those who are not partners?”
sary to include which firm had a strength or weakness in which particular practice area,
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ship on the horizon or the possibility of a partnership they do not want.”
“Sure. But first some observations, and they
continued on back