The Managing Partner’s Role in Establishing a Firm’s Culture by Joel A. Rose
It’s a Difficult Job and More Important Than Many People Think The demographics of law firms are changing as baby boomers reduce, or intend to reduce, active involvement in their firms. This change of status of senior partners has highlighted the need for managing partners to assess their firms’ current culture to ensure it conforms to the professional and personal objectives of a significant majority of the mid-level and younger partners, who are the future of their firms. A law firm’s culture can be one of its major strengths, when it is consistent with the current and longer-term objectives and values of a majority of the partners. But a culture that prevents individual attorneys from satisfying their professional, personal and financial objectives, and that inhibits a firm from meeting its competitive threats, or adapting to changing economic environments, can lead to the firm’s stagnation and decline, unless its partners make a conscious effort to change. Firm culture implies values, such as: aggressive, collegial, sensitive to quality of life, competitive, democratic, etc., that set a pattern for a firm’s activities and the roles of its partners. This pattern is instilled in newer attorneys by the example set by the partners through their actions and transparent communications. A principal role of a managing partner is to assess the needs and priorities of the firm and the partners, and to cultivate the type of culture that encourages partners to use their skills and abilities toward achieving their firm’s desired objectives. Absent the willingness of managing partners to be sensitive to the changing needs of a firm, and the desires and expectations of its partners, a firm will have problems functioning in its practice environment, and may have difficulty surviving. The managing partner must be sensitive to the firm’s core values, including its methods for determining and implementing policies, compensating its lawyers and engaging in strategic and marketing planning, and competing effectively with other law firms in its geographic area.
Warning Signs Based upon my experience, below is a list of warning signs that will serve as the bellwether for managing partners to reassess their firms’ culture and core values: 6
Attorney Journals Orange County | Volume 193, 2022
• Partner complaints or suggestions that they are not being kept informed of firm matters that involve staffing, termination of attorneys, issues that may affect particular partners or their areas of practice, etc.; • Feelings that some partners are being “manipulated” by a group of dominating partners; • Senior (or more influential) partners consider the firm as their private domain, and take others for granted; • The sense that decisions are being made by a select few, and partner meetings are eyewash, as major decisions are made prior to the meeting, and partners are being “played with”; and • Lack of open communications between the more influential partners and the rest of the attorneys.
Dealing with the Warning Signs Below are suggested action plans that should be implemented if any of the above warning signs appear. The managing partner should: • Position himself or herself as a leader who is eager to listen to the opinions of other partners; • Create a constructive dialogue to assess the needs and expectations of all of the other partners; • Reach a consensus of a significant majority of the partners about the desired culture and develop a plan on how to implement it; • Encourage partners to participate in governance issues and be kept informed about those activities that will influence the firm’s future; • Schedule partner meetings on a regular basis, and announce dates and times of these meetings far enough in advance to clear schedules; • Prepare agendas for these meetings, encourage partners
