Sign in to follow

Law.com

How I Made Practice Group Chair: 'Cultivating a Culture of Mutual Trust Is Essential,' Says Gina Piazza of Tarter Krinsky & Drogin

"Finally, and perhaps most importantly, cultivating a culture of mutual trust within your practice is essential. As a leader, you must earn the confidence of every team member while simultaneously placing your trust in them. Your colleagues look to you for guidance, support, and leadership in ways that profoundly influence their professional trajectories and personal lives. By fostering this environment of trust and respect, you create a foundation for sustainable success and meaningful growth, both for your practice and for the individuals within it."
9 minute read

Law.com

How I Made Managing Partner: 'Be the Uniting Voice of the Firm,' Says George Ogilvie of McDonald Carano

"A managing partner’s most important role is to be the uniting voice of the firm to uphold the ultimate responsibility for serving as the protector of the institution’s legacy and future. Throughout my three decades at McDonald Carano, I consistently demonstrate my ability to evaluate and act in a transparent, impartial, objective, and fair manner on behalf of the firm as an institution."
14 minute read

Law.com

How I Made Managing Partner: 'Educate Yourself About Law Firm Economics,' Says Gregory Hessinger of Mitchell Silberberg

"I would advise them to focus on three things: 1) maintain excellence in lawyering, which garners the respect of your partners and the legal industry; 2) spend more time listening in firm meetings than speaking; 3) build meaningful relationships with partners that you can lean into when it comes time to make tough decisions—which occur almost daily in my role; and 4) educate yourself about law firm economics. In my experience, many great lawyers don’t have the time or desire to invest in the latter two items, but anyone interested in a law firm leadership position must make that investment to be successful."
8 minute read

Law.com

How I Made Partner: 'Focus on Being the Best Advocate for Clients,' Says Lauren Reichardt of Cooley

"There were many times I thought that making partner simply wouldn’t be in the cards for me—whether because the process is so competitive or because I didn’t think I was good enough. I would tell my younger self to not distract myself with those thoughts and instead focus on being the best advocate for our clients that I can be."
6 minute read

Law.com

How I Made Practice Group Leader: 'It’s a Job About People, First and Foremost,' Says Alexander Lees of Milbank

"It’s a job about people, first and foremost. You are building, shaping and managing a team, and you have to not only be prepared for people management, but enjoy the interpersonal and social aspects of the role."
7 minute read

Law.com

How I Made Office Managing Partner: 'Be Open to Opportunities, Ready to Seize Them When They Arise,' Says Lara Shortz of Michelman & Robinson

"The best advice I can offer to someone aspiring to lead an office is to be open to opportunities and ready to seize them when they arise. It’s impossible to rise to the occasion when hesitant or shy about stepping forward. Leadership often comes to those who aren’t afraid to take the initiative and embrace new challenges, even when they’re outside their comfort zone."
10 minute read

Law.com

How I Made Partner: 'Your Coworkers Are One of the Most Valuable Assets You Have,' Says Laurel Roglen of Ballard Spahr

"If you’re in the right workplace, you’re part of a team. Everyone you’ll work with should want to see you succeed, and hard work will be recognized. Take every opportunity to challenge and better yourself, and remember that your coworkers are one of the most valuable assets you have."
8 minute read

Law.com

How I Made Office Managing Partner: 'Stay Focused on Building Strong Relationships,' Says Joseph Yaffe of Skadden

"Stay focused on building strong relationships—both with your colleagues and clients. Leadership isn’t just about delivering results; it’s about understanding people, empowering your team, and fostering an environment where everyone can thrive. Be curious and take the initiative to learn beyond your immediate responsibilities."
6 minute read

Law.com

How I Made Practice Group Chair: 'Collaboration Actually Makes the Job Fun,' Says Zachary Lerner of Troutman Pepper Locke

"Collaboration is essential. Every successful practitioner is guilty at some point in their career of becoming a “silo” on a project; this makes sense, as you don’t get to be a partner at a law firm unless you are pretty darn good at something and, at one point or another, you will feel like you can handle it all alone. Yet whenever I collaborate with one of my peers, they always add something of value that I have not. Perhaps most importantly is that collaboration actually makes the job fun."
13 minute read

Law.com

How I Made Partner: 'Be Open With Partners About Your Strengths,' Says Ha Jin Lee of Sullivan & Cromwell

"Working hard and producing strong work is obviously a given, but a less obvious factor is the ability to be open with partners about your strengths, what skills you would like to improve on, and the types of matters you want to work on. I think my honesty helped me a great deal, as I was open with the people around me about my short-term and long-term personal and professional goals."
6 minute read

TRENDING STORIES

Law Pro Logo

Featured Firms

Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.

(470) 294-1674

Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone

(857) 444-6468

Smith & Hassler

(713) 739-1250

More from ALM

More from ALM

Legal Speak is a weekly podcast that makes sense of what’s happening in the legal industry.

Resources

  • The Power of Online Reputation Management For Attorneys: A Critical Tool For Law Firms in 2025

    Brought to you by Erase.com

    Download Now

  • The Role of Evolving Support Structures in Optimizing Legal Talent

    Brought to you by BigHand

    Download Now

  • Corporate Monitorship Advisory Services

    Brought to you by HaystackID

    Download Now

  • AI-Powered Deposition and Medical Record Summaries: Low Risk, High Reward

    Brought to you by Parrot

    Download Now