The war for partner talent among leading law firms is fiercer than ever. Eye-popping compensation packages for rainmakers are attracting attention even from the mainstream press. Among the elite in the Am Law rankings, firms have the firepower to offer lateral partners guarantees worth tens of millions of dollars without denting firm finances. But without large war chests, where most yearly profit is distributed rather than reinvested to keep existing partners content, the pressure for inorganic growth is broadly felt at large and midsize law firms. Flexible capital in the mold of private equity will become a key tool to empower more firms to compete.