L-R Philip Karter and Stewart Weintraub, Chamberlain Hrdlicka. Courtesy photos

Advice for the New Partner

Whether you are a young lawyer in practice for a relatively short time, a seasoned veteran who has risen to the level of senior associate, counsel or even junior partner, or a full equity partner, there is likely to come a time when you will either entertain the idea of looking to change firms or you will be solicited to do so. Should you decide to take the plunge and explore alternatives, you will undoubtedly want to do a good deal of due diligence about any potential new employers. A recruiter's job is to sell a firm to attractive lateral candidates so you can safely assume that you will receive sterling reviews about the firm's reputation, financial health, opportunity for advancement and quality of life. That may be a place to start, but it is not necessarily a barometer for ensuring that the firm is a good fit for the candidate. That's where the personal interview comes in.

Let's start with the basic premise that, regardless of your level of interest in making a move, should you decide to interview for a new position, you should undertake the process with an open mind. A partner of mine with no thought of changing firms just happened to field a call from a recruiter on a day that was particularly trying. With that as the only impetus, he was persuaded to interview. A dozen years later, he is still going strong and one of the firm's most energetic advocates in recruiting other lawyers. The grass is not always greener—but sometimes it actually is.