How Small Firms Can Sustain Growth and Maintain Firm Culture

Starting a small law firm or going out on your own as a solo practitioner takes a lot of courage, among other things, like confidence, determination and hopefully, a portable book of business. Sometimes the impetus for the new venture is a desire to depart from the culture or business model of Big Law. Other times the motivation is simply to be your own boss and do things your way for a change. But being your own boss comes with a variety of pressures, whether that means finding just the right balance of cases for you to handle on your own or being responsible for developing a large enough caseload to keep you busy, along with the two associates that joined you when you opened your doors. At some point, however, you’re going to be hit with a new reality: the need for growth. Whether you miss the company of working with others, or increased client demands cannot be satisfied by your current staff, you will inevitably face the prospect of adding depth to your team. While growth, either steady or rapid, can disrupt the culture you have worked so very hard to create, it does not have to be another challenge you face as you look toward the future. Just as every firm should have a succession plan in place to plan for the future, small firms can and should have integration plans in place to support desired growth while still preserving the firm’s culture.

It all begins before you even hire that new lateral or begin your search to add a partner with a significant book of business. First, you need to identify and understand the culture you want to preserve. If you do not know what you are trying to protect, how can you attempt to make sure it does not get disrupted? While this may seem like an obvious piece of advice, it is not uncommon for new employees to come and go because of misconceived ideas about what working at the firm will be like. This happens when the firm either does not clearly communicate the existing culture or when it portrays one set of company ideals when in reality they are very different. In a smaller firm, a mismatch often becomes clear much faster than in a bigger firm. Identifying who you are as a firm, what your values are, and why they are important, is an essential first step.