The process of moving a legal practice from one firm to another is part of a delicate dance that can change in subtle ways, depending on your chosen partner. Having danced this dances many, many times, we know the steps.

Step One - Assessing Your Reasons for Moving. You need a very good reason to spend time and effort preparing for a complex dance. If you are properly motivated to move, we can hone your message, pair you up with the right partners prepare you to interview well with them.  For a discussion of the Best Reasons for Making a Lateral Moving, see our article at www.senderlegalsearch.com, 03.10.09.

Step Two - Finding the Right Fit.  We assess which firms are most likely to value your practice expertise and mesh with your service approach for the benefit of your clients. You can also assess where you will likely find the kind of marketing, technological, and operational support you need to perform at your best. Issues regarding your clients’ needs for complementary practice support, your desired marketing platform, and the meshing of your personal goals with those of your potential partners should be fleshed out early. Then, you will be ready to identify potential courtship partners, and to prepare an effective strategy for approaching them and responding to their expressions of interest.

Step Three - Conducting Interviews. This part of the courtship dance can vary significantly, depending on the firm. Some prefer a fast-moving tango while others prefer the slower deliberate movements of a waltz. We know the decision-makers at each firm, their methods of assessing your value, and their history of negotiating. If you are well-prepared, you will know the proper steps (and the missteps) for each interview, and you will know just how much is expected of you as the dance becomes more revealing for both sides.

Step Four - Conflict Considerations. This part of the dance can be the most dangerous and delicate.  The law firm that is the prospective employer will generally want, at some point, information about your clients and their relationship with you. On the other hand, you may want information about their practices and clients, and yet you both have professional duties not to reveal certain types of client information without client consent. There are ways to reach agreement on what will be disclosed and when, and there are ways to avoid premature or excessive exploration of client matters that can be harmful if the courtship ends. You might even want to agree on some protocols for carefully staged, mutual revelations ahead of time.

Step Five - Negotiating Compensation and Other Terms. Many find talking about compensation difficult. We help you negotiate effectively with each firm that has decided to pursue a relationship with you. You should know when and how to dance around the subject of compensation, and you should be well prepared to discuss issues regarding your title, your long-term role in the firm, and various aspects of your partnership agreement.

By mastering the lateral dance, you are more likely to find and consummate a relationship with the right partners who will bring out the very best in you and who will do the very best for your clients.