You’ve built a strong practice, generated revenue for your firm, and have nurtured a strong reputation for the kind of work you do. The result is that you have leverage, and leverage is currency you can spend. But many partners underutilize it by focusing only on compensation or positioning themselves for a lateral move.
That’s understandable. Compensation is important, and you deserve to be fairly compensated for the value you bring.
But if that’s where your thinking stops, you’re missing a bigger opportunity. The partners who build the most sustainable, satisfying careers use their leverage differently, shaping their day-to-day practice, building the teams they want to work with, and creating work environments that support a fulfilling life.
Here are six ways to use your leverage beyond compensation negotiations.
1. Model work-life balance for your team
Rainmakers set the tone for their teams. If you’re emailing at 11 p.m. or skipping vacation, your associates and junior partners will feel pressure to do the same, even if you tell them otherwise. You can use your leverage to establish norms that support sustainable careers: taking your vacation visibly, recognizing that balance looks different for different people, normalizing mental health conversations, and focusing on results rather than performative availability.
When you advocate for work-life balance in leadership conversations, frame it around retention and productivity. The firm benefits when your team isn’t burned out, when associates stay long enough to become efficient, and when people make fewer mistakes because they’re rested and focused.
Why using your leverage for work-life balance makes business sense
Replacing an associate can cost between $200,000 and $500,000 when you account for recruiting, training, lost productivity, and client relationship disruption.
Partners who model sustainable work habits retain teams longer, reducing these costs. Associates at firms with higher satisfaction rates are more engaged and stay long enough to develop institutional knowledge. For firms tracking associate utilization and realization, stable teams significantly outperform those with constant turnover.
2. Get the resources you need
At Am Law 25 firms, partners perform 35% of the work themselves, compared to 44% at smaller firms. That difference lies in resources, such as enough associates, an adequate marketing budget, and competent support staff. You can use your leverage to advocate for what you need to run your practice: associates who can handle substantive work, a sufficient marketing budget for conferences and sponsorships, experienced legal assistants, updated technology, and funding for business development initiatives.
When you make the case for resources, show the return on investment. For example, 1,800 hours at $800/hour generates $1,440,000 in revenue while costing roughly $350,000, a 4:1 return. That, in turn, will free you up to bring in more business for the firm. A $5,000 conference registration that leads to one $250,000 client is a 50:1 return.
Frame your request around opportunity cost: You can spend time on administrative work, or on work that generates revenue and strengthens client relationships.
Why using your leverage for resources makes business sense
One additional billable hour per day at $2,000/hour generates $450,000 to $500,000 in annual revenue per lawyer. Adequate resources allow you to focus on high-value work, such as origination, client management, and complex legal matters, while delegating tasks that don’t require partner-level expertise.
The cost of under-resourcing partners is the revenue they don’t generate because they’re stretched too thin.
3. Build your practice the way you envision it
Maybe you want to expand into adjacent industries, add geographic coverage, or develop emerging practice areas. Maybe you want to bring on a service partner or mentor junior associates into roles that support your vision. You can use your leverage to build your practice by making the business case for expansion. Explain what clients are asking about, the revenue the firm is missing out on in referred-out work, and where you see a market opportunity.
Why using your leverage to build your practice makes business sense
When partners have the resources and structure to fully serve client needs, firms retain more business. Every referral sent to another firm is revenue the firm isn’t capturing. Building complementary capabilities, whether through hiring, training, or strategic partnerships, closes those gaps.
4. Pursue work that matters to you
Not everything is about maximizing revenue. Maybe you want to take on pro bono work for causes you care about, or build relationships with the types of clients you want to work with rather than the most lucrative ones. Maybe you want to pivot your practice toward work that energizes you, even if it means less money initially, or invest time in thought leadership by writing, speaking, and building your reputation in areas that interest you.
You can use your leverage to pursue meaningful work by connecting it to tangible firm benefits. When you propose pro bono work or thought leadership, show how it strengthens client relationships, generates positive PR in markets you’re trying to grow, develops associate skills, positions you as a resource when prospects search for emerging issues, and generates inbound leads.
Why using your leverage for meaningful work makes business sense
Partners who are intellectually engaged and personally fulfilled in their work are more productive, more creative, and more likely to stay at their firms long-term. Pro bono work and thought leadership generate goodwill with clients, enhance the firm’s reputation, and develop associate skills.
These activities also help retain rainmakers who might otherwise leave for positions that offer more autonomy or purpose. The cost of losing a partner who’s burned out or unfulfilled far exceeds the cost of supporting work that energizes them.
5. Attract and retain the best team members
The lateral and associate market is more competitive than ever. Salaries are at record highs, and top talent has options. You can use your leverage to curate and nurture your team, including hiring laterals who complement your practice, promoting service partners or counsel who’ve proven their value, mentoring promising associates, and creating an environment where talented lawyers want to work long-term.
When you advocate for hiring or promotions, emphasize efficiency and institutional knowledge. A team that works well together is more efficient than one that’s constantly being reshuffled. When associates stay, they develop deep knowledge of your clients and matters, require less supervision, and can eventually take on more complex work.
Why using your leverage for team building makes business sense
Stable teams are more efficient. Associates who’ve worked with you for three years understand your clients, your standards, and your workflow. They require minimal supervision and can handle increasingly complex work. Training new associates every 18 months costs time and money, both in direct training hours and in mistakes made during the learning curve. Retaining good people and promoting from within is cheaper and more effective than constantly recruiting from outside.
6. Define your own version of success
Maybe success means working remotely so you can be present for your family. Maybe it means taking two weeks off in August every year. Maybe it means only taking on bet-the-company litigation that challenges you intellectually. You can use your leverage to design a career that works for you by being clear about what you want and why it won’t compromise your work. Frame the conversation around results. You’ll still serve clients well, generate revenue, and meet your obligations. You’ll just do it in a way that works better for you.
Why using your leverage to define success makes business sense
The firm can either accommodate your arrangement and keep your revenue or risk losing both you and your revenue. When partners leave because they can’t get what they need to be happy, firms lose not just the partner’s revenue but also the client relationships, the team that the partner built, and the institutional knowledge that the partner developed. Accommodating reasonable requests from productive partners is almost always cheaper than replacing them. If you’re considering whether a lateral move might be the right next step, it’s worth understanding all your options.
What this means for you
Using your leverage shouldn’t mean flexing or making threats. It’s there to help you build the career you want. But you have to use it thoughtfully and intentionally.
The firms that understand this and support their rainmakers in using leverage this way are the firms that retain their best people. If you’re bringing in significant revenue but still feel like you’re fighting for every resource or constantly apologizing for wanting a life outside work, that’s a sign that your firm might not be the right fit anymore.
Your leverage should make your life better, not just your bank account.Not sure how to have these conversations with your firm? Or wondering whether your current platform actually supports your vision? Let’s talk.
