If you’re considering a lateral move, there’s a question you need to ask yourself: Why?
That answer might come to you quickly, but the important part is digging deep to find out if moving to another firm is going to solve your why.
One thing we’ve learned after years of helping lawyers find their perfect-fit firms: Sometimes what seems like a problem with the firm is more a problem with the approach. You might think your current firm is the source of your frustration, but the actual issue could be more based on how you’re working within that firm’s structure.
Another firm may seem like the logical solution, but if you haven’t addressed those underlying issues, you’ll run into the same challenges, just with different letterhead.
Some recruiters might shy away from this conversation, but when the end goal is to ensure lawyers are happy and fulfilled, it’s always important to point out that changing firms won’t necessarily be a solution.
We’ll share the most common reasons lawyers want to move and explain whether a lateral move will solve those problems. You’ll see what critical work needs to be done on your end first, setting you up for success, whether you stay at your current firm or look for a new one.
“I’m not getting paid what I’m worth”
If you feel like you’re not getting paid what you’re worth, there could be a number of reasons why. You might be underpaid relative to the market or within your firm, at a firm whose compensation formula doesn’t align with your contribution, or lacking clarity on how compensation is calculated at your firm.
Without identifying the specific issue, any move you make will be a toss-up on whether or not you’ll be paid more.
When a move might not solve it
You might not fully understand the economics of your situation. For example, you might bring in $1 million in business but require eight associates at $100,000+ each to handle that work. When you factor in those costs, your book of business isn’t as profitable as it might have seemed.
Sometimes lawyers think they’re underpaid when, in fact, they’re earning above market rates. They might not understand the different models for compensation calculations or have access to industry-wide data to make accurate comparisons.
You may be generating new matters from a client, but you haven’t made the case that you deserve shared or full credit according to how your firm allocates originations. If you haven’t learned to advocate for yourself within your current system, changing firms won’t solve that advocacy issue. While you might see an initial bump in originations if you switch firms and bring in new matters (where they clearly belong to you), you might still have trouble getting credit for future matters.
The deeper work that might be needed
Start with our book of business calculator to get a complete picture of your book of business’s value, including business you’re not getting credit for and opportunities you can’t pursue because of conflicts or geographic restrictions. Understanding how law firm partner compensation models work can help you identify which structure aligns best with how you contribute value.
When a move would solve it
You’ve done the analysis and confirmed you’re truly underpaid relative to your contribution, or your firm’s compensation model fundamentally misaligns with how you generate value. For example, when you’re a major rainmaker at a firm that primarily rewards billable hours.
You might also be bringing in business, but someone else gets the origination credit because they spoke to that client decades ago. These are structural issues that require a different platform to solve.
“I need more support to grow my practice”
Before you assume your firm won’t invest in you, ask yourself: Have you made a compelling case for why they should?
When a move might not solve it
You haven’t clearly articulated what support you need or why, making it difficult to establish a business case for the requested additional resources. Many lawyers expect firms to offer support without demonstrating why they need it, or they haven’t explored what resources are already available to them.
The deeper work that might be needed
Learn to build a compelling business case for firm support. This isn’t about proving your worth; it’s about showing ROI. Instead of saying “I need more support,” try “Here’s how a $50,000 investment in this conference will generate $2 million in new business, and here’s the data to prove it.”
Develop relationships with firm leadership to understand their priorities and align your requests with their strategic objectives. Start small and demonstrate success. If you want a $100,000 marketing budget, start by requesting $10,000 and demonstrate measurable results. Build a track record of turning firm investments into actual revenue before expecting bigger investments.
When a move would solve it
You’ve consistently made strong business cases that get rejected or continually kicked down the road. When a firm repeatedly rejects sound business proposals from a profitable partner, it shows a lack of willingness to invest in your vision.
Some firms fundamentally don’t invest in business development, treating it as an individual expense rather than a firm growth strategy. These firms expect partners to fund their own marketing and attend conferences with limited support.
If you need specific resources your firm simply can’t provide (like geographic coverage where it has no presence, practice areas it doesn’t offer, or access to industries where it has conflicts), only a different platform can solve those issues.
“I can’t develop business at this firm”
This is where you need to be honest with yourself. Are you struggling because of firm constraints, or because you haven’t yet developed the skills?
When a move might not solve it
You may not have developed business development skills yet. Many lawyers expect clients to come to them because of the level of knowledge and service they can provide, but rainmaking requires an entirely different skill set. You might be waiting for the firm to hand you clients instead of proactively building relationships, or you haven’t found your authentic approach to rainmaking.
The deeper work that might be needed
This is where implementing the “Develop Business” pillar from our 6-Pillars framework can be helpful. Business development is a learned skill, not a personality trait.
You need to find your authentic relationship-building style. The most successful rainmakers lean into what works best for them. It’s about being consistently thoughtful and strategic and choosing what works for you, whether that’s public speaking, traditional networking, writing, or another avenue.
When a move would solve it
Some firms actively discourage business development, viewing it as a distraction from billable work. You may need access to different markets or industries that your current platform can’t provide, or perhaps your firm doesn’t incentivize cross-selling.
If you’re at a firm whose origination credit approach means you’re getting significantly less work credited to you than you would with another formula, then it could be worth seeing what else is available.
“I don’t have work-life balance”
Sometimes, work-life balance can be a result of a firm’s culture, while at other times, it has more to do with an individual’s mindset.
When a move might not solve it
If you haven’t learned to set boundaries anywhere, changing firms won’t suddenly give you that skill. Many lawyers say yes to everything, regardless of their firm’s culture, and haven’t built effective systems for managing their time and energy, or are expecting their firm to solve what are fundamentally personal discipline issues. These patterns will follow you to any new environment.
The deeper work that might be needed
Start by mastering the “Define Boundaries” pillar from our 6-Pillars framework. This isn’t about working less, but working more strategically. You need to learn to delegate effectively and build proper support systems, while developing personal stress and time management skills that work regardless of your environment.
Most importantly, commit to taking care of yourself. Your health and well-being aren’t luxuries that happen when work allows; they’re necessities that will enable you to continue to deliver great work to your clients.
When a move would solve it
Some firm cultures genuinely punish reasonable boundaries, treating vacation time or reasonable working hours as a sign of a lack of commitment. In others, the work volume might be unsustainable despite good personal systems, or your firm may not provide the support structure needed, leaving you to handle administrative tasks that could be delegated.
When a firm maintains a minimum hour requirement even for rainmakers, that philosophy is hard to change when that relationship-building investment isn’t valued.
“I can’t scale my practice here”
Before you assume another firm is the answer, make sure you understand the complete cost-benefit analysis of your current situation.
When a move might not solve it
You haven’t done a thorough cost-benefit analysis of work you receive through referrals from firms in other practice areas. For example, if you’re at a boutique firm that only does IP and you get referrals from corporate lawyers, moving to a full-service firm means they’ll probably stop sending you work because you can’t reciprocate. On the other hand, if you’re with a full-service firm, you might lose clients who want comprehensive services under one roof if you’re moving to a boutique firm.
The deeper work that might be needed
Start by identifying what’s limiting your growth and understanding what scaling requires beyond just “more business.” True scalability means developing systems and processes that can handle increased volume without proportional increases in your time investment.
Map out where your business comes from, which relationships drive the most valuable work, and what you might lose versus what you might gain in different scenarios. If you haven’t learned to work through others effectively or create systems that don’t depend entirely on your direct involvement, adding more resources won’t solve the scalability issues.
When a move would solve it
You need better resources, like more associates—another firm might attract the talent you need so that you can handle more work simultaneously with a fuller team. Your firm might be unwilling to invest in technology and AI tools that could streamline your practice, leaving you handling tasks manually that could be automated.
Clients may also be requesting practice areas or geographic markets that your firm can’t provide or is willing to take on.
Before you make the move
Here’s the bottom line: Whether you stay or go, doing this deeper work first sets you up for success. You’ll become more attractive to other firms AND more successful wherever you are.
Before exploring external options, honestly assess: Have you done everything possible to succeed where you are? Are you moving toward a clear vision, or just away from frustration? Most importantly, will the firms you’re considering solve your underlying problem?
At Gillman Strategic Group, we’d rather have this honest conversation upfront than place you at a firm that won’t address your real challenges. When you know exactly why you want to move and what you need to solve, we can find your exact right, perfect-fit firm.
Would a move be the right step for you? Let’s start the conversation.
