Strategies for Lateral Moves in the Legal Industry

Law firm partner to in-house counsel is a bigger leap than most lawyers realize. And it might not happen the way you think. If you're a partner, counsel, or senior associate (8+ years in) eyeing an in-house move, here's the truth: Companies hiring through retained search firms typically want candidates who already speak their language. No in-house experience yet? Don't worry. Many companies bypass search firms in the early phases of a senior in-house counsel hiring initiative. During that phase, they tend to be more open to considering law firm talent with potential. These roles become your gateway to future GC opportunities. Breaking in requires strategy: • 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲. Transitions happen through relationships. Reach out to former clients and colleagues who've made the jump. • 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗹𝗮𝘄 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀. Partners representing companies you'd like to join often get the first call when those clients need in-house talent. These relationship partners can be your champions. • 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲. Highlight business impact alongside legal expertise. • 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀. A coffee with someone who's already transitioned in-house can reveal more than hours of research. • 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗰𝗶𝗿𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀. Organizations like ACC, ABA, In-House Connect, The L Suite and MCCA are goldmines for connections and knowledge about in-house opportunities. • 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀. Track positions on LinkedIn, ACC Jobline, GoInHouse, The L Suite, and Major, Lindsey & Africa's careers page that match your experience. Once inside a corporate legal team, success requires different skills: • 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁, 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱. Connect your advice to company goals and financial impact. • 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀. Your effectiveness depends on influence, not authority. • 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿. Build relationships beyond the legal department. Collaborate across functions and business lines. • 𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗺. Perfect legal solutions often take a backseat to business realities. Focus on impact, not ego. Remember this: The in-house transition demands persistence and humility. You'll trade technical perfection for business influence. For many, that's a worthwhile exchange – but it's not for everyone. What was your turning point when moving in-house? Your experience could be someone's roadmap.

Many law firms overestimate how easily lateral partners will integrate. They expect a high percentage of the lateral’s book of business to follow within six months and anticipate immediate cross-selling into firm clients. In reality, the projections often don’t materialize. Cross-selling is slow. Integration stalls—not because the lawyer isn’t capable, but because the firm lacks a plan. The mistake is assuming relationships automatically transfer. Here’s what I’ve seen coaching firms through this process: - Client loyalty is personal, not institutional. Even loyal clients pause when their lawyer moves. They consider switching costs, internal politics, and whether the new firm actually strengthens their legal team. - Internal partners may not engage. Unless the lateral brings a clearly differentiated skill set, internal partners often already have trusted relationships in the same area. - Cross-selling doesn’t happen without trust. Credentials aren’t enough. Internal referrals require confidence—and that has to be earned. So what should firms do? - Plan for client retention before the lateral arrives. Which relationships are portable? What obstacles might block the move? What outreach should happen on Day 1? - Strategically pair the lateral with internal partners. Not just for introductions, but to build shared ownership of client relationships. - Invest in relationship-building—and set realistic expectations. Visibility gets attention. Trust results in new business. Building trust inside the firm—and across client relationships—rarely happens in a quarter. It takes sustained effort over the course of a year or more. When firms treat integration like a business development campaign—with structure, follow-up, and internal accountability—they set the lateral up to succeed.

Are you a law firm partner who is considering making a lateral move? Here are some factors you might not be thinking about but your clients probably will mull over before deciding whether to follow you to another firm: Portfolio management: If you are the relationship partner for a portfolio of work including matters not in your practice area but handled by other lawyers in your previous firm, how will that be handled in your new firm? Corporate clients need assurances that there are appropriate resources at your new firm to continue to appropriately handle all matters in the portfolio. Furthermore, if there was a special deal negotiated regarding rates, staffing, and alternative service providers, your new firm must understand how to price and manage the portfolio so that moving the business to the new firm will provide as much, if not more, value. There will be new billing systems, protocols, payment systems, blanket waivers, etc. Your client must be willing to take the time and effort to renegotiate those terms. There’s often a lot of red tape involved in releasing and moving files and your client won’t want to be burdened with that. Review with them, matter by matter, how to protect their interests and ease the transition. Staffing: Your clients are accustomed to your old firm’s processes, procedures, and working with your entire team, including junior partners, associates, paralegals, and administrative staff. If your team is not moving with you, your client will wonder why not. Plan how the new firm will staff your client’s work. Clients resist paying for new people to get up to speed on their matters. Your new firm will have to assume those costs as well as any administrative costs involved in transferring the work. Rest assured that your client will review your bills carefully to make sure those costs are not slipped in and will remove them if found. It takes more of their time to do this careful review, which is an additional burden. Of course, part of your integration into your new firm involves introducing your new colleagues to your clients, and vice-versa. The amount of time and effort your client must invest in meeting new lawyers or having “cross-selling” meetings with lawyers at your new firm may be inversely proportional to the likelihood that they will want to move their business from your old firm. Have you taken these matters into consideration when deciding to make your move? #lawjobs #legaljobs #jobsearchtips #lateralpartner #legalrecruiting For more insights into job search strategies, the legal industry, and the California legal job market, follow SeltzerFontaine LLC, and connect with me and ring the 🔔 at Valerie Fontaine.

Today, I bring you the first micro-interview of a lawyer who went from insurance law to in-house and, eventually, all the way to General Counsel! I’d like to introduce you to James D. Snyder who shares the exact strategies he used to break into in-house and the key advice he’d give anyone looking to go in-house. (Fun fact: James hired me for my first in-house role 😃 ) 1️⃣ Describe your career path Insurance Defense ➡️ Contracts Manager ➡️ In-House Counsel ➡️ General Counsel 2️⃣ What strategies, tactics, and resources did you use to land your first in-house role? Getting my first in-house role required creativity. After doing insurance defense for a few years, I wanted to make the move in-house. As I started looking for roles, I discovered a role that sounded similar to what a lawyer does but for which a JD wasn’t required - a contracts manager. I saw these roles as a strategic way to jump in-house. (I eventually found a contracts manager role at a large company.) There were two ways I sold my prior experience. First, while insurance defense and litigation may not seem relevant to an in-house role, it taught me to assess and prioritize risks. Second, while in college I worked a sales job. I used my prior sales experience to convey my understanding of sales cycles and the mindset of a sales person. This helped me land my role working on commercial transactions. Lastly, after I got the job, I made up for my lack of direct transactional experience by learning quickly and adapting on the job. 3️⃣ If you had to start over today, what would you do differently? I might have focused on finding and staying longer at a law firm - especially one with a transactional practice. This would have helped me build up my resume and make my transition to an in-house role much easier. 💥 Bonus Tip If you’re looking to move in-house, creativity and adaptability are key. Consider non-traditional roles, like a contracts manager or contracts negotiator, as a stepping stone. Also, look for emerging areas of law that align with your interests. For me, it was data privacy before it became a hot topic. Staying ahead of the curve - whether it’s in AI, cybersecurity, or another rising field - can make you invaluable. By becoming an expert, you can carve out a niche and add tremendous value to whatever organization you’re trying to join.  ------ James’ story is a powerful reminder that, with creativity and strategy, you can break into an in-house role—even with an unconventional background. His insights about leveraging your unique experiences and staying ahead of legal trends are 🔑 for any lawyer looking to move in-house. Each week, I share a new micro-interview with lawyers who made the leap to in-house. Don’t miss out—follow me to stay updated! If you’re a lawyer with unconventional experience looking for the playbook to land your first in-house role, check out the My In-House Coach course. Let’s get you on the path to success! 🚀

In 2024, Freshwater Counsel worked with 11 midlevel associates in their 3rd to 5th years with lateral moves to Gibson Dunn, Quinn, Latham, Arnold & Porter, Weil, Goodwin, and other top firms including elite boutiques. This seniority level is highly sought after by firms across practice groups, geographies, and workloads. Why firms often hire 3rd-5th year associates 1. Immediate Value: Associates have been trained and assessed by their current firms, allowing them to contribute valuable work products from day one 2. Competitive Rates: Their billing rates align with clients' expectations, so they are easy to bring on to a variety of cases 3. Trainability. You’ve learned habits, but you are still early in your career and open to new ideas on how to practice 4. Runway to partnership. If you’re too senior, a firm has less time to consider you for partnership in a timely way and evaluate the business case for your addition to the partnership Benefits for midlevel associates considering a lateral move 1. Changing the nature of your work: - Specialization: Move to a firm where you can focus more on the types of work you enjoy or that you bet will make you partner - Diversification: Move to a firm with a broader range of subject matter to uplevel skills and experience 2. Joining a practice focused on partnership potential: - Updated perceptions: Moving to a new firm can help you avoid being typecast based on your current firm's image, if you started at a firm as a summer associate you may always be seen as a summer associate - Path to partnership: Assess whether the new firm’s leadership recognizes your potential for partnership, beyond just being a long-term, valuable associate 3. Increasing responsibility: - Career growth: Evaluate if your current firm provides the experience and opportunities you desire for the next phase of your career - Peer comparison: Look at the responsibilities your peers and more senior associates are handling to determine if a move could offer greater growth If you're a midlevel year associate considering a lateral move, DM me to discuss your career goals for 2025.

Advice I give frequently to Partners and Associates of all levels - there are riches in niches. Too many lawyers try to be everything to everyone. An example - it is very hard to set yourself apart from the crowd as a "vanilla" M&A lawyer. The real career accelerators? The ones who find their niche - and dominate it. 💡 Clients pay premiums for specialists. Not generalists. 💡 Partners who are known for one thing frequently find it easier to build stronger books faster. 💡 Lateral moves and partnership prospects are smoother when your expertise fills a specific firm or market gap. Example - tax partners who specialize in renewable energy command a premium right now (even without a book of business). Finding your niche means: - Picking an industry, practice area, or client segment early—and leaning in. - Developing a "mini-brand" inside your firm and externally. - Saying "no" to work that doesn't align with your long-term positioning (this can be hard and is a topic in itself). If you’re early in your career, ask yourself: ➡️ What practice areas are growing? ➡️ Where is client demand outpacing lawyer supply? ➡️ What type of work energizes you enough to master it over years? If you’re mid-career, it’s never too late to reposition. Follow me for more #biglaw commentary, market intel, and roles.

No one teaches you how to work with recruiters. Law schools don't know how to work with recruiters - best case scenario, they help you get your first job and consider their work done. Law firms won't tell you how to work with recruiters. Why would they? Here's two key insights I wish I knew when I was a biglaw associate: (I) If you want to go in-house, work backwards. In-house roles are rare, so you need to be strategic. Identify the kind of company you want to work at, and the kind of role you want. To be in-house, you need skills that help grow the business. Biglaw requires you to specialize. Your skillset may be too specialized to be helpful in-house. So you may need to pick up other skills that make you valuable in-house. Skills like privacy, licensing, SEC reporting. That may take a lateral move (e.g. a life sciences patent lawyer moving to a firm with a stronger tech patent practice, or a commercial litigator moving to a firm with a privacy disputes practice). (II) If you want a lateral move, understand the reason to work with a recruiter at all. The essential benefits of working with a recruiter are: (1) guidance - getting objective feedback on the tradeoffs of different roles (2) negotiation - leveraging any offers you get with other firms  (3) logistics - having someone managing which firms you're applying to You don't get any of these benefits if you work with multiple recruiters. One recruiter won't know what another is doing - you have to ferry info across recruiters. If you get two offers from two recruiters, they'll both pitch you why the offer they secured is the best offer. You lose the opportunity to get as objective guidance as possible.

Want to make a lateral move easier? Keep good records! It's more difficult (and awkward) to get these details when you're ready to move, so just stay on top of it... Keep track of your relationships. Particularly as a partner or counsel, you want to show these will move with you. Keep track of your matters. It makes conflicts easier. And helps with your resume. Keep track of your hours. And know your realization rate! Keep track of your origination (if you're a Partner. Three years is best.). Keep track of your applications (particularly if you're working with multiple recruiters). Makes for easier follow-up and avoids double submissions.

60-Second In-House Job Search Masterclass (from someone who's helped hundreds of lawyers make the move) 1. Get on every recruiter's radar. For lateral searches, it's usually best to work with one recruiter. For in-house searches, it's the opposite. In-house searches are exclusive to one recruiter. The more recruiters who know you, the better. → Ask friends and colleagues for recruiter referrals. → Reply to recruiter emails and ask if they do in-house searches. → Build a spreadsheet and reach out to new recruiters every week. Don't take it personally if they won't jump on a call. Most only engage when you're a fit for an active search, but they will add you to their database. 2. Make law firms your personal recruiting agencies. Law firms love helping lawyers go in-house. It builds goodwill with current and prospective clients. And it builds a pipeline of decision-makers who will consider the firm going forward. → Call partners you know at as many firms as possible. → Share what you're looking for. → If it's something outside their practice area, ask if they'll refer you to a colleague in the relevant group. You don't need to be an alum--as long as the partner knows your work and can vouch for you. 3. Network with people who have your dream job. Use LinkedIn to set up short conversations with as many people as possible who currently have jobs that seem interesting to you. Not people who are a level above the jobs you are targeting. People who have the actual jobs you would want to have. Ask: → What is your day-to-day like? (to gather information about what you do and don't want in your next role, and gain domain knowledge for when you interview) → How did you land your role? (maybe they'll intro you to a new recruiter) → Would you keep me in mind for opportunities you hear about? (they likely hear about jobs you want on industry listservs and from recruiters, and if they're not looking to move they'll happily forward them to you) Yes, it's a grind. But it's also very effective. Try it out and let me know how it goes. *** 👋 I'm a lawyer-turned-career coach, and I have helped hundreds of lawyers successfully navigate career transitions. Are you an associate looking to land your ideal in-house or lateral job? Applications open soon for my Accelerator coaching program. Message me to learn more.

The Truth About Timing Your Lateral Move! Timing is crucial when considering a lateral move in the legal profession. Understanding the optimal moments to transition can significantly impact your career trajectory. Ideal Timing for a Lateral Move The period between your second and sixth year of practice is often considered the "sweet spot" for lateral moves. During this time, attorneys typically possess a balanced mix of experience and adaptability, making them highly marketable to potential employers. As you progress beyond the fifth year, opportunities may become less abundant due to increased seniority. Seasonal Considerations While lateral opportunities can arise at any time, certain seasons may offer more favorable conditions: Fall: After the summer law school recruiting season, firms often focus on lateral associate recruiting before the holiday season. Year-End: Some firms may have budget considerations or strategic goals that align with end-of-year transitions. However, this is not a universal trend and can vary by firm. Remember, the decision to make a lateral move is significant. I recommend not waiting till you're desperate and allowing 2-6 months of time for a move!