One statistic in a recent Passle survey really stood out to me: 100 percent of firms surveyed reported struggling to transfer the book of business from an incoming lateral partner.
I see this issue a lot. Law firms spend enormous amounts of money recruiting laterals. They invest heavily in compensation packages, recruiting fees, announcements, onboarding, office moves and integration efforts. Then the partner arrives and everyone expects momentum to continue almost automatically.
That’s usually where things start becoming much more complicated.
A lateral move may look seamless from the outside, but from a business development perspective it can create a significant amount of change and uncertainty. Clients are not automatically tied to a new firm simply because they have a strong relationship with a particular lawyer. Some clients move quickly with the lateral. Others move cautiously over time. Some stay with the old firm entirely. There are all kinds of reasons for that, including:
- existing institutional relationships
- conflicts
- rates
- staffing concerns
- comfort with the previous platform
- concerns about transition risk
- longstanding ties to other lawyers at the old firm
Meanwhile, the lateral partner is trying to learn a completely new environment while also maintaining client relationships and rebuilding market momentum.
That adjustment period is harder than many firms acknowledge. A lot of firms still approach lateral integration too passively. There is often an assumption that a lawyer with a strong reputation and portable business will naturally settle in and start generating work internally. But successful lateral integration usually requires a very deliberate visibility and relationship-building strategy from the beginning.
One of the clearest indicators of whether a lateral is gaining traction is their level of engagement internally and externally:
- Are they building relationships inside the firm?
- Are they participating in industry events?
- Are they reconnecting with referral sources and former contacts?
- Are they becoming visible in the market through speaking, writing and networking?
Visibility comes before revenue
Clients, referral sources and the broader market often need repeated exposure to the lawyer, their expertise and their new platform long before matters and referrals begin flowing consistently.
One of the biggest mistakes firms make is treating the lateral announcement itself as the business development strategy. The press release gets published. The LinkedIn announcement goes out. Everyone welcomes the new partner publicly for a week or two and then the attention largely disappears. Meanwhile, the lawyer is still trying to reposition themselves in the market under a new brand.
The firms that tend to integrate laterals successfully continue building visibility around that lawyer for months and sometimes years after the move. That visibility can come through:
- industry speaking opportunities
- webinars
- conference participation
- articles and client alerts
- podcast appearances
- media commentary
- targeted introductions
- LinkedIn content
- internal presentations
- joint pitch opportunities
Over time, clients and referral sources begin associating the lawyer with the new platform instead of the old one. That transition takes repetition and consistency.
Internal integration matters just as much
A lot of firms overwhelm laterals with introductory meetings that never develop into meaningful collaboration. The lateral meets dozens of people during onboarding but walks away without a clear understanding of who can actually help them grow their practice. A stronger approach is much more targeted and would include:
- Partners with overlapping clients
- Industry teams that align with the lateral’s work
- Natural cross-selling opportunities
- Strategic relationships inside the firm
- Practice groups with natural collaboration opportunities
Those are the conversations that actually matter.
Cross-selling is another area where firms often move too quickly. Everyone talks about cross-selling as though it happens automatically once the lateral arrives. In reality, lawyers usually refer work to people they trust, understand and feel comfortable bringing into client relationships. That trust takes time to build.
Some of the smartest firms create lower-pressure opportunities for collaboration early on. Joint webinars, client alerts, conference panels and internal presentations allow lawyers to learn how each other think and work before asking them to immediately collaborate on major client matters. That familiarity eventually creates stronger internal relationships and more natural referrals.
A smooth transition is more important than you think
I also think firms underestimate how emotionally difficult lateral moves can be, especially for senior partners who spent years or decades building credibility at another institution.
Even highly successful lawyers can feel disoriented after moving firms. Suddenly they are rebuilding internal relationships, learning new systems, understanding a different culture and trying to establish credibility all over again. At the same time, they are managing client transitions and trying to maintain confidence externally.
That transition period affects people more than many firms realize. This is one reason external visibility matters so much during a lateral move. Consistent market engagement helps laterals maintain momentum while reinforcing their expertise and presence during a period of significant professional change.
The power of LinkedIn and personal branding in lateral success
LinkedIn and personal branding also play a much larger role in lateral integration than many firms acknowledge. The moment a lateral move is announced, people start researching that lawyer online:
- clients
- referral sources
- recruiters
- journalists
- competitors
- former colleagues
- prospective clients
An inactive or outdated online presence creates a missed opportunity during one of the highest visibility moments in a lawyer’s career.
The laterals who tend to build momentum most successfully usually stay highly visible during the transition process. They continue speaking publicly, writing articles, commenting on market developments and engaging with their networks instead of disappearing while they “settle in.”
That visibility helps maintain familiarity and keeps conversations moving.
Timing is everything
Another issue firms underestimate is timing.
Books of business rarely transfer overnight. Relationship transitions take time. Internal trust takes time. Market positioning takes time. The strongest lateral moves are usually built steadily over several years through repeated relationship-building, visibility and collaboration.
I also think firms focus too heavily on transferring old relationships while overlooking the opportunity to help laterals build entirely new ones.
A lateral move often creates access to industries, clients and markets that were previously difficult to reach. Firms with strong business development and marketing teams can play an enormous role in helping laterals capitalize on that expanded platform.
The firms that tend to succeed with lateral integration approach it as an ongoing strategic initiative rather than a recruiting victory that ends once the partner arrives. Most laterals need a lot more support than firms typically provide after onboarding ends. They need:
- strategic introductions
- relationship mapping
- visibility planning
- speaking opportunities
- LinkedIn and profile support
- internal coaching
- business development guidance
- help identifying quick wins
- consistent encouragement to stay visible in the market
A successful lateral move usually depends on much more than the lawyer’s reputation or existing client relationships. The transition period matters. Visibility matters. Internal engagement matters. Consistent networking and business development efforts matter.
The laterals who tend to gain momentum most successfully are usually the ones who continue building relationships, staying active in the market and remaining visible both inside and outside their firm after the move takes place.
And the firms that support those efforts in meaningful ways instead of assuming the transition will happen naturally are often the ones that create stronger long term outcomes for both the lateral and the firm itself.
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