Reinvigorate Your Laterals’ Integration Journey

Last week, we promised some actionable ideas that may help reinvigorate your firm's integration journey. Here's that list. But first, take a moment to revisit your laterals’ action plans to ensure their priorities and objectives are still aligned with the firm’s strategic plan.

1. Invite your laterals’ client to address your firm’s industry group about their strategic priorities and what they want from their lawyers. Ensure a prepared, engaged audience; exquisite food; and organized notes and follow-up.

2. If one group or partner is uncooperative, seek opportunities with others. For example, if the Life Sciences Chair isn't cooperating, explore opportunities with the Chemicals, F&B, and IP groups.

3. During internal group introductions, ensure your laterals communicate a profile of the decision makers who hire them, issues they are able to address, and how those issues are relevant to the clients of the lawyers in the room. Follow-up with 3-5 talking points crafted for those clients. If your first round of introductions fell short, select a timely topic as the impetus for round two.

4. Where you have conflicts, help your lateral package a service offering that is so compelling the client will agree to a screen. You’ll need a solid business intelligence brief (internal and external data), client-focused lawyers, and the best of your business service team—Chiefs of Innovation, Legal Project Management, KM, Pricing, DE&I, IT, etc.

5. If billing rates are an issue, meet with your pricing team/CFO to brainstorm on alternative fee solutions and consult the legal project management, paralegal and AI teams regarding leverage solutions. Review market data with your lateral and explain the firm’s pricing rationale.

6. If your laterals port their work but don't integrate, create a brief on their client, including all legacy firm contacts and work history. Profile similar legacy clients with representative matters and set a meeting with the laterals and select partners to identify opportunities.

7. If the firm is new to the practice or location of the laterals, ensure the firm’s investments in profile building are appropriate, targeted, and effective, and then host a large party or event.

8. When recruiting is critical to your laterals’ success, be proactive. Replace "We will build it when we see demand" with "Build it and they will come."

9. Plan a road show to a region with 4+ clients around a timely topic with a few legal angles (eg, the election or class action exposure). Create a panel of your lateral and lawyers from different practices. Host panel discussions at each client’s office and invite the CEO or GC to join the panel. Host a reception for all clients in the region.

10. Assign a junior BD professional (or paralegal or legal assistant) to attend meetings with your laterals, track follow-up items and nag.

Please reply with your favorite initiatives to support your laterals on their integration journey.