The lateral movement of lawyers from one firm to another can have profound consequences on the legal industry. These movements can sometimes sound the death knell for a firm, as evidenced by the demise of Bingham a decade ago after a mass lateral raid. More recently, Stroock found itself on the receiving end of a similar situation, losing many of its partners to Hogan Lovells in a similar mass lateral move.
On the other hand, not all mass exoduses have the same impact. In some cases, the shift can end in failure, as when a large group of lawyers departing Lewis Brisbois failed to find success in their new firm. Regardless of the brouhaha they create or the outcomes they produce, these shifts are undeniable game-changers in the legal profession.
In an effort to understand the reasons, effects, and inner workings of such mass movements, Above the Law has teamed up with the University of Cincinnati Business School. The collaboration seeks to gather firsthand accounts and narratives—what the team calls “war stories”—of these lateral upheavals.
If you have played a part in a mass migration of legal professionals from one firm to another or witnessed one, your insights are valuable. Beyond the core details—who initiated the move, how the group was formed, why they left, and the consequential impact—the team is interested in hearing about the more nuanced details: happenings, reactions, and the aftermath within the firms and among the attorneys.
The team has created a straightforward and fully anonymous survey for sharing these insights. So, if you have a lateral war story under your belt, now is the perfect time to share it, providing unique insights for this intriguing research on the legal industry’s landscapes and shifts.