JANUARY 2004
To all of our friends in the United States, Europe and Asia: Happy New Year

LATERALS provides 11,176 law firm partners with monthly information on recruiting and rainmaking issues. We are attorney recruiters who have lateraled and/or merged over 1,000 attorneys since 1979.  As a result, LATERALS is about the real world of lateraling and rainmaking.

Visit the Sears & Associates web site at www.mentoringpros.com. Visit our Media Center to learn more about our online seminars, pre-recorded broadcasts and publications.  Learn what the New York Law Journal had to say about my book, "Making Rain" and download its first three chapters.

NEW BOOK: PRE-PUBLICATION CHAPTER THREE
"WHO STOLE MY PARTNER?"

This story is about the process of lateraling.  It follows our hero, Brad, and the new law firm's management.  The story takes them through their decision and vetting process as well as their secret interviews. This is the pre-publication serialization of Jerry's new book, "Who Stole My Partner?"
                                                  
     Do you remember where we left off last month? If not, here is the ending:
          Dave said, "Do you think you can get Acme's litigation matters if you move?"
         "I think I have a fair shot at it ... particularly with your litigation group ... which is pretty good."
         Suddenly Brad tensed and covered his face with a menu. Dave and Jerry heard Brad's whispered voice coming out from behind the menu. "My Managing Partner just came into the dining room."

         The three of them sat frozen at the table, casting quick covert glances in the direction of the dining room door ... that is except for Brad, who continued to cover his face with his menu as though it were a bestseller.
         Jerry quickly got up, briskly strode to the waiter who was standing nearby, pulled some money out of his wallet, put it in the waiter's hand and quickly whispered something to him. The waiter nodded his head and quickly walked to the dining room entrance where the managing partner was waiting with someone else to be seated.
         The waiter seated Brad's Managing Partner in the farthest corner of the large dining room facing the other way and behind some large plants.
         Jerry came back to the table and said, "Let's get out of here, while the getting's good."
         Brad asked, "Can we leave without his noticing me?"
         Jerry said, "I think so. I've arranged with the waiter for Brad to exit through the kitchen door right behind us. The waiter is just inside that door. Dave and I will go out the main dining room entrance. Your Managing Partner doesn't know us. The waiter will show Brad how to go from the kitchen out another set of doors to the lobby. And then we'll all get out of this hotel quickly and not meet here again."
        Dave asked, "But how are we going to complete the business plan? That's what we came to talk about."
       "If we don't get Brad out of here right away, there may not be any need for a business plan. We can figure out what to do when we meet in the lobby. Let's go."

TO CONTINUE READING THE STORY>>>>

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION
DEVELOP A BUSINESS PLAN

Year end brings thoughts of our stockings full of distributions, bonuses and a little time off to enjoy them.  But, what happens in this kind of 2003 down year... a year which hasn't been so terrific for legal billings?  What can we do to make sure that our bonus stockings are full in 2004 and future years?

Nothing can substitute for a solid business plan. The objections I most often hear, to the idea of practice planning, are that law practice is too uncertain, volatile, cyclical, etc.  But somehow most attorneys in private practice seem to maintain a cyclically steady billing stream year after year.

What do I mean?  Well, by cyclically steady I mean well grounded and by business plan I mean a financial projection of what you expect your practice results to reasonably be one year from now.  We have participated in writing hundreds of these business plans with laterals, since we prepare one with every attorney candidate we recruit and place.

But whether you're lateraling to a new firm or not, you should prepare your plan yourself for next year. In our experience, these business plans aren't just an exercise in plotting against the Gods of law practice inevitability.  When a business plan is used as a chart to grow one's practice, it can be amazingly successful.

We speak with some experience since we continue to work with our candidates, lateraling groups and acquires to make sure the business plan we draw up together has every chance of succeeding.  We do this by monthly and quarterly "check-ins" to be sure that the new group or lateral is prospering, per the plan, in their new environment.

So when people tell us that business plans aren't applicable in the law, we say "We can show you hundreds that have worked."  If you'd like a copy of our Business Plan and Projection Worksheet, please provide us with your:

1. NAME

2. FIRM

3. Email
If you do not receive a confirmation page after clicking submit, please click here.

THE WORLD OF LATERALS
MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Gordon & Rees. Neil F. Martin, John L. Haller and James W. McClain, principals from IP firm Brown Martin Haller & McClain are merging their practice with the San Diego office of Gordon & Rees.

Torys. Partner James A Guadiana has joined the firm's New York tax practice office from Davies, Ward, Phillips & Vineberg.

Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi. Tina Traficanti, former managing partner of Larson King's Boston office, has joined the firm as partner, resident in Boston.

Baker & Hostetler. R. Steven Kestner and Alec Wightman have been named executive partners, replacing Gary L. Bryenton.

Andrews & Kurth. Partners Jerry L. Beane, Kay Lynn Brunbaugh, Charles Perry and Scott Kline have joined the firm's Dallas office.

Fish & Richardson. Paul de Stefano has joined the firm's Silicon Valley office as a principal, from Pennie & Edmonds.

Winston & Strawn. Mark A. de Bernardo has joined the Washington office as a partner, from Littler & Mendelson.

RAINMAKING STRATEGIES
A NEW RAINMAKING STRATEGY

Meet the 23 managing partners, senior law firm partners and associates, judges and corporate officers who've shared their stories, and think about adding your own story to the Anthology. Here's a brief look at four stories.

Together the Anthology's stories present a powerful group of messages.
        1. All problems can really be seen as 'gifts' if we take the time to turn the problem's negative into a positive;
        2. When you understand and accept another person, without attempting to change them, you create long-term relationships;
        3. Both positive and negative events, or everything that happens to us, delivers a strong lesson for the future; and
        4. Changing when presented with new facts is usually the key.

Here's a brief look at four stories:

 

Meet Joe Brocato, a partner at Peterson & Houpt. Read how Joe learned many of his rainmaking skills from his 5 year old daughter.

Meet Keith McWha, a senior associate at Morgan & Finnegan who learned that rainmaking can result from simple actions: returning calls timely.

Meet Barry White, the former Managing Partner of Foley Hoag.  Read how Barry changed his interpersonal skills to become a successful rainmaker.

Read about the managing partner of a firm who used a full heart to make a deal with a major new lateral candidate. It will bring tears to your eye, promise!

Add your story to the Anthology. We'll feature it in LATERALS and publish it on the Leaders with Heart web site.  You'll be able to link to it from your own web site, feature it in your marketing materials or use it any other professional way you'd like. 

ONLINE AUDIO BROADCASTS

Monthly we add one or two broadcasts on Overcoming your Personal Rainmaking Obstacles. You can listen to them by downloading them directly from the Newsletter, or by visiting our Media Center.

If you missed any of the previous issues of LATERALS, you can get them right here:
APRIL 2003, MAY 2003, JUNE 2003, JULY 2003, AUGUST 2003, SEPTEMBER 2003, OCTOBER 2003, NOVEMBER 2003.

 

 

Download the first chapter of "Making Rain" and learn what happens when Brad's Managing Partner tells him that he needs to become a Rainmaker. Download the second chapter.  Download the third chapter. 

Download the NEW YORK LAW JOURNAL's Book Review.

Purchase Making Rain and the Questionnaire, online for $70.00

© 2003. Sears & Associates. All rights reserved.

Laterals is published monthly by Sears & Associates, a national attorney search firm since 1979.

About Laterals and your subscription:
Sears & Associates has selected the recipients of this newsletter, which is published monthly, from among our existing client base and others who have expressed an interest in subject materials of the type contained in this periodical newsletter.  If for any reason you do not want to receive this publication, click on the unsubscribe link below and we will immediately remove your address from the mailing list. Sears & Associates never shares e-mail addressees from our list with any other party; we fully respect your privacy.

Executive Editor: Jerry Sears jerry@mentoringpros.com 
Publisher: Ellen Caravello ellen@mentoringpros.com 
Copy Editor: Judith Sanchez, Mentoring Pros, Inc. judy@mentoringpros.com
ePublishing Manager: Deb Daufeldt, Second Story Solutions, LLC deb@mentoringpros.com
Technology Evangelist: Mark Margaretten, Second Story Solutions, LLC mark@mentoringpros.com
WebMaster: Chris Pelosi, e-techStrategies LLP webmaster@mentoringpros.com

Sears & Associates
RECRUITING AND DEVELOPING RAINMAKERS SINCE 1979
Delray Beach, FL USA
(561) 638-4750 phone
(561) 637-6585 fax
Web Site: www.mentoringpros.com