How Law Firms Smother Their Lateral Partners and Make Them Bolt

Lateral partners don’t fail. Firms fail them.

The most talented laterals arrive with instincts honed for speed, autonomy, and action – the traits making them rainmakers at their prior firm. And the traits you admire.

So what goes wrong?

After dozens of conversations with top rainmakers, both pre- and post-move, one pattern stands out: Firms unintentionally stifle the very qualities making these partners successful. Here’s what they tell me:

No Room to Move

At their prior firm, they navigated protocols with precision. They knew where to push and how to win. And their new firm? It’s a maze of unspoken rules, vague approvals, and unexplained resistance. No one explains how things work – or asks how they are used to doing things. Result: Frustration – often from day one, especially on anything client-facing.

Decision-Making Blackout

At their old firm, they knew the guardrails – what they could do, who could approve, where they could bend rules to serve a client. At their new firm, the process is murky. Decision rights are assumed, withheld, or simply unclear. And no one talks about it until there’s a problem. Even the best laterals freeze. Or worse – move ahead and create unwanted attention.

Supportive, But Not Embraced

Leadership gives the public nod. But some partners – especially those who feel overlooked – quietly withhold support. They don’t offer introductions. They don’t advocate internally. They don’t help decode the culture. The lateral sees this. They feel it. And the disconnection starts early.

Handcuffed on Rates, Staffing, and Fees

Top laterals are used to autonomy. They can negotiate staffing, pricing, and terms without second-guessing. Now – their firms impose new layers of review or soft restrictions. In a top lateral’s eyes these layers are not just slowing them down – they are weakening client relationships. These partners built success on speed and judgment. The more a firm inhibits this dexterity the faster their confidence – and business – erodes.

Clients Don’t Automatically Follow

BTI research shows only 21% of clients will absolutely follow a partner to a new firm. Another 12% say it depends on the firm. That’s barely one in three. The rest? They stay behind or stall – unless the new firm makes sense for them. Lateral success is no longer just about the partner – it’s about the platform.

The Platform Gap

Cross-selling is hard. Even harder for a lateral with no internal network. Many laterals end up looking outside the firm for new business rather than tapping the client base they were promised. Why? Because the internal support, connection, and clarity just aren’t there. And when that happens, they start thinking about what comes next. Again.

The Successful Standouts

The laterals booking a slew of business – and are embraced by the firm – share key insights into their success:

• They talk explicitly about work style, expectations, support needs, and authority – before the move. They co-design how to work together.
• Top leadership actively introduces them to high-value clients and champions them internally. This sends a powerful signal across the firm.
• Laterals proactively introduce leadership to their top clients early – building firm buy-in and client trust.
• They hold a “post-decision, pre-offer” meeting with firm leaders to reflect on what they’ve learned – and align on what success will look like.

Lateral success isn’t about onboarding – it’s about integrating authority, trust, work styles, and access.

Get it right and you get the clients and a happy lateral. Get it wrong and you just paved the exit ramp.