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Forbes Legal Council
Experienced chief legal officers & law firm partners from Forbes Legal Council offer firsthand insights on legal issues.
You’re ready to call it quits at your current law firm and start your very own practice. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s time to kick up your feet. Now more than ever, you should be working to make a name for your new brand, especially by developing relationships with clients.
Below, five experienced chief legal officers and law firm partners from Forbes Legal Council discuss the ways you can successfully transition from a top law firm to your very own private practice.
From top left to right: David Nied, Victor Cardona, Doug Bend, Anthony Johnson, Lawrence Buckfire. All photos courtesy of the individual member.
1. Stay Disciplined
Success at top law firms requires discipline in time management and focus. When you first go out on your own, you won’t have a full slate of billable work to keep you busy. You might bill a few hours a day, then be tempted to hit the golf course. All that unstructured time is tantalizing, but don’t let yourself take your foot off the gas until business hours are over. – David Nied, Ad Astra Law Group, LLP
2. Remember It’s All Up To You Now
The name on the door to your practice is your brand, and you should be proud of everything that leaves it. You also need to grow your brand in the marketplace. Because potential clients no longer see a “big law firm in a big city,” there’s a challenge and opportunity to have clients see “expert attorney and trusted advisor.” Make the most of it, it’s all yours! – Victor Cardona, Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti PC
3. Develop Relationships With Strategic Referral Partners
Develop relationships with professionals who talk about the services you offer naturally with potential clients. Start by asking other attorneys in your practice where they get their best leads from, then seek to develop relationships with similar professionals. – Doug Bend, Bend Law Group, PC
