Holding Vigil: Law Firm Executives Deserve a Gold Star for Patience

Moving from corporate, in-house life to a large law firm was tedious at first. For about six months, I drove home wondering if I had sold my soul to the devil.

Thankfully, the challenges I experienced were quickly met and exceeded with an abundance of rewards — from deeply satisfying relationships with smart, top performers in their legal practices to industry exposure and acumen that I would not have achieved anywhere else. However, as I reflect on my 20 years advising lawyers on business development, operations and recruiting, it still surprises me that partners are reticent to adopt more commercial, innovative approaches to their individual and firmwide practices.