Advice to new law firm partners

I recently had the pleasure of working with Addleshaw Goddard’s newest partners at the annual new partner conference. The excited chatter in multiple languages left me in no doubt that the firm’s future is in good hands.

Reflecting on my own early career as a partner, I wish that I had truly understood from the outset that, being a successful law firm partner is not about transactions or technical expertise (which is typically taken as read); it is about relationships.

So if I had 3 wishes for my younger self, what would they be?

• First, I wish I had spent more time talking to existing and prospective clients about their business (rather than the transaction at hand).

• Secondly, I wish that I had raised my eyes earlier from my own practice and garnered a better understanding of the vast and varied expertise and experience of my colleagues.
• Thirdly, I wish I had learned earlier how to optimise value for clients by connecting them with relevant experience and insight drawn from the wider firm. 

3 wishes, all focused on relationships.

I have no doubt that this new generation of partners left the recent conference with a range of practical tips and new ideas. I hope they also left with a curiosity about their clients, the wider business and their colleagues that will lay the foundation for future success.