From Solo Practice to Big Firm: A Tough Leap

LANCE ALLAN

The Daily News

Its the dream of many attorneys: going solo.

But hanging out a shingle as a solo practitioner, or even as an attorney in a small private practice, isnt for everyone. Sometimes attorneys seek greener pastures in a big firm after giving the small business route a go.

But solo practitioners looking to move into the large firm environment can face job market difficulties, especially those who have operated a general practice in todays focused legal field.

Barriers to entry. Sue Hunter, director of attorney recruitment and development at Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz PC, sees a good deal of interest from solo and small practice attorneys. But its hard for many of them to break through the door.

I can probably count on one hand the number of times Ive actually hired somebody in that situation, Hunter said. Certainly we do get the resumes, but usually, for whatever reason, that doesnt work out.

One reason is the fact that, even though an applicant has experience, he or she might not have clients to bring along to the new firm. In addition, an attorney with many years of experience might come in with an unrealistic expectation of partnership.

I think that as far as were concerned, it would be a question of what they brought to the firm and if they had business to bring with them that would make it sensible for them to be part of the firm, said Susan Clark, a partner with Burch, Porter & Johnson PLLC. Then its certainly something we would look at. But to bring somebody over without business who at that level would perhaps want to be considered for partnership in the firm, it probably wouldnt make economic sense for us.

Expectations. And just because a law school classmate is a partner in a particular firm doesnt mean the incoming attorney should expect to enter at the same level.

They really do need to be as flexible as they can be in the position they get, Hunter said. Someone with 10 years experience, people in that same law school class would probably have made partner in that firm. But without a big book of business to come in with, you may not always be able to come in as a shareholder. So being willing to come in as a more senior associate and selling yourself in that regard would help.

Before joining Baker Donelson, Hunter worked for a firm that brought on a solo attorney. It made business sense for the firm, she said.

He had a very strong estate practice and did a lot of seminars for people who are in assisted living situations, she said. He had done a great job of client development in the area of estate planning, and the firm I was with really needed to ramp up its estate work. And he had a great book of business in that instance.

Differences in focus. John Good, managing partner with the Memphis office of Bass, Berry & Sims PLC, said he hasnt come across many resumes of solo practitioners. That might have something to do with the types of work smaller firms typically focus on.

A lot of solo practitioners are in either the personal injury practice area or doing domestic relations work, he said. And if theyre looking to move to a firm, theyre probably looking to move to a firm thats in that area of specialization, probably another plaintiffs firm. Most of the large firms in town dont do a great deal of personal injury plaintiffs litigation, if they do any. And a lot of the big firms dont do much in the way of domestic work.

In some instances, however, a small firm or solo attorney might have a tailored focus that could translate well to a large firm.

You could have somebody who has a specialty in corporate law or real estate law who has either come out of a big firm and hung out a shingle for a while or come out of a large corporation who just left and started their own practice for a while, Good said. They might have the skills and the desire to be a part of a larger firm. You could see that situation arise from time to time.

Success story. Burch Porter has experience with that situation. Larry Scroggs, who had spent about 20 years as an attorney in larger firms, including stints as partner at two firms, joined the firm after a few years in private practice.

He went out on his own prior to being elected to the Tennessee General Assembly as a state representative. It served him well to not have big-firm obligations, as his time was heavily devoted to government work.

From my standpoint, it was easier to run as a solo practitioner, and then as I was serving, it became apparent to me very early it took a significant amount of my time, Scroggs said. Particularly the last four years of my six years I was up there, we were dealing with budget issues that were very demanding in terms of time.

After completing his term in 2002, Scroggs met with some senior representatives of Burch Porter. He hadnt planned to go back to a large firm, but since he had the previous experience, he decided to take the opportunity.

Focusing on strengths. Hiring executives at larger firms recommend that solo attorneys who want to give big firm practice a try do some research first. Although many small firm and solo attorneys have broad areas of expertise, todays marketplace often demands a more tailored niche.

Attorneys looking to enter larger firms must find a strength to sell themselves on, and one the firm cares about, Hunter said.

They can have an excellent divorce practice and they can make a great living for themselves, but the fact of the matter is, Baker Donelson is not looking to do domestic law, she said. So it doesnt fit with our strategic plan to bring in someone like that.