perspectives.
FEATURED ARTICLE
Cue up the theme from Jaws: A terrifying report from insurance broker Ames & Gough reminds firms of the unexpected and the unknown dangers in the lateral waters.
In 2017, Ames & Gough released a survey of legal professional liability insurers in which nearly half of those polled – representing the majority of the Am Law 100 – reported an uptick in claims stemming from lateral hires. Alarmingly, half of these insurers traced malpractice claims to law firms not adequately resolving a conflict of interest.

Who Has the Hot Hand in Lateral Partner Hiring?
While 2021 saw lateral moves more than double year-over-year, fueled by six-figure bonuses for associates and law firms chasing rainmakers, a different class of lawyers
Let’s Talk About Comp: Key Trends and Benchmarks for Lateral Hiring
It’s January, which means it’s comp season for many law firms…soon to be followed by an influx of lateral candidates who were unhappy with their
Lateral Acquisition: The Trouble with Networking
This article appeared in Law.com as Relying On Your Networks for Lateral Referrals is a Losing Proposition on August 23. By Michael Ellenhorn, Decipher Investigative
Laterals and Malpractice: Clear and Present Danger
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, hiring lateral partners was an inherently risky endeavor. In 2017, insurance broker Ames & Gough released a survey of legal
Lateral Recruitment: Just How Portable Is That Book?
Hiring lateral partners can be an irresistible proposition for law firms seeking immediate growth. According to a recent survey by Decipher Investigative Intelligence, 79 percent
Minding Your LPQs: How Firms Should Draft and Deploy the Lateral Partner Questionnaire
The lateral partner questionnaire (LPQ) should not be a mere formality – instead, it should be considered your first line of defense in lateral partner
Lateral Partner Hiring: The Do’s And The Don’ts
The practice of law is centered around the idea of collaboration. A top-performing law firm is like a well-oiled machine, where all parts of the
Lateral Hiring After COVID: How the Cost-Cutting Moves of 2020 May Bring a Lateral Exodus in 2021
It’s been a year and a half since the first COVID-19 lockdowns changed everything. To be sure, many effects of the pandemic are far more
Associate Hiring: Who Has the Hot Hand?
Halfway through the year, 2021 is proving to be The Year of the Associate. In Corporate alone, the AmLaw 100 hired 724 associates as of
2021 Could Be the Year of the Associate: Buyer Beware
Decipher tracked lateral associate moves in the first quarter of 2021 and each of the four years prior. The data shows a market-changing level of
Red Flags on the Rise
In the second year dominated by COVID-19, one major pandemic trend holds true: Fewer lateral lawyers are changing firms, but those who are moving are
Avoiding the Bad Client Surprise
Nearly 20 percent of lateral partner candidates neglect to provide a comprehensive list of their clients to their prospective firms, according to Decipher Investigative Intelligence
Your Next Lateral: Book of Business or Short Story?
Planning to recruit laterals in 2021? Consider this: 62 percent of laterals fail to bring their promised book of business. 73 percent of clients say
How COVID-19 Shaped Lateral Hiring Report
A SPECIAL DECIPHER REPORT How COVID-19 Shaped Lateral Hiring – and What Happens Next Who Moved, Who Didn’t, and What Law Firm Leaders Should Be
San Francisco could be a bright spot in gloomy year for law firm laterals
Citing data collected and analyzed by Decipher, Thomson Reuters’ Westlaw News recently reported projections for lateral partner movement in major U.S. markets over the first