I am a law firm partner. Should I tell clients and colleagues I have been fired?

[Suenonnydim]

So I work in a large law firm, my practice does not fit and yesterday I was fired. This has been coming for a while so I am already in discussion with some other, smaller, firms and I am pretty confident I will be able to move straight to a new practice. I just don't know where yet.

The letter from my boss setting out the package I am being offered suggests I will want to keep this news confidential, even not telling my fellow partners except for a select few. My view is that there is a lot of this going on in law firms at the moment, I don't see it as a source of shame at all and why would I not continue to be open with people as normal?

Equally I am sometimes a bit too ready to call a spade a spade when perhaps a little more circumspection would be wise. So I would appreciate your views, oh wise mumsnetters. I have sufficient sense to change my name for this post and will need to try to remember to not use my normal MN name if the thread carries on!

I would keep quiet. What is the advantage in telling anyone?

What were you fired for?

On reflection I'd keep fairly quiet too. Think of it as privileged information about a case, which you wouldn't talk about in day to day conversation. Good luck finding a new firm to work with soon.

The letter from your boss sounds like a compromise agreement, so you should stick by the terms of that agreement - which appears to include confidentiality.

Is your readiness to 'call a spade a spade' in anyway linked to your dismissal?

I'm an in-house solicitor so likely to be a client. Partners working on my work have been fired/ made redundant at short notice and I would much rather know.

At least it gives clients the option to carry in with the person you know rather than have the file go backwards for 7 months when it gets handed over to the new partner whose face fits though he's a total absolute numpty. I would tell.

Assuming you want some of your clients to move with you, I wouldn't tell. I think you are more likely to damage your reputation (which is one of your key assets) and won't inflict any on your former firm. Good luck.

In our law firm when partners have been 'fired' then generally they don't say anything until they've got something else lined up or decided what they want to do (so some retire/become consultants etc). I'm sure that's partly an image thing as then to the rest of the firm it's never 100% sure whether the partner has been pushed or left of their own accord.

Personally I would talk to a couple of close trusted colleagues but other than that wouldn't make a general announcement until I had a definite firm to go to.

I would hold off telling until you know where you're going. Then you can just say you are moving to X for [suitable made up reason] and help with handover. If you struggle to find a new role you could consider telling certain clients/colleagues if it might assist in finding a new role. I know of an "ousted" partner being taken on in house by a large client.

I think bad-mouthing employers (not suggesting you would) or discussing departures looks particularly bad for lawyers as clients may think "if they're indiscreet about that, what about my sensitive information?!..."

Good luck with finding a new role.

I'm rather intrigued by the idea that getting fired in this line of work is fairly common...

Sorry to hear about this but glad you have other options on the boil. You must keep quiet for now because the terms of your compromise agreement (which should hopefully give you a nice payout and agreed reference) will be dependent on your discretion. Don't shoot yourself in the foot at this stage. Good luck with everything.

Are you being given a managed exit (if so, over how long)?; are you being made redundant (individually or as part of a departmental closure)?; or have you been dismissed (eg for performance or disciplinary issues)?

The route to your exit will dictate your communication strategy, as will the terms of your CA.

Whatever you do, don't bandy about the word "fired", which inevitably leads people to think the very worst.

I suspect that, as a partner, OP is self employed, so redundancy and compromise agreements aren't really relevant - "fired" in this context is shorthand for "they're getting rid of my part of the business".

Agree that it won't harm to keep quiet until you've got something else lined up if possible - you will know that speculation will be rife and if you just say you're going without saying where, that will only be worse.

It sucks though, even if you were already making alternative plans. Good luck OP.

Ah, as a non legal person I thought 'I'm fired' meant 'I've stolen something, I'm rubbish at my job, I swore at a client etc'!

There is a payout and a compromise agreement, as well as some restrictive covenants. The compromise agreement is to prevent any sex/age claims etc, which apply to the self employed in partnerships just as well as to employees. I can't see the advantage for me in bad mouthing them..... However I think about 10 - 15% of the partnership has been exited in the last ten months or so, so people internally will know whether I tell them Or not, I think.

Skaen, your views are particularly helpful! I need to talk to a long standing client on Monday. She has said I need to reduce my fees a bit to keep her work, and said she wants to carry on using my team. I was supposed to get back to her on Friday. My direct team are all being made redundant so I will have to tell her that even if I did cut my fees there will not really be anyone she knows still around. This conversation is actually the trigger for my post.

I have till the end of November before I move. That should be time enough to sort out a new home. I agree it is more sensible to just tell all my other clients my new destination. I hadn't really thought about the uncertainty for them, in the relief of getting some kind of certainty for myself after months of beastliness. Then I will play each conversation by ear.

Thanks all for your posts.

Notalondoner - sworn about them but not at them!