Senior Associate to Legal Director

[TheresAlwaysTimeForTea]

Hello. I was wondering if there are any lawyers about who can give me an honest warts and all account of being a Legal Director in a law firm. I'm 10 years qualified, work in an international firm and currently a senior associate.

I've been approached about a move to another international firm to head up the team there as the current LD is moving in house. They've said legal director and partner are both open if I want to consider them.

I'm very flattered but have severe imposter syndrome and conscious that this move could be very stressful. I already feel quite overwhelmed with work at times and was hoping for more of a balance. Is that possible as head of team or would that be more stress and pressure. Anyone who has done this, please share your experience and views. I'd appreciate it hugely! Thank you

It’s far more pressure.

You need to ask some searching questions about the role of LDs in the particular firm. I've seen it used as a bit of a way to sideline women while men get the more lucrative and high profile partner roles. Not all firms are like that though. But if you want to make partner you need to know how you get there from LD. Ime it can be quite tricky - I think more is expected of LDs than associates but without the partner tag it can be tough to generate your own book of business. I think associates can be given an easier ride in the partnership process.

10pqe is on the early side for a lateral partner move to an international firm, but not out of the question if you have a strong business case.

Do you want to progress to the next level of the hierarchy or do you want the balance you talk about in your post. A move to a new firm will always bring additional pressure since you need to prove yourself and you need to take enough work with to to prove that you were worth the money. A step up is also added pressure, added politics etc. Youre potentially taking on both at the same time. “Balance” is likely to be some way off.

I'm a Legal Director at an international firm. It's much better than being an SA, as you are seen differently to associates, including by Chambers. I am ranked properly as a Leading Individual, whereas as an SA, I wouldn't have gotten past being an "Associate to Watch". If partnership isn't on the table today, why not be an LD with a pay bump? Partnership will always be about the business case, so being an LD doesn't affect that. The key is to remember that you can't and shouldn't be doing all the fee earning, so delegate work to junior associates. Some people find that hard. I don't. My firm did away with salaried partners a few years back. So the LD's are sort of in that space. But they may not be true everywhere. The hardest bit is having 1600 chargeable hours, whereas as a partner, that drops to 1300. It only rankles me at the moment though as I've taken on a lot of extra management duties this year, but it's all part of the climb...

Thank you. I'm not sure I want partner, it's never been a draw for me. I prefer the LD route but if I take that role it will be Head of Team. I could lead a team, and I think I'd be good at it but it's a huge responsibility too.

I'm going to speak to the outgoing LD to see what her thoughts on the firm were.

Pros:

• Excellent opportunity
• Progression
• Able to lead my way and not constantly number 2 with limited influence

Cons:

• Extra responsibility/ pressure/ expectations
• New firm so stepping into unknown (I've been at my current one 9 years)

@Kelta can you elaborate on the pressure element please - is it billing pressure or management of the team aspects specifically? Thanks!

@Fahbeep thank you, that's reassuring. I'd probably make the move to LD at my firm in a couple of years but our promotions process is very drawn out and we have so much pressure to bill as many hours as possible, I dread having to spend time on all the extras to justify the business case. It can be quite political!

I have no issue with delegation, coaching and upskilling juniors in the team. I'm keen to understand from the national head of team if the role comes with a full chargeable hour target or if management time is allocated. I don't have this in my current role so that would give some balance potentially.

Its hard to know what the best move is. I don't want to kick myself for turning down something potentially great because I've bottled it. I'm incredibly cautious though so this feels uncomfortable for me.

Leading a team doesn't have to be overwhelming. They will be talented and competent. The bar is high at most international firms. You do need to have a sense of yourself though: meaning your strengths and weaknesses and your management style. Mine is coaching. I am not authoritarian. You don't have to be to get results. It's about the hours, yes, but it's also about the rate you get the team out at, utilisation and recovery. If you educate your team to understand this, and inform them about their contribution, you will be amazed how motivated they will be to deliver financially. Remember when someone more senior first took you seriously, and how that made you feel? Well you get to do that for your team.

This crossed my last message. Don't fuck about waiting for a pat on the head from your current firm. Take the job!

I'm a bit further on than you, 15 pqe, and that's my advice. One of the issues many junior lawyers have is adjusting their mentality from school, college and uni where you craft a work product, present it to someone higher up and wait to be told how good it is/you are. Then they accept their judgement and internalise it. You see the same thing with junior lawyers.

Fuck that.

This other firm wants you because they need you. They want your skills.

You have to take the opportunities as they come, don't wait for jam tomorrow.

If your current firm want to keep you, they will counter offer. If they don't, so what - it's their loss and they probably take you for granted.

Don't stay where you are out of misplaced loyalty. You've given them 9 years I think you said. That's plenty!

Having said all of this if your initials are MH, and you're secretly my SA, then don't leave! I need you! 🤗😂

Ha no, you're safe there! I do understand the fear of the good people leaving!

Really appreciate this insight. I almost feel like I'm having an affair even considering leaving.

Transitioning from and into another law firm is a significant career move, That said, would you be able to manage the increase in various duties ? @TheresAlwaysTimeForTea

Saw this cartoon and thought of you OP ;)

In my firm LD was what overworked female associates joyfully accepted so they didn’t have to do all the bus dev required of partners but couldn escape the supervision required of associates. A few years on when they want to buy a big house and send the kids to private school they’re furious at themselves for not fighting harder to make partner. But 🤷‍♀️

If they've said legal director and partner are both open then why on earth aren't you going for partner? So much better than LD.

@JuliaSnitch @Falzarega just out of interest, are either of you LDs or Ps at your own firms? At my firm LDs are split equally between me and women. To get to P you have to have the business case. Plenty of LDs become Ps. If P wasn't on offer, would you both reject a promotion from SA to LD?

Men not me*

Thank you so much for all of these comments, I really appreciate them. It's helping me get my thoughts together.

Re partner, the I've seen the role become all consuming to those in the role where work seems to take over their lives. It may just be the client demands or their personality types but that puts me off.

We have a decent balance of men in the LD role at my firm (my current team head is a male LD although he qualified after me (happens all the time!) There are more women in LD roles overall so there is definitely a perception that it offers more balance to those with young families.

I am not sure any senior role in a law firm truly offers balance. The work is always there and clients generally don't want to wait for advice. I've seen this when I've tried to protect my non working day, constant boundary creep. I'm on leave this week and you'd think the sky was going to fall in with me taking a few days out.

I'm a partner. Moved laterally from there from being SA at my previous firm. Got lucky as they had a gap at junior partner level and had some track record winning work as a SA.

You're right that being a partner can be all consuming. But you get autonomy, authority, higher pay initially and progression. Conversely, my experience is LD is not a long term play. In 4-5 years people get sick of doing a 80% of a partner's job without the benefits and take a partnership and a lower tier firm or go in-house.

If they've suggested partnership go for it. It's just a question of selling yourself.

I agree with this.

@TheresAlwaysTimeForTea let us know how it goes. Good luck!

Wanted to provide a quick update on this as it's always annoying not to hear back when you've given advice.

This role is not for me. I spoke with the national head of the team a couple of weeks ago. He was nice enough and the firm seem good but the work flow is very mismatched with my experience so I think it would be a big jump into the unknown. The team size is smaller than what I have now so less people to delegate to and they're planning to bring a partner in anyway so will be the same set up I have now but I'd not be doing the work that I like. For that reason I've pulled out as it's not as attractive a move as I first thought.

Thanks again to everyone for sharing their experiences and advice.

Hi - interested to know if you took the leap and changed firms to become a LD? I’m currently in the same position and trying to decide.

Hello, I didn't move on that occasion as the work flow that was on offer didn't really match with my experience.

I am on my notice now to move to a different role where I'll be heading my own team and building up my own new practice so I'm excited about that. Slightly anxious after 10 years at my current firm but I think it will be a good move for me.

Good luck with your decision - fortune favours the brave!

Thanks for the update good luck in your new role. I have been in my job for 22 years! I’m a salaried partner in a small firm, running my own department and have been offered Legal Director role doing the same job in a larger company but for a further £30K. Trying to decide what to do