Lateral Hiring Evolution
Lateral hiring has been robust for decades...
...mirroring the times.
1980s
IN-HOUSE LEGAL DEPARTMENTS EXPANDED
Jack Welch’s expansion of GE’s in-house legal department caught fire and hit the headlines. Legal departments throughout Corporate America followed GE’s lead. Law firms felt pressure to offer specialized expertise, not available in-house. Expediency dictated “buying” not “developing” talent. Lateral hiring took shape.
1990s
BUSINESS WENT GLOBAL
Corporate America extended its reach globally, facing new and complex legal issues. Law firms responded, opening international offices. Global lateral hiring took off.
Early 2000s
LAW FIRM MERGERS WERE BORN
It was the dawn of the dot.com era. Demand for legal services in areas surrounding technology, intellectual property, and data privacy soared. Lateral hiring couldn’t meet the demand quickly enough. The world of law firm mergers was born.
Early 2020s
LATERAL HIRING EVERYWHERE
The pandemic era generated an unprecedented surge in deal activity. With remote work a necessity, physical proximity to a law firm office was no longer a condition of hiring. Law firms recruited lawyers in cities big and small. Lawyers located anywhere now had equivalent lateral hiring opportunities.
TODAY
45 YEARS OF LATERAL HIRING
A TRANSFORMATIONAL TIME
If the 80’s marked the biggest transformation in in-house legal departments, today is that time for law firms. AI, today’s politics, record high billing rates, and economic uncertainty have all made their way into a law firm’s vision for lateral hiring. Lawyers with future-focused skills, and a zest to own the future and inspire others, are the ones in high demand.
Click here to see our services in response to the times.
Click here to see our services in response to the times.