Hindsight is 2020. Foresight is A Lateral Move in 2025.
Your future is our business . . .
We Place Partners
If you’re a law firm partner considering a lateral move, you’ve come to the right place: Lateral Lawyer® Group offers discreet, personalized service to law firm partners who may be amenable to exploring a change of venue for their practices, and to the law firm leaders who want to meet them.
Your questions are natural:
- How do I make sure my current firm doesn’t find out I’m looking?
- How do I control who sees my resume?
- Will my clients follow me?
- How much time will this take?
Such concerns inform our approach to guiding you successfully through the process of switching firms.
Do you think you know what you need to about making a lateral move? Think again. The accompanying articles, best read before beginning the Lateral Lawyer® Process, reveal the most important things you probably don’t know–but should–about switching firms.
Adam S. Weiss
Principal Partner Recruiter, Lateral Lawyer Group
Steps
The Lateral Lawyer® Process
Consultation
Develop compelling story and business plan
- Articulate why you are amenable to a lateral move
- Examine practice metrics
- Refine business plan and resume/LinkedIn profile
Exploration
Examine likely market
- Research firms
- Develop list of firms to approach
- Assess firms’ interest
Evaluation
Firms perform due diligence
- Complete Lateral Partner Questionnaires (LPQs)
- Meet (and impress) firm reps
- Furnish references
Negotiation
Orchestrate market for candidate among competing firms
- Negotiate offer letters
- Ask firms the “tough” questions
- Choose among competing offers
About Us
We Wrote the Book on lateral moves
Lateral Lawyer® Group is a boutique recruiting firm specializing in the placement of partner-level attorneys with major national, international, and regional firms worldwide.
We offer a discreet, bespoke service for law firm partners who may be amenable to contemplating a change of venue for their practices, and for the law firm leaders desirous of meeting them.
With rare exception, our recruiters work only with law firm partners/shareholders — proven, acknowledged legal talent — so the professional concerns of senior practitioners are our focus.
Our CEO and principal partner recruiter, Adam S. Weiss, literally wrote the book on partner-level lateral moves: The Lateral Lawyer®: Opportunities and Pitfalls for the Law Firm Partner Switching Firms is a standard reference in the legal recruiting field.
A thoughtful consideration of your options starts with a simple conversation. Let’s have one.
Who we Are
Meet Adam
Adam S. Weiss is an expert legal recruiter whose insight on the recruiting process is sought after by attorney candidates and law firms alike. His placements with major international, national, and regional firms cover such diverse areas as corporate/transactional, securities, commercial litigation, intellectual property, employment, tax, regulatory, energy, and environmental law, spanning the globe from LA to London.
Formerly an associate in the Houston office of Weil, Gotshal & Manges, Adam concentrated on clients based or doing business in Latin America. His business experience includes three years with McKinsey & Co., Inc., where he advised players worldwide in the fields of energy, utilities, transportation, consumer electronics, hospitality, and the performing arts.
Adam is the author of the industry standard-setting book, The Lateral Lawyer®: Opportunities and Pitfalls for the Law Firm Partner Switching Firms , which was published by the American Bar Association in 2014.
Princeton University, B.A., History, summa cum laude, 1988
Harvard Law School, J.D., 1992
Admitted to practice in New York, New Jersey, and Texas.
Adam S. Weiss
CEO and Principal Partner Recruiter, Lateral Lawyer Group
Learn More – Watch Video
What Others Say
Testimonials
"Adam is a tenacious recruiter who's on top of his game and a real people's person. His background in law practice and business consulting make him uniquely qualified for placing professionals in the kind of environments in which they can thrive."
“Tenacious . . . people person . . . uniquely qualified”
"Adam is extremely talented, articulate, creative and entrepreneurial. He brings fresh ideas and energy to tough problems, and he's not afraid to ask challenging questions. In addition, he has a good sense for business opportunity. He understands what it takes to create value, and he is willing to take measured risks to succeed."
“Articulate . . . creative . . . not afraid to ask challenging questions”
"Adam is one of the most authentic and caring people that I have had the pleasure to work with. Besides his amazing intellect and impressive experience, his empathy and communication abilities allow him to create rapport with people, find out what is important to them, and then if appropriate help them achieve their full potential."
“Authentic . . . caring . . . empathy . . . communication”
"As legal recruiters go, Adam Weiss is unique in important respects. Above all, he focuses keenly on what is best for you, not him. That is, he is tireless and unconditionally dedicated to whatever will maximize your chances of a positive, dynamic and fruitful professional change, the hallmark of his client service style. Similarly, he is a great listener. He pays attention so he can identify the most effective and efficient ways to assist you. His knowledge of the legal industry, appreciation of the nuances of the recruiting process and overall professionalism make him, in my estimation, among the best partner-level recruiters out there. He is also upbeat and persistent and will never lose faith or avoid any challenges, no matter how daunting. He wants you to succeed. I recommend Adam to anyone who is even merely curious about changing firms, as he is generous with his time and advice."
“Tireless . . . upbeat . . . persistent . . . generous”
"Adam helped place me at my current firm. In that process he demonstrated (a) tremendous knowledge of the partner-level recruiting process; (b) effectiveness at finding a good match between me and my current firm (where my practice has thrived); and (c) overall professionalism/discretion/sensitivity to my concerns and the needs of my practice."
“Knowledge . . . effectiveness . . . professionalism”
"Adam was terrific in helping me move law firms after being at one firm for many, many years. His knowledge and experience were invaluable in making a move and he is very patient. This is not someone who is just trying to get a person placed as quickly as possible whether it is a good fit or not. He is great to work with."
“Terrific . . . invaluable . . . patient . . . great to work with”
"Adam's advice and experience are invaluable, particularly for more senior candidates who wish to balance the right professional fit with whatever personal goals they may have. Adam understands the profession from both supply and demand sides and shows maturity and a light touch in his approach. I'm grateful for his counsel."
“Invaluable . . . maturity . . . a light tough . . . I’m grateful”
"Adam is a tenacious recruiter who's on top of his game and a real people's person. His background in law practice and business consulting make him uniquely qualified for placing professionals in the kind of environments in which they can thrive."
“Tenacious . . . people person . . . uniquely qualified”
"Adam is extremely talented, articulate, creative and entrepreneurial. He brings fresh ideas and energy to tough problems, and he's not afraid to ask challenging questions. In addition, he has a good sense for business opportunity. He understands what it takes to create value, and he is willing to take measured risks to succeed."
“Articulate . . . creative . . . not afraid to ask challenging questions”