1.

A Law Firm's Quick Recovery from the Departure of Partner-Level Attorneys in Several Offices

A large national law firm had suffered the loss of several partners in several of its offices as part of a concerted departure to another national law firm.  They hired The Knight Consulting Group to conduct a multi-state search to fill the vacancies in personnel and to regenerate the business that had been lost.  

Within a few months we identified and recruited highly qualified partner-level attorneys in precisely the locations and practice areas required.   We did so by sharing with them the vision, commitment, and capability of the firm's dynamic and financially sound management.  The prospective candidates evaluated our irrefutable data and confirmed the irresistible and compelling opportunity to join a forward-thinking law firm that possessed a solid foundation and a very attractive future. 

2.

Law Firm's Bi-Coastal Expansion into New Location by Merging in Another Law Firm

A multi-state law firm with origins in the East lacked a presence on the West Coast, where it had a demonstrable capacity to originate and develop business.  The objective was to open an office in Southern California, preferably in Los Angeles.

The Knight Consulting Group had previously assisted the firm in attracting talent for its East Coast offices, and observed the firm's dedication to growing and expanding the depth of its attorneys' practices.  The firm, at its highest levels of management, actively promoted the success of its attorneys and was receptive to suggestions that would strengthen its brand.

We set out to assist in adding a West Coast office.  Due consideration was given to how to accomplish the goal consistent with the needs, expectations, and resources of the firm (e.g., assembling a team of attorneys to comprise said office, recruiting a group from an existing firm to anchor and operate the proposed office, or merge in an existing law firm with compatible practices).  After exploring various options and vetting prospective candidates it was concluded that the logical and most cost-effective approach was to merge in a successful law firm with an existing Los Angeles office.

Among the challenges we confronted was demonstrating the financial benefit to both sides of the transaction, to wit: the surviving law firm needed a path to an increase in revenue and profit, while and the firm to be absorbed required concrete and compelling strategies for its business to increase and flourish as well as benefit from economies of scale in reducing costs.  We examined and thoroughly discussed the respective business plans, practices, and client relationships, and applied a stringent accounting analysis.  The merger finally went into effect, and today the firm has a thriving Los Angeles office that cross-markets with the other offices, resulting in synergies that enhance the business of all participants. 

3.

Law Firm Expansion by Absorption of a Group of Attorneys

A mid-Atlantic-based law firm with offices in the Northeast had a desire to expand its roster of attorneys and to increase the size and breadth of its Boston-area office, which provided legal services throughout New England.  

The firm was fiscally conservative and risk-averse.  The Knight Consulting Group conducted in-depth analysis of the interests and needs of the firm and of the opportunity it was prepared to offer.  The firm was comfortable adding a partner-level attorney with several associates to service the work originated by the partner and also service the overflow work generated by the firm.  The firm's needs would best be served by attorneys who could add dimension to the office.  The firm was amenable to allowing a qualified incoming partner to participate in the operation and direction of the Boston office, and was prepared to treat him as a vital participant, not merely as a cog in the machine.  They were prepared to offer verifiable assurances that the incoming partner's business development would be enthusiastically supported (as, very often, partner-level attorneys are reluctant to change law firms when they believe that the change would amount to little more than "moving a book of business" from one firm to another).

4.

Law Firm Expansion by Creation of New Office and Assembling a Team

A huge law firm with several offices throughout the East and South and limited presence in the Mid-West desired to open an office in an additional city in the Mid-West, and planned to do so by assembling a team of local attorneys to be managed by a partner who was to be transferred from an existing office and who had origins in the new location.  

The firm's partner-level compensation is negotiated on an individualized basis and is generally not disclosed among the firm's partners.  This presented a particularly rigid obstacle when conducting a search for attorneys to populate a new office (especially since the law firm that had no prior presence in the area).

That obstacle notwithstanding, The Knight Consulting Group conducted a thorough search of the top talent in the area, and were able to successfully identify and recruit them based upon the discussions of the OPPORTUNITY that was being presented by this firm: the chance to build the individual and cumulative practices of the fortunate attorneys who would be chosen to come aboard the new venture.

What was most notable was not merely the highly qualified partner-level attorneys who joined the firm, but also the well respected and qualified attorneys who were not selected. The incoming attorneys were satisfied that their practices would flourish at their new firm, and in fact, since the opening of the new office, the number of new attorneys has doubled in size through the hiring of associates to service the office's business.

5.

Merger of Specialty Law Practice: Adding New Location to Surviving Law Firm and an Exit Strategy to Principal of Firm Being Merged

The principal attorney of a very successful construction-industry boutique law firm located in New York City wished to have his law firm merged into a larger firm with a similar practice; this way he could cherry-pick those matters that he would service himself, and meanwhile could delegate the administrative and managerial functions to the larger firm.  He wanted to reduce his responsibilities but continue to practice.

We identified a well-respected out-of-state law firm that sought an office in New York City, and whose core practices areas serviced the construction industry.   The firm had the capacity to take over the administrative and managerial functions, to infuse additional business into the New York office, and to satisfy the workload and compensation requirements of the principal.