Although WIN THE TALENT GAME: A Guide to Lateral Hiring for Law Firms and Lawyers is aimed at a very specific audience—partner-level lawyers and corporate law firms—anyone interested in the legal sector can enjoy this well-written and comprehensive book about lateral hiring.
Author Richard Brock is a former litigator in commercial law and now a “talent broker”: his company offers recruitment, consultancy, and career coaching for attorneys and law firms. His book provides an in-depth look at all facets of hiring a successful lawyer with their own clientele, including advice to attorneys on considering such offers.
Brock argues that the difference between successful and stagnant law firms comes down to talent: “The law firms that win are the ones that have the most talent and have implemented the culture and systems to effectively support that talent,” he writes. His explanations are easy to follow as well, do to his simple and authoritative writing style: “Often, we think the rich and famous as the ones who have talent. William Shakespeare had talent. Jim Thorpe had talent. Aretha Franklin had talent […] However, talent is not limited to the rich and famous. Nor is talent limited to the abilities one is born with. Talent includes abilities that are developed through years of practice.” Brock explains that, in the legal industry, talent is multifaceted: it’s not just about knowing the law, but also having the ability to bring in clients, communicate with other people, work hard, and even have experience. The law firms that are growing are the ones that do lateral hiring and do it well (“lateral hiring” in this book means poaching partner-level lawyers from other firms).
WIN THE TALENT GAME is divided into five sections and sixteen chapters. Brock provides an overview of the legal market, guidelines on lateral hiring, ethical issues, a list of common mistakes law firms make when doing lateral hires (some of which cause them to go out of business), and special considerations in doing so. He identifies the patterns that lead to success in lateral hiring and the motivations and concerns of attorneys open to moving from their firms.
He does not paint a pretty picture of the legal industry (or lawyers), but he does point to the immense financial rewards for successful attorneys and provides advice on how to make the most of life in this lucrative field. One of Brock’s key points is that, in today’s world, lawyers have to not only be competent in the law (which he takes as a given for success) but also be good at selling. He even recommends that law schools start including a salesmanship course in their curriculums.
Brock writes in a clear and lively style that makes the book immensely readable, even for readers not especially interested in the subject matter. If you like legal issues, that’s a plus.
Richard Brock’s WIN THE TALENT GAME: A Guide to Lateral Hiring for Law Firms and Lawyers is a highly readable book that provides interesting insights into the world of law and successful lawyers. Useful not only for corporate law firms but for attorneys at every level.
~Kevin Baldeosingh for IndieReader