Extract from Jon Campisi’s article “Move Over Comp, Innovation is Now a Key Driver Behind Lawyer Moves”
More enticing compensation, footprint reach and career advancement opportunities undoubtedly drive some lawyer moves, but legal industry experts now say technology and innovation are fast becoming a significant factor in attorneys’ decisions to leave one law firm for another.
While still anecdotal, industry experts say laterals—both partners and associates—now appear to be choosing law firms based, at least in some part, on firms’ willingness to embrace technology and innovate their business operations.
Experts say more lawyers may consider leaving their current firm over tech stagnation and an unwillingness to move into the modern era, which in turn could spur these traditional firms to turn around and make greater use of artificial intelligence and other new tools.
But experts point out that “innovation” is an umbrella term and not strictly related to technology. In other words, attorneys may be moving to firms that are willing to innovate in other ways, including offering flexible working conditions and less rigid billing structures.
