Andrew Clubok’s first day at Latham & Watkins was technically a Saturday. The prized lateral recruit, a former Kirkland & Ellis litigator, was supposed to start at the firm’s Washington, D.C., office on a Monday in December 2017, but the firm had invited him and his wife to its annual holiday party to kick things off.

When they walked into the room, Clubok says, he felt like he already knew half the people there, even though he had yet to work a day for Latham. He credits the warm welcome—as well as his wife’s approval of the move—to Latham’s extensive lateral integration process that began during the recruitment phase.