Lateral recruiting is a courtship. It can begin with a casual comment at a local pub or a whisper from a recruiting firm. For Mike Graham, a partner in Jones Day in Houston, the courtship lasted more than six months. For Michael Cash, a shareholder in the Houston office of Winstead Sechrest & Minick, the dance lasted an entire year and was complicated by the fact that he was bringing four lawyers with him.
Graham and Cash are among the lateral moves reported at Texas’ largest firms during 2005. Of the 25 largest firms, as measured by Texas Lawyer‘s “The Texas 100″ poster published in June 2005, 18 participated in a survey regarding lateral movements during 2005.
