Editor’s Note: This look at how firms evaluate the ultimate success of lateral hires is part of The American Lawyer’s Laterals Report, which includes pieces examining hiring data from 2023, compensation system changes as recruiting tools, Dan Binstock’s piece on how recruiting really works, and the Top Lateral Hires of 2023. 

There are dozens of factors at play that can influence how incoming laterals perform at their new firms, some of which are within the control of firms and attorneys, some of which are not.