Taking a look at emerging trends in lateral moves, can we predict for the near future that firms will more likely grow through larger groups or through individual hires? Well, as my accounting professor liked to say: It depends.

For many years, law firms seeking to grow focused more on how they could quickly and efficiently add to their revenues, and less on the specific capabilities they would like to expand on or the potential risks of a certain acquisition. In today’s business climate of tighter post-recession budgets for corporate clients, fierce competition among law firms, and risk-wary management teams, lateral moves are much more deliberately considered, particularly when it comes to individual partner moves versus group acquisitions.