I was recently speaking with Ophelia (while this scenario is real, the lawyer’s name is not Ophelia), who has been at the same firm since completing law school. Ophelia was debating whether it was time to make a move to a new firm. As I listened to her dilemma, the words from the iconic rock band, the Clash, came to mind: “Should I stay, or should I go now?  If I leave,  there will be trouble but if I stay it will be double.” In her case, staying is problematic because the senior attorneys are focused on retirement and current income while she (and other lawyers in her age range) is focused on the future growth of her practice and the firm. An obvious conundrum for Ophelia (and her firm), if her firm will not meet her needs, she will have to leave, and the firm will have more trouble, and it will have less revenue, bench strength and successor attorneys.

To retain Ophelia, and for Ophelia to achieve her personal growth goals, the firm needs to invest today’s dollars for tomorrow’s revenue and profit. In other words, the firm has to be ready to invest today for tomorrow’s success. This is an issue that every law firm has to grapple with. The dilemma Ophelia faces by staying put, is she cannot get her partners to invest for the future in the way that she needs, and, in a way that gives her confidence in a healthy future for the firm. The senior attorneys are resisting her suggestions because they won’t benefit from that growth and because they value money in their pocket today over any benefits to Ophelia and other young growing attorneys in the future. This position by senior attorneys is rational from their perspective, but not one that is good for the long-term health of the organization.