The past several years in the legal industry have been marked by unprecedented movement by attorneys and entire practice groups from one firm to another. Partners and practice groups are regularly lured by rival firms eager to gain a foothold in a new city or to bolster their profile in a certain practice area.
In response to the constant movement, firms are searching for ways to protect their practices and meet two goals. First, many firms want to maximize their investment in partners, whether new to the firm or otherwise. Second, ethical rules and existing law that may govern the situation. Most firms want to avoid having an attorney or practice group leave after the firm made significant investments to acquire and build a practice.
