After the splash: What happens to BigLaw’s big lateral hires?

The announcement sets out what the firm hopes to gain, but rarely reveals what it will take to deliver. That becomes clearer over the months and years that follow, as clients decide whether to move, internal relationships develop, and commercial expectations are tested.

In a 2024 survey of 100 law firms, consultancy Edge International found that 23 per cent of respondents reported that more than half their lateral hires had failed to meet expectations. Yet around three-quarters of the firms surveyed said that most of the partners recruited between two and five years earlier were still with them.

The first finding concerned firms’ assessments of partners recruited at least two years earlier; the second examined retention among hires made two to five years earlier. More than half the respondents were based in the United Kingdom and the United States, with Australian firms also represented.

While neither finding establishes an Australian industry-wide success rate, together they highlight a distinction that is easily lost amid the headlines: retaining a lateral hire is not necessarily the same as realising the investment.

After a series of major partner and team moves, what becomes of the lawyers behind the announcements – and what can their subsequent careers tell us about whether or not those appointments paid off?

A look back

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To begin answering that question, Lawyers Weekly revisited a selection of the partner and team moves it reported in 2023 and traced the subsequent careers of the lawyers named in those announcements.

In September 2023, Hall & Wilcox announced it was recruiting 30 people from McMahon Clarke, including seven partners. Six of those partners remain publicly listed at Hall & Wilcox, while Elliott Stumm is now a director at Stumm Law.

Hamilton Locke’s November 2023 recruitment of Michael Tooma, Kiri Jervis, and nine lawyers from Clyde & Co offers another example. Tooma remains a partner at Hamilton Locke, while Jervis joined Gadens as a partner in April 2026. Melissa Doran, who arrived with the team as special counsel, was promoted to partner in July 2024, and several other accompanying lawyers remain listed at the firm.

Other major appointments show different trajectories. HFW’s recruitment of five partners and 15 lawyers from MinterEllison included Adam Handley, Matthew Knox, David Suttner, Bryn Davis, and Bi Chen. Current HFW profiles identify Knox, Suttner, and Davis as partners. Northern Minerals’ 2025 annual report and a company-sourced biography published in May 2026 identify Handley as an HFW partner; he also serves as Northern Minerals’ executive chair. Later HFW material identifies Chen as a partner. The review could not establish the current positions of all 15 accompanying lawyers.

Meanwhile, Liam Hennessy and Yvonne O’Byrne, the two senior lawyers publicly named in Clyde & Co’s 2023 recruitment of an eight-lawyer team from Gadens, have both since moved to other firms. Hennessy is now a partner at Thomsons, while O’Byrne joined Mullins Lawyers as a partner in February 2026.

The review reveals different career paths across some of 2023’s most substantial lateral appointments. In some cases, the partners named in the original announcements remain publicly listed at their destination firms; in others, named recruits have since moved on. The positions of some accompanying lawyers could not be established.

But those publicly visible outcomes tell only part of the story. A partner’s departure does not establish that an appointment failed, just as their continued presence does not prove that the firm secured the clients, capabilities or commercial returns it anticipated.

What counts as success?

If a partner’s continued presence is only part of the picture, what should firms be measuring?

For Mills Oakley chief executive John Nerurker, success goes well beyond retention or an agreed financial target.

“Success comes down to a few things. The person or team has become part of our firm and culture; the clients they expected to follow them have done so; and, importantly, those clients and relationships have created new opportunities for other practice groups of the firm,” he told Lawyers Weekly.

“Success is more than retaining the lateral partner or achieving an agreed target. It’s about whether the hire has strengthened the firm more broadly, such as through new client relationships, cross-referrals and opportunities that would not otherwise have existed.”

Wotton + Kearney chief people officer Odile Shepherd said the firm takes a similarly broad view.

“We bring an investment mindset to every lateral hire. When we make the decision to recruit anyone to WK, we’re committing to helping them realise the opportunity that attracted them and us to the conversation in the first place,” she said.

“That commitment extends beyond incoming partners. If they’re joined by a team of lawyers and support staff, we are obligated to create opportunities for everyone making the move. A successful lateral hire should be a great career move for the partner and everyone who chooses to join them.

“Of course, there needs to be a clear commercial outcome against the business case that supported the investment. But we’re equally focused on measures such as collaboration, cross-referrals, contribution to shared client relationships, team growth and participation in building our legacy – we have a shared belief in leaving WK stronger than when we found it.”

Shepherd said the most successful lateral hires don’t just focus on their own success. Rather, they work hard to integrate their teams, contribute positively to the firm’s culture, and actively create opportunities for others.

“They also bring invaluable ‘fresh eyes’ to WK, sharing ideas and experiences from other firms and markets, helping us to strengthen WK,” she said.

“Three years down the track, we want to see not only a thriving partner, but a thriving team that’s fully embedded in the firm and helping to make it better.”

The portability problem

One of the most difficult elements of a lateral appointment to assess is the business expected to follow the incoming partner.

A lawyer may have longstanding client relationships and a strong reputation, but those advantages do not necessarily translate into business at a new firm.

Research published in March 2024 by US investigative intelligence firm Decipher illustrates the uncertainty.

According to its analysis, lateral partner candidates claimed, on average, that approximately 57 per cent of clients listed on their recruitment questionnaires would follow them. Following preliminary verification of those claims, Decipher estimated that the proportion of clients likely to move was closer to 35 per cent.

The figures concern client numbers, not revenue. The 35 per cent figure is an estimate rather than a measured rate of actual client transfers, and the research does not establish an Australian industry-wide benchmark.

The findings illustrate why firms need to test claims about portable business rather than treating a candidate’s expectations as a reliable forecast.

Nerurker said client portability was a significant risk and that the assumptions underpinning a prospective hire’s business case needed to be tested.

“It is a significant risk, and the way to manage it is to test the assumptions behind the business case. That means understanding which clients are genuinely portable, who makes the instruction decisions and how autonomous they are, whether there are panel or conflict constraints, and whether the underlying work is likely to continue,” he said.

“It is also important to distinguish between what a client has said it will do and what it is actually able to do. A client may be very supportive of a partner’s move but still unable to transfer work. Ultimately, the question is not ‘Could this business come across?’ but ‘What evidence do we have that it will?’

“Another aspect of the recruitment process is what relationships, networks, and expertise the partner brings to the firm and how that will translate to new opportunities.”

Nerurker said there was no way to predict business transfers with complete accuracy without robust answers to questions about who could authorise instructions, whether a new firm was approved on a client’s legal panel, potential conflicts and whether the work underpinning the partner’s previous financial performance would continue.

“A lateral partner or team should be able to answer these questions, but the foundation on which those answers are based also needs to be tested,” he said.

“Clients may be supportive of a move in principle, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they can or will move their work. Lateral recruitment needs a risk-management mindset that distinguishes between what is possible and what is probable.”

For Shepherd, the challenge is also determining what the firm is trying to achieve through the appointment in the first place.

“It’s one of the most difficult aspects of any lateral hire assessment. Portable business is only one driver, and in various partner appointments at WK, [it is] not the primary driver at all. Sometimes, we’re deliberately building capability in a strategic growth area, entering a new market, or strengthening an existing client proposition,” she said.

“For those established laterals, assessing what transfers across is never an exact science. Factors such as panel arrangements, conflicts, pricing, and client relationship dynamics can influence what follows.

“Our strongest indicator of whether an opportunity can be realised is often the quality of the person. Our partners know most people in their competitive space, and over time, they’ve developed a strong sense of who’s highly regarded in the market, whose values align with ours, and who’s capable of building a business of value alongside them.”

Shepherd said client portability was a universal risk.

“Law is a relationship business, but clients are increasingly sophisticated in how they buy legal services,” she said.

“They buy lawyers and firms, teams, capability, industry expertise, service models, etc. Sometimes a client will follow a lawyer, sometimes they won’t. It’s why portability is never the sole basis of our lateral hiring decisions.

“We’re looking for people and teams who can strengthen the business and create opportunities with us. The strongest lateral hiring decisions are about the long-term value a person or team can bring to the business and our strategic ambitions.”

The work begins before day one

Although the public story begins with an announcement, Nerurker said much of what determines whether a lateral move succeeds happens before the recruit joins.

“What makes a lateral partner or team’s move successful is largely driven by everything that has occurred before they join the firm,” he said.

“Before someone joins, everyone needs to have a clear understanding of what each is offering, for example, where they fit strategically, which relationships matter and what support they will need to succeed.

“For successful partners and teams making a lateral move, they are making an intentional and considered decision to leave a firm they know for one they don’t. It’s vital that in the pre-offer stage for a frank exchange of information and enough meetings and with enough people for both parties to feel they have all the information they need to make a decision. Everyone going in with eyes wide open is vital as the stakes are high.”

The responsibility continues once the recruit arrives, Nerurker said.

“Once on board, integration is about creating the right conditions for the new partner or team to quickly become familiar with their new surroundings. That means fostering genuine relationships with other partners, access to the right people and resources, and an environment where collaboration and cross-referrals happen naturally because the client will benefit,” he said.

“The broader partnership has an important role. Existing partners need to understand why the hire was made and how the new practice complements the firm’s existing capability. Successful integration is a two-way process. The best lateral hires become embedded in the firm’s future success rather than remaining a successful practice operating within it.”

Similarly, at Wotton + Kearney, Shepherd said integration begins before a recruit arrives and requires active participation from existing partners.

“Integration starts long before day one,” she said.

“At WK, we invest heavily in ensuring all new hires are set up for success from the outset. Our Arrive & Thrive onboarding program is designed to accelerate integration and support a strong start. Research consistently shows that investing in onboarding and early integration can have a significant impact on long-term success.

“For lateral partners and teams, that support includes sponsor partners, structured introductions, a 90-day integration plan, client mapping, cultural onboarding, and practical support around systems, processes and ways of working.”

Shepherd said partners across the business, supported by key executive leadership team members, play an important role in opening doors, sharing client relationships and supporting integration.

“We don’t leave that to chance. The commitment required from everyone is clearly set out in the business case and embedded in individual performance scorecards,” she said.

“At WK, collaboration is not a buzzword; it’s a system that’s measured and rewarded, and there’s a strong incentive for partners to actively invest in each other’s success.

“That said, integration is a two-way street. Yes, we have a responsibility to create the conditions for success, and incoming partners (and teams) need to invest in building relationships, understanding the culture and engaging with the opportunities around them. The most successful transitions happen when both sides actively commit to making the move work.”

The responsibility, therefore, extends beyond the incoming partner. Where a hire is expected to generate cross-referrals or build relationships with clients already served by the firm, those outcomes depend on cooperation from existing colleagues.

Shepherd said the earliest indications that an appointment might be falling short are not necessarily financial.

“In our experience, the earliest warning signs are usually about integration rather than financial performance,” she said.

“If someone isn’t holding up their side of the bargain by building relationships internally, participating in collaborative opportunities, engaging with WK life, that’s a red flag. So too are any regular comparisons to their former firm! For us, success really does come down to relationships, which sit at the core of our business, both internally and with our clients. Commercial performance tends to follow.”

Nerurker cautioned against assuming there was a single explanation when a lateral appointment did not meet expectations.

“The warning signs are varied, and there is no single pattern. Every lateral relationship is different, and unless you are inside that relationship, it is difficult to know exactly why something has not worked as expected. That said, communication is usually at the heart of most relationship breakdowns. Lateral hires are no different. Being clear about expectations, addressing issues early and maintaining open communication on both sides are important to keeping the relationship on track,” he said.

Integration, in other words, is not simply an administrative exercise that follows recruitment. It is part of the commercial investment.

How long is long enough to know?

Even when the business case is clear and integration is carefully planned, there is no universal point at which a lateral hire can be declared a success.

Nerurker said the time frame for achieving a return on investment varies.

“There’s no typical time frame for assessing a lateral partner or team’s ROI. For some, the impact is almost immediate; for others, it can take a couple of years,” he said.

“It’s a bit like putting a marker on when a baby starts walking. Some do it early, and some take a lot longer. What matters is that they’re progressing. If they are, you know they’ll be walking before too long. The same applies to a lateral hire. Early indicators like client movement, new opportunities, internal relationships and the trajectory of the practice can tell you a lot before the full financial return is apparent.”

Shepherd said early indicators of a recruit working out or not typically emerge within the first 6–12 months, particularly around integration and cultural alignment.

“Not every lateral hire follows the same trajectory. Some arrive with clients and opportunities that transition quickly. Others require time to build profile and momentum within a new platform. We focus on whether progress is being made against the business case that underpinned the investment and things are generally moving in the right direction,” she said.

Reflecting on Wotton + Kearney’s 2023 lateral appointments, Shepherd said the firm had learnt that the work required to make a hire successful extends well beyond recruitment.

“Again, it comes back to mutual contribution. At the organisational level, we’ve learnt that integration matters just as much as recruitment and that it’s a team sport. It needs to be planned and executed by the right people well,” she said.

“It’s also important not to underestimate the shift involved when a partner or team joins a new firm. Relationships, referral pathways, client introductions and internal networks all take time to establish.

“At an individual level, the most successful laterals embrace the opportunity to build relationships across the firm, contribute beyond their immediate practice and take advantage of the broader platform. Plenty of people talk a good game during recruitment; however, the difference is what happens after they arrive.”

The question of how firms develop their existing lawyers also shapes the role lateral recruitment plays in their growth plans.

“Our primary growth strategy has always been to grow our own people. Only 30 per cent of partner appointments over the past three years have come through lateral hiring, reflecting our strong belief in developing talent from within and creating long-term career opportunities at WK,” Shepherd said.

“Lateral hiring plays a different role. It allows us to accelerate strategic priorities, whether that’s entering a new geography, strengthening a product line, deepening a key client proposition, or adding a capability that complements what we already do well.

“For us, it’s not a choice between organic growth and lateral growth. Both are important. Our homegrown talent provides the foundation, while selective lateral hiring helps us build capability, create new opportunities and deliver on our strategic ambitions more quickly.”

Nerurker said Mills Oakley’s approach to lateral recruitment had not fundamentally changed over the past three years.

“We’ve always focused on doing the hard yards to determine whether a lateral hire has a high probability of succeeding in our firm before making an offer. We’ve also always focused closely on compatibility factors because maintaining our culture is a priority,” he said.

“If anything, the experience of the past few years has reinforced the importance of being deliberate about both the business case and the person or team behind it.”

Beyond the announcement

The public record captures only fragments of a lateral hire’s story.

Arrival announcements identify the partner, their expertise, and the opportunities the firm expects them to create. A subsequent move or departure may also become public.

What is much less visible is the work in between: the clients who move or stay, the matters referred between practices, the internal relationships established, and the adjustments made when the original business case encounters reality.

For Nerurker, the imbalance is partly a consequence of how recruitment is reported.

“People moving is always news, and that’s understandable. What happens afterwards, when a lateral hire is successful, tends to become part of business as usual and attracts much less attention,” he said.

“If the relationship subsequently breaks down, and there is a speedy departure, that is much more likely to generate media interest. News cycles don’t usually find people or firms doing well particularly newsworthy. That’s understandable, but it can mean the announcement gets more attention than the years of work that determine whether the move was actually successful.”

Shepherd said the attention paid to securing a recruit could also obscure the effort needed after the appointment.

“It’s easy to focus on the excitement of securing a reputable partner or team and underestimate the work required to convert that potential into results,” she said.

“We see recruitment and integration as two parts of the same process. When we make the decision to hire anyone, we’re also making a commitment to help them succeed. That involves thoughtful and personalised onboarding, relationship building, client introductions, leadership support and connecting ‘neWKomers’ to broader opportunities across the business.

“Without that deliberate focus, the opportunity that justified the investment in the first place is partly realised or not at all. A massive amount of effort goes into identifying, assessing, and wooing the right laterals to the firm, and we don’t undertake that process expecting it to fail, so the same level of intensity needs to be applied after the contract is signed and into their arrival.

“Also, successful integration can’t be an overnight event. Relationships need to be built, trust needs to be earned, and opportunities need time to develop. Doing it well requires a deliberate, staged approach that supports long-term success.”

The retrospective of 2023’s lateral moves underscores the limits of what can be established from the outside. Public records can show whether a named partner remains at the firm that recruited them, has moved elsewhere, or has progressed into a new role. They cannot show how much business followed that partner, whether the appointment generated work for other practices, or whether the firm achieved the return it anticipated.

For firms, the years following a lateral appointment are therefore at least as important as the recruitment process itself. The business case may explain why a partner was hired, but the eventual return depends on what happens after they arrive: whether client relationships transfer, new opportunities emerge, and the wider partnership helps turn the anticipated benefits into results.

The announcement captures the arrival, and a subsequent departure may generate another headline. The relationships built, opportunities created, and commercial results delivered in between are much less visible.

Three years on, the question is not simply where the lawyers ended up. It is whether the opportunities that prompted their recruitment were realised – something the announcement alone could never establish.