Smarter Collaboration: The Secret to Lateral Success

A top-tier professional firm had just brought in a highly regarded group of lateral partners. On paper, it was a perfect fit. In reality? A disaster.

The laterals struggled to build meaningful relationships within the firm. Their book of business didn’t transition smoothly. Morale dropped (both the new joiners’ and that of their colleagues who were miffed about the competition for attention and resources – without results). Performance suffered. Within ten months, several had already started looking elsewhere.

When we dug into the data, we found dozens of client opportunities where the laterals’ expertise could have played a role – but their colleagues never approached them. Some were errors of omission (“I didn’t know they were experts at that”) but other blockages were on purpose (“Why should I feed work to someone who’s basically just my internal competition for credit?”). 

Far too many firms focus on individual performance when hiring laterals – but true success comes when laterals are actively engaged in smarter collaboration. The research is clear: Lateral hires who collaborate effectively are more likely to stay longer, exceed targets, and thrive professionally. And the system needs to hold incumbent partners partially accountable for new joiners’ success.

That’s what we explore in my book with Anusia Gillespie, Smart Collaboration for Lateral Hiring: Successful Strategies to Recruit and Integrate Laterals in Law Firms. Applicable across all professional sectors, it provides research-backed tools and best practices to help firms move beyond basic onboarding and toward a strategic, structured approach to lateral integration.

Here are three ways to integrate laterals for success:

• Start collaboration from Day 1 – Set up structured introductions and cross-practice team-building, not just a “meet and greet.”

  
  

• Make integration measurable – Track who laterals are working with, how they’re leveraging firm-wide expertise, and where collaboration gaps exist. (Hint: our forthcoming Smarter Collaboration Networks tool will make this transparent and trackable.)

  
  

• Create mutual value – Laterals should contribute and receive support, ensuring a two-way exchange that accelerates their success.

To order the book, click here.