One of the most critical aspects of any lateral move is your book of business. Whether you are a senior associate building your first book or a partner with a $10 million practice, having an imprecise picture of your client base is expensive. Overestimating portability leads to disappointment, while underestimating it leaves significant leverage on the table during negotiations.
In this episode, Andrew Wilcox—legal recruiter since 2003—provides a disciplined framework for auditing your practice. Move past "gut feelings" and learn how to conduct a rigorous analysis of what will actually follow you to a new platform.
Stop relying on mental notes. You need a detailed spreadsheet for every client you’ve worked with in the last three years, documenting:
Economic Data: Total billings and specific origination credit (whether you brought them in or inherited them).
The Decision-Maker Relationship: Do you have a direct line to the General Counsel or business owner, or are you working through junior contacts?.
Stickiness Factors: Are you the sole relationship holder, or is an entire team embedded with the client?.
Friction Factors: Identify existing rate agreements or enterprise-level relationships that may complicate a move.
Portability exists on a spectrum. Categorize your clients into these four buckets to find your real "core" number:
Calculate your "realistic range" by adding your Highly Portable and Likely Portable totals, then adding 50% of your Moderately Portable column to account for uncertainty. Compare this to your "mental number" to see if your expectations align with reality.
"Law firms price lateral offers based on what you’ll bring, not what you bill today. The attorneys who do the work upfront to build a precise, documented picture of their book get better deals. Full stop." — Andrew Wilcox
If you want a professional, confidential "stress test" of your portability analysis before you enter the market, reach out today.
Email: Andrew@Wilcox-legal.com
LinkedIn: Connect with Andrew Wilcox
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Hey Jonas!
Hey Jonas! The official Jonas Brothers podcast. Hosted by Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas. It’s the Jonas Brothers you know... musicians, actors, and well, yes, brothers. Now, they’re sharing another side of themselves in the playful, intimate, and irreverent way only they can. Spend time with the Jonas Brothers here and stay a little bit longer for deep conversations like never before.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.