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Partnership | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2014 | S11

Launch and Build
as appropriate. Of course, two or more part-
ners may be able to share an exceptionally
talented associate or paralegal that they could

A Flourishing not afford working alone.
Ideally, the firm will remain relatively small
so the individual partners can make decisions
together and share a common vision for the
Boutique Firm
firm in terms of philosophy, work load, com-
pensation and growth. They must see that by
coming together they are greater than the
sum of their parts. Each star must be willing
to play a supporting role at times knowing

that they will be supported at another time.
Each partner must be willing to be led as
well as to lead.

Select a Leader Among Leaders

Even small organizations or groups need
a leader, and a boutique law firm needs a

managing partner. The administrative role is
not a full time position, but it is necessary.
Assuming that there are three or four special-
ties within the firm, one person should have a
finger on the pulse of each group, understand
the cash flow of the entire firm, anticipate
and plan for growth as well as supervise
the staff and oversee the marketing efforts
of each partner. These tasks are important,

and by naming a managing partner with the
responsibility and authority to monitor these
areas and look at the firm’s progress globally,
it will run more smoothly and ultimately be OCK
more successful.
IST
Selecting a leader among leaders can be dif-
ficult, and to complicate matters, the person
who may be the right fit as the firm is formed,
may not work as well once the firm has been

operating successfully for several years.
At the outset, the firm may need a person
with a vision for the formation of the firm.
Once operating, the firm may be better off
with a detailed administrator. In each case,
the managing partner must be able to keep
his/her practice functioning at a high level
and simultaneously run a small organization

that typically consists of smart, energized tice or a two- or three-person shop. There is specialties within the area and find talented
and strong-willed people.
BY BRUCE B. BARKET
certainly nothing wrong with this model if lawyers to meet those needs. In looking for
L that is your goal.
partners it is then fairly simply to identify
Analyzing Compensation
aunching and building a “boutique” law But, somewhere between a multi-dimen- the characteristics required—those skills and
firm has unique challenges with a great sional large firm and small firm, the boutique areas of expertise that do not already exist
The compensation plan should match the deal of upside potential.
firm is found and often flourishes.
in the firm. For example, the plaintiff’s firm
design of the firm, giving credit for bringing For lawyers interested in excelling in one might look for one partner who concentrates
in new clients and completing the work, with or two particular areas of the law, the concept on prosecuting medical malpractice claims,
a decided emphasis on business generation. of building a “boutique” firm is an attractive Select Broad Area of Practice
one partner who can pursue product liability

Building a law firm, even a small one, is like alternative to starting a solo practice or work- By including several specialties within a cases and one who handles car accidents or
building any machine or vehicle. It needs the ing in a department in a larger firm.
broad practice area, the firm can be known to premises liability.
working parts, the structure and a solid core. Putting together a team of lawyers and a the public, for example, as a “criminal defense The selection of the core members of a
But like a machine can’t run without fuel, a staff to build a boutique firm is not as diffi- firm,” as the legal profession recognizes one boutique firm can be quite challenging. It may
law firm cannot survive without clients.
cult as it may seem. Starting, of course, with partner as an excellent appellate advocate be easy to find lawyers who specialize in an
Each partner should make the generation identifying a practice area or areas that the and another as a skilled white-collar defense area, but a boutique firm needs lawyers who
of business a priority and the firm should firm will concentrate in and recognizing that lawyer. The partners can generate business are leaders in their practice area. The lawyers
handsomely compensate success in that within broad areas there are specialties. For in specialties not their own, but that are still ideally are already highly successful and have
endeavor. While the ability to do the work example, if the firm were envisioned as a plain- related to what they do. The appellate lawyer their own book of business.

at a high level is also critical, rainmakers can tiff’s contingency firm, would the focus be on may get calls from prospective clients who
always hire an associate to help complete car accidents, products liability or medical have been charged and not yet convicted, Form an All-Star Team at the Top
tasks.
malpractice? If a criminal defense firm is being the white-collar lawyer may get DWI calls and
created, will it handle drunken driving cases, the state practitioner may receiver inquires In figuring out who to hire, think of forming
Why Choose a Boutique Firm?
appeals or federal white-collar matters?
about white-collar problems.
an All-Star team. The team needs a superstar
It is relatively easy to maintain a narrow This kind of cross-pollination is critical to at each position who is willing to work with
The rewards are significant for each part- practice—just one specialty out of an area— the vitality, profitability and camaraderie of other stars for the good of the team. This
ner at a boutique firm. This arrangement but in doing so the firm puts all of its eggs the firm. It will increase the flow of cases, give takes a commitment by each lawyer. As the

allows individual lawyers to excel in their in one practice area basket. It runs the risk everyone confidence in the firm and make it coach of any All-Star team will tell you, get-
profession in a manner and in a degree that of turning a boutique firm into a solo prac-
easier to generate business.
ting superstars to play together in support
would not be possible in a bigger firm, or, by Recognize narrower specialties within of other superstars is not always so easy.
operating alone—or even with the help of an the area
And once the stars have aligned, you can
associate or two.
BRUCE B. BARKET is a founding partner of Barket Once the firm selects the broad area of build out each practice area with more junior
A big firm may inhibit the law- » Page S13
Marion Epstein & Kearon in Garden City, N.Y.
practice it must then recognize the narrower
lawyers, paralegals, and administrative staff,