UK law firms are becoming more serious about building their US businesses. Freshfields, Clifford Chance, Linklaters and A&O Shearman have all invested in the market through lateral hiring, office growth or merger.
Linklaters’ recruitment of Mark Gordon from Wachtell is the latest significant move. Gordon joins after more than 30 years at the Wall Street firm and will become managing partner of the Americas and co-chair of global M&A. An appointment of this profile can change how a firm is viewed by clients and potential recruits. It demonstrates ambition, strengthens its standing in a priority practice and can encourage other lawyers to consider a move.
However, a major partner hire will not transform a firm’s US position on reputation alone. The real test is whether the partner can bring across clients, build a team, win new work and connect their practice with the firm’s wider international network.
US partners considering a move will look beyond the financial package. They want to understand what the firm can offer their clients, how committed it is to their practice and whether it has the people and infrastructure to support their plans. These questions become particularly important when a UK-headquartered firm is recruiting against established US competitors.
A strong international network can be a major advantage, especially for partners whose clients operate across several jurisdictions. However, the network must work in practice. Partners will want to know how work is shared between offices, how client relationships are managed and whether the US business has sufficient influence within the wider partnership.
The supporting team matters just as much. A partner cannot build a substantial practice without strong associates, counsel and business services support. If that team is not already in place, the firm needs a clear and properly funded plan for recruiting it.
The best strategic hires rarely remain isolated appointments. They can help a firm attract other partners, build associate teams and gain access to clients that may not previously have considered the firm. One recognised partner can also give other potential recruits greater confidence in the platform.
This can be particularly valuable when a firm is trying to establish or strengthen a specific practice. The first major appointment is often the most difficult, but once that person is in place, the conversation with the next potential recruit changes. Instead of asking whether the firm genuinely intends to invest, they can see evidence of that commitment and understand more clearly who they would be working alongside.
A strong profile and portable client relationships will always be important, but they do not guarantee that a move will succeed. Client conflicts can restrict the work a partner can bring, while different approaches to pricing, profitability and client ownership can affect how easily the practice fits into the new firm.
Partners accustomed to considerable independence may also find it difficult to adjust to a more collaborative or centrally managed structure. Cultural fit can sound subjective, but it has practical consequences. A partner must be comfortable with how decisions are made, how credit is allocated and what the firm expects from its partners beyond individual billings.
These issues need to be addressed during the search process. Both sides should be clear about what the partner is expected to build, what investment the firm will provide and how success will be measured. A firm should also be honest about any limitations within its current US platform rather than allowing expectations to move ahead of reality.
Considerable time and money go into recruiting a high-profile partner, but firms do not always apply the same attention to what happens after the person joins. The early months matter, particularly when the partner has been recruited to establish or reshape a practice.
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