Thriving in a Multi-generational Law Firm

Pamela DeNeuve; John Grimley

Book

Thriving in a Multi-generational Law Firm

How to Increase Communication and Collaboration Among Lawyers

Pamela DeNeuve, John Grimley

Published: 2021
Pages: 111

eBook: 9781787425125

This title will address how generational differences set up conflicts between colleagues and will promote different ways to create positive change and harmony within firms.

Cover	Cover
Title	1
Copyright	2
Contents	3
I. Introduction	9
1. Challenges in communication	9
1.1 Different ways of communicating	9
1.2 Use of technology	10
1.3 Work ethic	10
1.4 Turnover	10
1.5 Rising costs of attrition	10
1.6 Frustration between generations	10
1.7 Disharmony and low morale in the firm	11
1.8 Difficulty retaining women and minority lawyers	12
1.9 Threats to profitability	12
2. Navigating the challenges	12
II. Generations within law firms	15
1. The problem with blaming others	15
2. Understanding the generations	17
2.1 The silent generation (born 1925–1945)	17
2.2 The baby boomers (born 1946–1964)	18
2.3 Generation X (born 1965–1980)	20
2.4 Millennials (born 1981–1996)	21
2.5 Generation Z (born 1997–2015)	23
3. Summary	24
III. Inter-generational communication	25
1. Introduction	25
2. The solution begins with understanding	25
3. Better communication according to generation	26
3.1 The silent generation	26
3.2 Baby boomers	27
3.3 Gen X	27
3.4 Millennials	29
3.5 Gen Z	29
4. Summary	30
IV. Survey of lawyers	31
1. Introduction	31
2. Five questions about generational differences	32
2.1 Q 1 Summary	36
2.2 Q 2 Summary	39
2.3 Q 3 Summary	42
2.4 Q 4 Summary	44
2.5 Q 5 summary	46
3. Summary	46
V. A managing partner’s perspective	47
2.1 For every 20 associates hired, 15 leave	48
2.2 Why do young lawyers leave?	48
2.3 The costs of hiring	49
2.4 The solution	50
3. Summary	52
VI. Being lawyerly can be a problem	53
1. What being lawyerly means	53
2. Results of being lawyerly	54
3. IQ versus EQ	55
4. Why emotional intelligence is important	55
5. Characteristics of emotional intelligence	56
6. Lawyerly behaviours	59
7. Summary	59
VII. Building emotional intelligence – a step towards unity	61
1. Change is slow	61
2. Passing EQ to professional development won’t work	62
3. The beginning of EQ in your firm	63
VIII. Friction in the context of diversity, equity and inclusion	65
1. Gender	65
2. Bridging the gap with diversity and inclusion	66
2.1 Legacy structures	68
IX. The history of diversity in elite firms	69
1. Formation of white-shoe firms	69
2. Questions law firms should ask	70
3. Women lawyers and bias	71
4. Representation by race, ethnicity and gender	72
5. Double-barrelled biases	72
6. Solutions	72
7. The Mansfield Rule	73
8. Summary	73
X. The consequences of persisting generational friction	75
1. Introduction	75
2. Hiring and training costs	75
3. Changing workforce dynamics	77
4. Low workforce morale	77
5. Communication gaps	79
6. Different conversation styles	79
7. Communication in the context of COVID-19	80
8. Summary	80
XI. Throwing money at the problem will not solve the conflicts	81
1. Introduction	81
2. The complaints	81
3. Failed/counterproductive approaches	82
4. Approaches for lawyer retention and conflict resolution	82
4.1 Acknowledge change	82
4.2 Engage associates through teamwork	82
4.3 Encourage reverse mentoring	83
5. Summary	83
XII. Lawyer well-being – good and bad news	85
1. Introduction	85
2. Mental, emotional and physical health	85
3. Common ground	86
4. Law school	86
5. Well-being and lawyers	86
6. ABA report on well-being	88
7. Removing the stigma	88
8. Well-being and inter-generational communication	88
9. Unity from solutions	89
10. Awareness	89
11. Education	90
12. Engagement	92
13. Summary	92
XIII. Generations face off over post-COVID remote work	93
1. Introduction	93
2. A change of heart	93
3. The great resignation	94
4. Look to the future	96
XIV. The big picture	97
1. Questions for the leadership	97
2. Where to begin?	98
2.1 Assessment	98
2.2 Teamwork	98
3. Summary	100
XV. Thriving in a multi-generational law firm	101
1. Twenty-one steps	101
2. Summary	103
XVI. Conclusion	105
Notes	106
About the authors	109
About Globe Law and Business	111

Pamela DeNeuve
Lawyer and law firm strategist, DeNeuve&Associates
[email protected]

Pamela DeNeuve began consulting and coaching lawyers in Los Angeles in 1992. She helped AM100 law firms expand their practices by negotiating multi-million-dollar deals. In 2005 she created a consulting business serving firms in Hong Kong and Shanghai.
Pamela served as a peer reviewer for the groundbreaking National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being’s Creating a Movement to Improve Well-Being in the Legal Profession, published in 2017 by the American Bar Association.
Pamela helps lawyers scale and grow their practices to increase profits and productivity while escalating engagement and communication. Her clients have included lawyers from the silent generation, baby boomers, Gen Xers, millennials and Gen Z. Pamela previously hosted a weekly programme, “Lawyer of the Week,” interviewing peak-performing lawyers internationally. She speaks to bar associations and conferences worldwide.
She is a contributor to HuffPost and Medium and continues to write extensively about multi-generational challenges and lawyer well-being.

John Grimley
Writer and editor
[email protected]

John Grimley specialises in writing and publishing services for the legal services sector internationally. He is editor and publisher of Asia Law Portal, focused on the business of law in the Asia-Pacific region. In 2014 he authored A Comprehensive Guide to the Asia-Pacific Legal Markets, published by Ark Group.
John has helped law firms articulate their unique value propositions in international markets for over 20 years. Most notably he established and directed an EU-focused business development initiative for AmLaw 100 firm Patton Boggs LLP, focused on foreign sovereign governments, multinational corporations and investment funds.
At the inception of his career, he served as a writer to US President George HW Bush in the White House. An American lawyer licensed in the District of Columbia for more than 25 years, he holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Diego School of Law.

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Thriving in a Multi-generational Law Firm

How to Increase Communication and Collaboration Among Lawyers

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Practical, topical titles for international legal and business professionals

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Thriving in a Multi-generational Law Firm

How to Increase Communication and Collaboration Among Lawyers

Table of Contents

Practical, topical titles for international legal and business professionals