This short piece, The not so lonely lawyer (WV Record 7/20/06) offers a couple of quick thoughts on solo practice. Some of the views are positive; for instance, the article takes the time to dispell the myth that solo practice is a greater risk than staying at biglaw:
However, for law firm marketing guru Mark Merenda, remaining with a mega-firm is the risky decision. “As an employee, you can be fired at any time for almost any reason,” Merenda began. “In your own practice, one or two clients might fire you, but they’re not all going to fire you at once. “There is actually greater security in having your own practice.”
At the same time, it’s obvious that the author hasn’t been reading MyShingle or noticed the changes that have evolved in the profession over the past few years. The article notes:
Small firms are often characterized as “minor league law.” Often, solo practitioners have to work harder than lawyers in larger firms to make sure that their firm image matches those in the “majors.”
Honestly, I think much of that has changed. Sure, there’s “bet the company” litigation where corporations want a bigname firm (not just for the name, but to handle the size of the litigation), but many other companies are choosing smaller firms with more personalized service and lower costs. The change is evolving slowly of course, and perhaps, but it’s a real phenomenon just the same.
Related posts:
- Hot Practice Area Alert
- My Thoughts on Law Firm Sabbaticals – An Opportunity to Go Solo
- Thoughts from a Portsmouth Solo
- Big Companies Starting To Pin Point Small Firms
- Solo Practice Doesn’t Mean Forever
