A Large Firm Can Be A Very Small Place When It Comes to Conflicts

This article, Less Conflicts, More Freedom (Connecticut Law Tribune, 8/22/05) describes the experience of two former Pepe & Hazard lawyers, Jennifer Cox and Jennifer Osweiki, who left a large firm to find greater freedom to build a health care practice.  The two lawyers, who’d been asked by Pepe to develop a health care practice found that their efforts to represent hospitals on health practice matters also conflicted with the firm’s longstanding construction practice.  In addition, the firm’s large construction litigation practice also meant that Oswiecki was pulled into an area that she did not feel was her calling.

According to the article, the pair’s firm is off to a healthy start.
Cox and Oswiecki retained all of their former Pepe clients which gives
them some time to figure out in what direction to take the firm.

The lesson of Cox and Oswiecki – a big firm isn’t necessarily bigger
when it comes to accomodating a competing practice area.  Sometimes,
you may need to go small to really stretch your possibilities.