The market for lateral partner talent continues to place significant pressure on law firms on both sides of the Atlantic. Compensation is increasingly being used as both a recruitment and retention tool, raising important questions about culture, governance and long-term firm strategy.
In this podcast, CM Murray LLP Partners Zulon Begum and David Fisher are joined by Lisa Smith, Founding Principal at Fairfax Associates, to discuss how law firms in the UK and US are responding to these challenges and what firms can do to attract and retain key talent whilst protecting collaboration, culture and long-term stability. Watch the podcast above or listen here.
Key discussion points include:
- The changing role of partner compensation and the growing pressure on firms to move away from traditional lockstep models.
- The impact of the lateral hiring market on partner retention, culture and partnership dynamics.
- How firms are balancing individual reward and collaboration, including the increasing use of discretionary bonus pools, performance-based metrics and expanded origination credit models.
- The governance and legal issues arising from compensation decisions, including performance management, transparency, partner disputes and discrimination risks.
- Strategies for managing partner exits and team moves, including notice periods, garden leave, restrictive covenants and good/bad leaver provisions.
- The different approaches taken by UK and US firms to partner mobility and retention, and the challenges this creates for international firms.
- The impact of cross-border mergers and globalisation on partner expectations, remuneration structures and firm-wide collaboration.
If you would like to discuss partner compensation, partner retention, lateral hiring, partnership governance or any of the issues raised in this podcast, or if you have any questions, please contact Zulon Begum, David Fisher or Lisa Smith.
Zulon Begum is ranked Band 1 by Chambers and Partners UK 2026 for Partnership: Non-contentious:
“Zulon is extremely responsive and has a solid handle on the challenges of pressure and in the regulatory environment that we have been dealing with.” ”She is calm and confident and gives the sense and feeling of really knowing the topic and the market, which is very important.”
David Fisher is ranked Band 4 by Chambers and Partners UK 2026 for Partnership (Contentious):
“David is very calm and measured, he gets the right outcome.”
CM Murray LLP is ranked Tier 1 for Partnership by Legal 500 2026:
“This practice is unique due to its very specific focus on partnership matters and related transactions.”
