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| Murray Gottheil |
At the bottom level of that specialty, there were general commercial litigation lawyers who wrongly thought that they knew enough to be competent. One step above, there were lawyers with a decent reputation who gave good, creative advice and achieved decent results most of the time. And then there were the Tier One superstars. Big reputations, high billings and in demand for the most difficult assignments.
The firm came across Rob, who practised in this area. They asked around about Rob, and the common theme was that he had a solid reputation, was good at what he did, but was not a superstar. Friends of the firm questioned why the firm did not hold out for a Tier One lawyer. The answer was simple. The Tier One lawyers were in high demand, earned a fortune and practised in Big Law or at high-end boutique firms. They were not going down market to join a mid-sized firm.
Rob joined the mid-sized firm, attracted clients and did excellent work. It soon became apparent why Rob was not a superstar, even though he had all the personal qualities and professional skills to become one. It was because Rob had a life. He played competitive tennis. He did extreme skiing in Europe. He travelled extensively. He ate the finest food and drank the best wines. He went to the gym every single day. He put his life first and his career second. Being a Tier One lawyer in his specialty was just not his priority.
Rob moved on after a while, and as luck would have it, the firm was able to attract a Tier One lawyer named Jack to take his place. Jack had a big reputation and big clients. He authored articles, was active in the bar association and spoke at the conferences.
It soon became clear why Jack was available to a mid-sized firm. Somewhere along his voyage to stardom, Jack had developed some mental health issues that affected his ability to consistently pour on the hours. Every so often when the pressure would become too great, he would be forced to take a break, and other lawyers would have to scramble to cover for him. He could get away with that at a mid-sized firm, but not at his Big Law firm. Eventually, Jack’s ability to deal with the pressure deteriorated further and he retired.
I know a fellow who worked with both Rob and Jack. He tells me they were both fine gentlemen, and he learned from them and enjoyed working with them. He thought that they represented two extremes in our profession.
Jack got to earn the big bucks and bask in the limelight, at least for a while. He revelled in his professional success. Rob enjoyed his personal life to the fullest. There are a few lawyers who manage to do both in the legal profession, but not that many.
When you choose your path in the legal profession, ask yourself, “Who do I want to be?”
Murray Gottheil is a retired lawyer living in the country, happy and driving a pickup truck. Reach him at murray@murraygottheil.com and see what he is up to at www.lawanddisorderinc.com.
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