Using Data to Evaluate Lateral Hires in the Legal Industry

By: Howard Rosenberg, Head of Talent Intelligence & Acquisitions, Baretz+Brunelle

Lateral hiring has become a mainstay in the legal profession, particularly among law firms seeking to expand their client base, enter new practice areas, or gain a competitive edge. Yet, for all its strategic promise, lateral hiring remains a risky investment. 

A 2023 report by the National Association for Law Placement (NALP) showed that nearly half of lateral hires in law firms depart within five years while many fail to deliver expected business or cultural impact.

In an industry where relationships, reputation and billable hours are everything, law firms can’t afford to rely on gut instinct alone when making lateral hiring decisions. 

Enter data: a powerful, underutilized tool that can help law firms make better-informed decisions about lateral candidates and their long-term value.

The Unique Challenge of Lateral Hiring in Law

Lateral hires in the legal world often come with impressive credentials: a strong book of business, deep technical expertise and/or prestigious firm experience. But appearances can be deceiving. Past performance in one firm or market doesn’t always translate to success in another.

Cultural fit, client conflicts, integration challenges, and underdelivered originations are common—and costly—pitfalls. Evaluating these variables objectively is tough without the right data. Those firms that track, analyze, and act on key metrics can transform lateral hiring from a gamble into a strategy.

The Data Points That Matter

1. Pre-Hire Metrics

• Originations and Revenue: Does the candidate’s claimed book of business align with verified client billing records? Scrutinizing originations over multiple years—and cross-checking against conflicts—is critical.
• Client Portability: How portable are the relationships? Analyze client stickiness with current firm, industry trends, and whether existing firm clients overlap or conflict with the candidate’s roster.
• Practice and Firm Synergy: Use firm data to identify which practice groups have historically integrated lateral partners most successfully. Does the candidate’s expertise align with firm growth areas?
• Cultural Fit Assessments: Some firms are beginning to use structured interviews and culture-fit surveys to quantify compatibility beyond credentials.

2. Onboarding and Early Integration Metrics

• Integration Plan Completion: Has the lateral hire followed the 30-, 60-, and 90-day integration roadmap? Firms should track onboarding milestones, including introductions to key clients, internal presentations, and collaboration with cross-practice teams.
• Early Origination Trends: Comparing actual billed work and new matters opened in the first six months to projections from the hiring proposal can identify warning signs early.
• Engagement Feedback: Anonymous pulse checks or partner surveys can measure how well a new hire is adapting to the firm’s culture and processes.

3. Long-Term Success Indicators

• Actual vs. Projected Originations: One year in, does the hire’s actual business development meet what was promised in the lateral questionnaire?
• Retention and Promotion: Track the average tenure and promotion outcomes of lateral partners vs. homegrown talent. Patterns here can reveal integration or performance gaps.
• Cross-Selling Impact: Has the hire contributed to cross-practice referrals or brought new industry knowledge that led to firm-wide opportunities?
• Team Stability: For senior hires, monitor whether associates or key support staff join, stay, or depart as a result of the lateral move.

Using Predictive Analytics in Legal Hiring

Some large firms are investing in predictive models that evaluate a lateral’s likelihood of success based on historical data. These models factor in:

• Originations vs. firm average
• Client industry overlaps
• Law school and prior firm networks
• Cultural fit metrics
• Historical performance of similar hires

The legal market is behind industries like finance or tech in adopting predictive hiring tools, but the tide is turning. Firms with structured data on past hires are better positioned to forecast future performance and avoid costly missteps.

Data as a Tool, Not a Crutch

Even in a data-driven model, legal hiring is nuanced. A partner with a smaller book might bring intangible value—mentorship, client access, or strategic insight. Data shouldn’t overshadow these considerations but rather illuminate areas of risk and opportunity.

The goal isn’t to replace judgment but to enhance it. When combined with seasoned instincts, structured data helps reduce bias, clarify expectations, and improve long-term outcomes

Conclusion

Lateral hiring will continue to be a critical growth strategy for law firms. But to truly capitalize on it, firms must move beyond intuition and start leveraging data throughout the hiring lifecycle—from selection to integration and beyond.

The firms that do this well won’t just hire better—they’ll build more cohesive, high-performing partnerships, reduce turnover, and strengthen their position in a hyper-competitive legal landscape.

In law, where every move matters, using data to evaluate lateral hires isn’t just smart—it’s essential.