header-logo header-logo

30 July 2021 / Lynne Burdon , Jonathan Wheeler
Issue: 7943 / Categories: Features , Profession
printer mail-detail

Succession planning: passing the torch

53866
Lynne Burdon & Jonathan Wheeler of Bolt Burdon Kemp explain why it is never too early to start succession planning
  • Sets out the timeline and provides insight into the process of succession planning for a law firm’s managing partner and department heads.

Succession planning is vital to business success, yet so many law firms manage to completely neglect this issue, leaving partners desperately searching for a suitable replacement when a managing partner is due to retire. This is a problem which is particularly impacting smaller law firms—statistics from the Law Society show that the average age of sole practitioners is 52, almost ten years older than that of partners and owners in private practice. Many law firms like to go with ‘what works’ and will happily continue with the same lawyers in the top jobs, until the inevitable happens and they are left blindsided and panicked about what the future of the firm will look like.

Failing to properly plan for a successor can be hugely detrimental, impacting

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Anthony Collins—William Hallett & Lorna Scully

Anthony Collins—William Hallett & Lorna Scully

Anthony Collins hires two talented legal directors

Switalskis—five appointments

Switalskis—five appointments

Firm expands national abuse compensation team

Mathys & Squire—nine promotions

Mathys & Squire—nine promotions

IP firm announces new partners and senior promotions across UK offices

NEWS
A High Court ruling has sent a jolt through the legal profession after a newly qualified solicitor used an internal AI tool to produce court correspondence containing a fabricated legal citation
A significant data privacy ruling has clarified what counts as valid consent under UK data protection law
Executors may be overlooking billions of pounds in estate assets hidden in forgotten investments and misplaced share certificates
Britain’s booming non-surgical cosmetics market is operating in what some critics describe as a regulatory ‘Wild West’
Family contact disputes are becoming an increasingly prominent feature of Court of Protection litigation
back-to-top-scroll