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Case Studies
Paul was a 48-year-old partner at a top-tier international firm who wished to develop his leadership skills and expand his practice. He had a stellar background . . . and was ranked by his peers as being among the top five lawyers in his practice area . . . . He did not, however, believe that he had a leadership “presence,” particularly when compared to the other lawyers ranked with him among the elite. He was also having difficulty doing what was necessary to expand his practice. Read More >> Positioning for partnership consideration, advocating for oneself and managing stress (leadership development; career enhancement; achieving balance and managing stress; career planning) When John initially came to coaching, he was a 36-year-old associate at a top-tier national firm who was at a crucial period in his career. He was being considered for partnership in five months and he wanted to position himself for that decision. He also needed support in dealing with the pressure of the consideration process — both on the job and at home. Read More >> Career planning and transition Miriam was a 27-year-old second-year associate at a top-tier national firm, who came to coaching without a clear goal in mind. She was unhappy but did not know why. Although we are reluctant to work with clients who cannot clearly identify their coaching issue, we agreed to work with Miriam to help her define her career goals and, in particular, to help her find a career that would be satisfying and fulfilling. Read More >> Finding satisfaction in the law, making career adjustments (midlife career management; career planning; leadership development) Jake was a 42-year-old finance partner for a large regional firm. He had worked diligently for his firm for 15 years and had been a partner for 7 of those years. By all accounts, he was successful — he had an active practice, he was well-respected by his clients and his colleagues, he had a large home in the suburbs, and he had a loving family. But he was deeply unhappy with his work and he did not know why. More and more, he was disengaging from his clients. His practice group head suggested that he engage an executive coach to get him through what she termed his “burn-out.” Read More >> Becoming more “user friendly” (career enhancement) The general counsel of an aviation company requested a coach for one of her junior lawyers. As she described him, George was very bright and a good lawyer, but he was not very “user friendly.” He had alienated a number of people in his department and among his customers. She said that he either had to “shape up or ship out.” Although George entered the coaching process with a great deal of reluctance, he recognized that his success was critical to his prospects at his company. Read More >> Juggling new partnership responsibilities, workload and family (midlife career management; leadership development; achieving balance and managing stress) Jeanine was a 35-year-old litigation lawyer at a top-tier law firm, who had just made partner. As a “high potential,” the unwritten expectations were that she not only continue to bill 2,400 hours per year, but also actively market her own and others’ practices . . . and take on the responsibilities for the firm’s “women initiatives” program . . . . At the same time, Jeanine was planning her wedding, and she and her fiancée were talking about starting a family. Read More >> |