Career clinic: Should I let on I know my boss is in talks to join another firm?

I have been in a similar position to yours. I would wait until it is announced, if I were you. This is a time when the partners are very anxious, tense and nervous about making this decision. If it is not known to the rest of the firm, you approaching them now will make them insecure and you do not want them associating you with that feeling. When my firm split I was later asked to join the leaving party and made my decision to go with them pretty much at the last minute. Hold your anxiety for a while and wait for the right moment (i.e. when they make it public or if they approach you before that). They will most likely need people they trust to work with them and they will be happy to know you support them. It is not by waiting a little bit that you will waste your opportunity to go.

Jo -04 Oct 2007 | 17:11

If they want you, they will try and get you to come in. But let them do it their way. Apart from restrictive covenants on poaching staff, they would be concerned if the old firm sued them for the tort of inducing a breach of contract and other claims. Once they are gone, you could apply to their new firm, so that it can be demonstrated that you did not join them because they inticed you. Finally, a lot of people hold exploratory talks. Most never turn out into reality. If you approach your partners now, they might just think you are a nosy so-and-so, what else are you snooping around to find out late in the evenings in the partners' rooms? Like I said, if they want you, there will be a way you can join them. But they will not risk taking you if there's any comeback on them. Good assistants may be hard to come by, but don't forget you are a commodity, someone like you can always be bought at a price. Keep your head down, and good luck.

may -04 Oct 2007 | 17:19

This is your chance you numpty.There will be a big fat vacuum when the partners go and you can step up and fill it. You should be able to negotiate a big salary increase to stay and get yourself on the partnership track. Also you will be one of the ones that showed loyalty and stayed. Extract some written targets that you need to achieve and you can pitch them low because they will need you to stay. Then work like a dog for two years and you should get your partnership.

Not Investment Banker -04 Oct 2007 | 17:22

I generally look forward most to Investment Banker's comments but that last post by Not Investment Banker was spot on! You can make something out of a big team departure if you play it right and you have the confidence to step up to more responsibility. Won't hurt to get an offer from the leaving party so that you can negotiate some assurances from your firm. So, are you a man (or indeed a woman) or a mouse?

City Partner -04 Oct 2007 | 19:25

I'm siding with the comments made by non-investment banker with one caveat; consider whether the clients are going to follow the departing partners. If there's a risk that you'll find youself holding the baby without a cot you're in trouble unless you have enough work of your to wash your face in. Ask yourself what probability there is of the work departing and if it's less than 80%, exploit the opportunity to claw back client "fence sitters" and you've nailed your fast-track to partnership. Department hero or departure sheep? Take your pick and consider it a 3-5 year game plan.

A recruiter -05 Oct 2007 | 06:53

First thing, you need to stay quiet - if you blow the whistle to your current firm and the partners don't leave, you'll be in an impossible position. Second, if you say something to the partners, they'll find out how you know (and you may not want them to know) and there's a risk they might see it as blackmail, ie take you with them or you'll tell your current firm - also not good!Stay quiet and either they'll ask you or they won't. They will probably also know that you know sometime soon in which case you can demonstrate your ability to be discrete when appropriate.Best to wait and see what happens (however uncomfortable that is). If you get to move, or stay do whatever's best for you and make the most of it. No harm either in approaching a recruitment consultatnt to find out what your other options are so you have something in reserve if you're not asked to move and (as Not Investment Banker suggests) all the clients jump ship.

Associate top 25 firm -05 Oct 2007 | 16:23

That is a tricky position but by being too direct with the partners you risk coming across as pushy or a potential problem. I am a legal headhunter and would assume that this team is going through one. Believe me, they will have been asked very directly whether they have people they want to bring with them. I would keep quiet at present, if your work has been of a high standard you can be sure that if there is a place for you with them that it will be considered when the time is right.

Ben Williams - Hamilton Caine -08 Oct 2007 | 15:33

Yes this is your chance but you can make it work if stay with the team too. When the partner I worked for a few years ago moved firms, I followed later. There were restrictive covenant issues which prevented him from directly asking me to join, and I had to volunteer to go. It took me a little while to be bright enough to work this out (sigh) and also he thought I might want to stay somewhere where the promotion prosects were surer. A couple of clients lobbied me to go, and essentially got me on to the partner track at the new firm - my job offer there stated I would be considered for salaried partnership the year I joined.

Partner (now) -08 Oct 2007 | 17:27