So the challenge of recruiting the most talented associates and keeping them from rushing the exits is on the minds of managing partners nationwide. I've learned that it's smart to listen, to respond, and not to put a value judgment on expectations about what should be provided by the firm. Having dinner catered every night was unheard of a few years ago-but so was working late every night. Mr. Henning sees more and more associates moving in-house or simply leaving the profession altogether, perhaps to spend more time with their children or to satisfy an entrepreneurial impulse. The numbers tend to support Henning's observations.
Perks help plug the crack in the dam.
He left last June to take a job as director of business development for BroadLogic, Inc., a broadband communications equipment manufacturer that is a Fenwick client. Mr. Woodburn says that, for a law firm, Fenwick was a great place to work. Partners set out to keep the work interesting by letting associates pick their own assignments, he recalls. Perks, he says, were never a factor in his decision. According to Mr. Woodburn, Fenwick's biggest competitors for talent are its clients.