Now That You’re Partner: The Leadership and Business Development Shifts No One Teaches

By Donna Sirianni and Gregory S. Lisi. Published in the July/August 2026 issue of Nassau Lawyer. Reprinted with permission by The Nassau County Bar Association.

Key Takeaways for New Law Firm Partners

• Making partner is the start of a new role, not the finish line. The skills that earned the promotion are not the same skills needed to succeed as a partner.
• Two areas are rarely taught formally: business relationship development and leadership identity.
• Business development is really relationship development, built on trust, internal firm relationships, external referral sources and expert visibility.
• Leadership as a partner centers on strategic thinking, communication and relationship leadership, plus developing the next generation of associates.
• New partners manage pressure best by focusing on what they can control.

Partnership is often viewed as a significant professional achievement and the culmination of years of hard work. In reality, it marks the beginning of a new role with new expectations. The skills that lead to partnership are not always the same skills required to succeed as a partner. Attorneys spend years developing the legal skills, technical knowledge, and work ethic necessary to earn promotion to partner. Yet once that milestone is reached, many discover that the responsibilities and expectations of partnership differ significantly from those that contributed to their advancement. While an understanding of the law and technical excellence remain paramount, partners are also expected to originate business, contribute to firm growth, develop strategic relationships, mentor attorneys, influence culture, and lead through increasing levels of responsibility and complexity.

This article explores two critical domains of legal partnership that are rarely taught in a formal way: business relationship development and leadership identity. The promotion to partner is not the finish line of professional development; it is the beginning of a new stage that requires a different mindset, broader perspective, expanded set of skills and ability to handle new, and ever-increasing stress levels.

Domain One: Business Relationship Development

The new partner must begin thinking beyond personal performance and toward institutional impact. Business development is not about attending a random networking event, hoping to meet those who will easily hand over business. At its core, business development is more about relationship development—and that takes consistent engagement, authenticity, trust and time. It is the intentional development of relationships that supports the lawyer’s practice, reputation, clients and firm.

Developing internal relationships at the firm is critical to a new partner’s success because they facilitate collaboration, referrals, trust, and visibility across practice areas. New partners should develop a strong understanding of the firm’s various departments and areas of practice, as legal matters often involve issues that extend beyond a single discipline. Effective collaboration allows partners to draw upon the knowledge and experience of colleagues when serving clients. In addition, clients frequently have legal needs that fall outside the scope of the matter for which they initially retained the firm. Partners who understand the firm’s full capabilities are better positioned to identify opportunities to connect clients with other attorneys and practice groups, thereby enhancing client service and strengthening institutional relationships.

Internal relationships can also support external business development efforts. When seeking to establish a relationship with a prospective client, referral source, or key decision-maker, a partner may discover that another attorney within the firm already has valuable insight, an existing connection, or the ability to facilitate a meaningful introduction. These internal connections can often accelerate the development of new professional relationships and business opportunities.

Developing external relationships is also essential to a new partner’s success. Partners must build referral sources, strengthen client connections, participate in relevant industry events, and create professional visibility within the marketplace.

Business development is ultimately built on trust. Prospective clients and referral sources are more likely to engage an attorney when they have confidence in that attorney’s competence, character, and ability to understand their needs. Building that trust requires intentional effort and genuine curiosity. Effective relationship building begins with taking the time to understand what matters to the other person—their goals, challenges, priorities, and professional philosophy. Meaningful connections are not created by focusing on what to say next, but by listening with the intent to understand. Partners who approach relationships with authenticity and a desire to provide value are more likely to establish trust and credibility over time. As those relationships deepen, opportunities for business development often emerge naturally.

Not every connection will develop into a meaningful professional relationship. Rather than attempting to maintain superficial contact with every individual they meet, partners should focus their time and energy on those relationships where there is genuine rapport, mutual value, and the potential for long-term professional connection. Often it can take years to plant seeds for potential new clients and even more time for those seeds to grow into something fruitful. While this can be frustrating and stressful it is often the people who stick with it that get paid off in the end.

Creating expert visibility is another effective way for partners to develop business. Whether through writing, speaking, teaching, being active at the local bar association, political organization or other types of networking groups, or participating in industry programs, visibility helps establish credibility and positions an attorney as a trusted resource within a particular area of law. Professional visibility allows attorneys to demonstrate their knowledge and experience while providing value to others. As a result, the relationships developed through these activities are often rooted in expertise, trust, and shared professional interests. Over time, consistent visibility can strengthen a partner’s reputation, expand professional networks, and create opportunities for new business development. When attorneys become known for a particular area of expertise, they increase not only their own visibility, but also the visibility and reputation of the firm.

Domain Two: Leadership Identity

A partner influences culture, develops associates, communicates expectations, manages pressure and contributes to the overall direction and success of the firm.

The transition to partnership requires a shift in perspective. Success is no longer measured only by individual performance, but also by the ability to positively influence others and contribute to the broader goals of the organization. While technical excellence remains very important, partnership calls for a greater understanding of how decisions, behaviors, and leadership actions affect colleagues, clients, and the firm as a whole.

While many leadership qualities contribute to a partner’s success, three are particularly important during the transition into partnership: strategic thinking, communication, and relationship leadership. Strategic thinking enables partners to move beyond day-to-day legal work and consider the long-term needs of clients, colleagues, and the firm. Strong communication helps partners set expectations, provide feedback, build trust, and navigate challenging conversations with confidence. Relationship leadership focuses on developing meaningful connections with clients, referral sources, colleagues, and associates. Together, these qualities allow partners to influence others, strengthen firm culture, and contribute to the continued growth and success of the organization.

A positive, solution-oriented approach is another characteristic of effective leadership. Partners routinely encounter challenges involving clients, personnel, deadlines, business development, and the unexpected demands of legal practice. While leaders cannot eliminate every obstacle, they can influence how they respond to them. Associates, staff, and colleagues often take cues from a partner’s attitude and behavior during periods of uncertainty or pressure. Partners who remain focused on solutions, opportunities, and constructive next steps help create confidence, stability, and forward momentum within their teams and the broader organization.

Another important aspect of leadership identity is the responsibility to develop the next generation of attorneys. New partners are often expected to delegate work, provide guidance, share institutional knowledge, and help associates grow professionally. Effective delegation is not simply the assignment of tasks; it is the intentional development of associates through opportunities to build skills, gain confidence, and assume increasing levels of responsibility. Through communication, mentorship, and constructive feedback, partners help shape the professional development of those around them. In doing so, they also establish the leadership tone for their teams and contribute to a culture that supports learning, accountability, and long-term success. The investment made in developing associates today not only strengthens individual careers, but also helps ensure the long-term success, stability, and culture of the firm and can free up the new partner to handle the new responsibilities discussed above.

New partners often experience increased pressure because expectations rise quickly, often without formal training or a clear roadmap for success. The result can be a “deer in the headlights” effect, where attorneys feel responsible for everything but are uncertain about where to focus their attention.

Effective leadership requires partners to distinguish between issues they can control and those they cannot. Controllable factors may include how a partner communicates with clients and colleagues, the quality of work delegated to associates, time management, follow-up on business development activities, responsiveness, preparation, and the effort invested in building relationships. Uncontrollable factors may include court decisions, scheduling, market conditions, economic shifts, a client’s business challenges, the actions of opposing counsel, or decisions made by others within the organization. Partners who focus their energy on areas within their influence are often better equipped to manage stress, make sound decisions, and lead effectively during periods of uncertainty.

Before partnership, success is often measured by high billable hours, technical excellence, responsiveness, and the ability to solve problems independently. After partnership, success expands beyond individual performance. A portion of time must now be intentionally allocated to developing client relationships, cultivating referral sources, mentoring associates, strengthening internal firm relationships, and contributing to the long-term growth of the organization.

New partners are most effective when they intentionally develop the skills required to generate business, build relationships, lead people, and manage increasing levels of responsibility. The transition into partnership is not simply a change in title. It is a shift from individual contributor to firm and practice builder.

About the Authors

Gregory S. Lisi is an Equity Partner and Chair of the Employment and Labor Departments at Forchelli Deegan Terrana, LLP as well as a Past President of the Nassau County Bar Association. He can be reached at glisi@forchellilaw.com.

Donna Sirianni is the Founder and CEO of Moving Forward Strategies, where she works with law firms on attorney leadership development, business relationship development, communication, and professional growth. She can be reached at donna@movingforwardstrategies.com.

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This article grew out of Donna’s 3-month New Partner Development Program, created to give new partners the structure and game plan to build their book of business and lead with confidence.

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