My students often ask me why I started my own firm. Here are a few reasons:

  • Conflicts of interest are a serious matter in the legal profession. (Lawyers are supposed to avoid them.) Conflict analysis is easier for an independent practice than it would be at a large firm. I'm able to review simply and quickly whether there is a conflict. With an independent practice, I'm able to take on projects on which I might be conflicted if I were at a large firm.
  • Time is of the essence. I'm not alone in feeling that time is short and fleeting. I know that it's valuable. What I enjoy in legal practice is working with or for clients. I don't have spare time to spend in meetings dealing with administrative matters. I'm not unusually good at administration, so I prefer hiring the best person to assist me then letting them do the work, providing supervision and review when needed. And I certainly don't have time to argue with partners over money, whether profit allocations or associate compensation.
  • Small world. My practice isn't solo, it's global. I'm based in Paris but deal with people all over the world, often at odd hours because of time differences. In a firm culture that hews to local banking or courthouse hours, I'll stand out as exceptional. I won't shoehorn my practice into local conventions on business time.

The main life lesson for me has been to keep an open mind and not to reject ways of doing business based on stereotypes. I've practiced at medium-sized and large firms and would be open to doing so in the future. Today, aware of the strengths and weaknesses of a more institutional setting, I'm happy in my practice and happy to develop my practice independently.