How I did it. Building your own practice inside gunnercooke. 10 steps to better outcomes for my clients and me.

I vowed never to go back to a traditional large law firm. After a three-decade career that spanned big corporate law, in-house counsel, solo practice, and counsel to New York City and New York State legislatures, I had a clear picture of what I wanted from my legal practice and how I wanted to run it. And then gunnercooke, presented an option: a hybrid law firm where I could be a partner among top-tier lawyers, have access to valuable professional resources, and have control over my work-life balance. 

With 450+ partners and 16 offices in the U.S. and across Europe, here’s what I can do at gunnercooke that I couldn’t do at a traditional big law firm.

I can be happy. The common refrain among lawyers from my time in a traditional firm, and even from my peers who are still at large firms, is how miserable and exhausted they are. The constant grind to meet onerous billable hour mandates. The general lack of humanity. I compare the feeling to something like winning a pie eating contest and your reward is more pie. There’s never an end. At gunnercooke, the only pressure to produce is that which I put on myself.

I can have work-life balance. At the big law firm, my hours were typically 9:30am-2:30am. There was little time to sleep, let alone engage in family activities or follow my personal passions. Today, I have the flexibility to work on a schedule that makes sense for me—one that enables me to be involved with my wife and kids. I can attend sports games, take on leadership roles at my kids’ schools, drop them off or pick them up from school. This time in our lives is fleeting, and I want to be there for them and for it all.

I can truly own my own practice. I’m a partner at gunnercooke, but my practice is mine. I am the face of my practice to my clients: the clients are mine, not gunnercooke’s.

I can build my practice through cross-referrals. This is more than just having access to an in-house network of top-tier partners. It’s about an atmosphere of collegiality that strongly encourages referrals based on our areas of experience and knowledge. Recently, one of my clients needed land use work and we have a partner here who is super. If I have an IP issue, there’s a terrific IP attorney I can bring in. The same goes for litigation. I have an experienced lawyer at my fingertips in any area and across the globe. And, with a transparent referral model, we all benefit financially and professionally.

I can have camaraderie. Having worked solo in a private law practice, I admit I missed the ability to interact and develop professional and personal relationships with my peer attorneys. And when I worked in large law, there was little time for that. gunnercooke has invested in a goldilocks’ infrastructure with physical offices that I go into at least once a week, and which is unlike most hybrid law firms in the U.S. which lack offices. Here, I can get to know my partners deeply, what they do, how we can work together, and enjoy each other’s company.

I can expand my cross-border work. As a Securities and Corporate Finance attorney, with a practice that has always been international, I have many clients in Europe that want access to the US and the US financial markets. gunnercooke’s annual Symposium and other global gatherings are an opportunity to connect with my colleagues from across the ocean and refer my clients to highly sophisticated lawyers in Europe and they to me.

I can build my practice to my interests—and not be siloed. I have vast experience in local, state and federal government, so when I came to gunnercooke I decided to build a government affairs practice.  Very soon after, I got to know a British counterpart with vast experience as a former Member of Parliament, and together we’ve launched a Government Affairs practice that covers both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

Similarly, during the break-out session on M&A at an annual Symposium, I met liked-minded lawyers from Germany and the UK. We’ve put together an international M&A practice committee and have twice monthly calls to leverage our contacts. In both instances, we’re excited by how these collaborations can broaden opportunities for us.

If I was at a traditional law firm, at my senior level, I would be responsible for bringing in x millions in billings a year. As a corporate lawyer, there wouldn’t be leeway for me to take on work that didn’t meet firm minimums or the patience to build an M&A or government affairs practice. There could be conflicts with other firm clients, which could be a barrier in taking on some of my own new clients. That’s never the case here.

I can operate like an entrepreneur. And I have the autonomy to run my own “business”. But it’s doesn’t mean I’m an expert at everything. For that, I have the excellent gcTrust, gunnercooke’s centralized infrastructure, which provides support for finance, marketing, IT, compliance, and more. As someone who previously ran a solo practice, I’m fairly comfortable in these areas but I knew my marketing game needed to be upleveled. gunnercooke gives me instant brand recognition and validation, and smart resources to tap into.

I can follow my passions. In my case, it’s being impactful with state and city government. I have an actual life outside the law firm. I can meet with old contacts, go to conferences across the U.S., and get involved. My passions and my profession are mutually beneficial, feeding each other and giving me energy.

I can be me. I look ahead at what I would consider success—and I’m already there. I’m busy in a good way and growing my practice in ways I never thought possible. I’m enjoying life on both a professional and personal level and living without constant high pressure. gunnercooke encourages its partners to have a life; it’s striking coming from a traditional law firm.

If you’d like to learn more about what gunnercooke can mean to your law practice and your lifestyle, or would like to talk to a partner directly, reach out to James Goulborne at [email protected]

About the author:
Steve has three decades of experience as a Securities and Corporate Finance attorney.  Steve also has vast expertise and knowledge of Government Affairs having served as Counsel in both the New York State Senate and the New York City Council.

Steve’s transactional corporate and securities practice includes representing U.S. and foreign corporations and financial institutions, including start-ups, in private debt and equity offerings, private investments in public entities (PIPES), registered debt and equity offerings under the Securities Act of 1933 and ongoing compliance under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.  Steve counsels his clients on all aspects of corporate finance, corporate governance, contract review and general corporate law.  Steve’s global international practice includes representation of foreign corporations with investments in the U. S. and domestic corporations with investments world-wide. Steve represents domestic and foreign entities in cross-border transactions.  Steve’s investment management practice includes establishment and representation of hedge funds, establishment and representation of registered Investment Advisors and ongoing compliance with the Investment Company Act of 1940 and Investment Advisors Act of 1940.

Steve’s years of legislative and policy experience inside government allows him to guide his clients to influence policy and legislation that are important to their businesses, constituencies or stakeholders.

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To learn more about gunnercooke, reach out to James Goulbourne, Chief of Staff at gunnercooke.