At Bowditch, lateral partners have the best of all worlds. They can be entrepreneurial in their approach to building a practice while also enjoying the support of a major law firm and a smooth integration of their existing practice.
Here are a few reasons to consider joining Bowditch:
- New partners can build a practice as well as become a key player in firm management
- Excellent support from extremely experienced paralegals to very skilled legal administrative assistants
- Enthusiastic associates with an all-too-rare entrepreneurial spirit
- Integration into our firm and culture is important – we have had success transitioning laterals
- The firm trusts our lawyers to do right by our clients therefore, lawyers have a level of autonomy in running practices
- Punch above our weight in many areas, including technology along with marketing and business development support
- Opportunity to become acquainted with all the other partners in the organization
Our one-firm philosophy and streamlined structure encourage internal networking and cross selling. It’s just one of the things that makes us attractive to experienced lawyers considering a move to another firm.
Bowditch was featured in two Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly articles about our work environment and what sets us apart from other firms: Longtime law firm takes innovative approach to attracting, retaining talent and Managing partner Q&A in Missions & Visions.
Here is what partners, including laterals, say about life at Bowditch:
Joshua Lewin
Litigation
“When evaluating several different firms to which to move my practice, Bowditch was a clear winner. It truly is the perfect platform from which to build and grow a practice. The firm’s size and range of practice areas attracts an incredibly diverse range of clients—from individuals and small business to multinational corporations. The firm’s geographical footprint broadens the geographical client base well beyond the City of Boston to the rest of Massachusetts and beyond.
After over one hundred years of success, the firm is continuing to invest heavily to ensure that each attorney has whatever resources are needed to sustain and grow his or her practice—from incredibly capable support professionals to technology and marketing support. The firm has been incredibly supportive of my practice and continues to provide the resources I need to continue to grow.
Any firm, however, is only so good as its attorneys and that is where Bowditch excels. We have an incredible depth of talented, creative and motivated attorneys who are all incredibly supportive of each other and all equally committed to the success of the firm as a whole.”
Timothy Van Dyck
Employment & Labor
“I have been with the Bowditch family now for many years. I keep waiting for the honeymoon to end, but it doesn’t appear to want to go away (I know, some of you are thinking, ‘give it another day’). Years ago at my former firm, I was told by a then recent lateral partner that, as a rose is a rose is a rose, so the same can be said of law firms. Not true. This firm has good bones. Really good bones. I see it in the way that we work together.
There is mutual respect along all lines – partners with partners; partners with associates; lawyers with support/admin, and so on. We understand that we have a job to do, and we do it. We all (at least appear to) enjoy each other’s company. This counts for a lot. It makes getting up in the morning much easier when you know you’re getting into the boat with people you like.
The lawyering at this firm is exceptional. In my time here, I have had the opportunity of working with many partners and associates, both within my area of expertise (employment) and outside of it. I am uniformly wowed by the depth of knowledge and the level of responsiveness they provide to our clients. Moreover, I am convinced that the primary motivator for the lawyers here at Bowditch is their desire to help clients. Do good work – fiscal rewards will follow. I find that incredibly refreshing. And, thanks to our leadership team, we run a fiscally tight ship.”
AiVi Nguyen
Litigation
“I have been with Bowditch since I was a summer associate in 2008, and the choice to stay has always been an easy one to make. In a time when the legal market is changing and many firms are struggling to find their identities, Bowditch has embraced the opportunity to grow and adapt while still keeping its focus on superior client service. As a millennial, I want to be at a diversity-focused firm which provides challenging and interesting work with real opportunities for advancement while allowing me to maintain a work-life balance. I have found all of these things at Bowditch.
As an associate, very established (and very busy) partners made it a point to mentor me because they knew an investment in me was an investment in Bowditch. In turn, I invested in Bowditch. I was elected partner at age 31. I am a woman. I am Asian-American. My story is a rare one and it’s a testament to Bowditch’s progressive business model, which recognizes times are changing and we have to change with them, that sometimes the exceptional lawyer does not look like what you expect.”
