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Partnership Agreements For Law Firms

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The document discusses various topics related to managing law firm partnerships including different types of partnership structures, attracting new partners, managing the partnership, discrimination issues, profit sharing arrangements, and exit arrangements.

Ambiguities in the status of salaried or junior partners can cause considerable problems, particularly in dismissal, discrimination and dissolution cases. Chapter 5 addresses this issue.

Age discrimination is a relatively new and difficult area for partnerships as many partnership agreements will be discriminatory and it will be necessary to justify any discrimination as lawful.

Partnership Agreements for Law Firms

Partnership Agreements for


Law Firms
NICHOLAS WRIGHT

NICHOLAS WRIGHT

PUBLISHED BY IN ASSOCIATION WITH


Partnership Agreements for
Law Firms
is published by Ark Group

UK/EUROPE OFFICE
Ark Group Ltd
266/276 Upper Richmond Road
London SW15 6TQ
United Kingdom
Tel +44 (0)20 8785 2700
Fax +44 (0)20 8785 9373
info@ark-group.com

NORTH AMERICA OFFICE


Ark Group USA
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Suite 150
Peoria IL 61615
Tel +1 773 529 5750
Fax +1 773 529 5760
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ASIA/PACIFIC OFFICE
Ark Group Australia Pty Ltd
Main Level, 83 Walker Street
North Sydney NSW
Australia 2060
Tel +61 1300 550 662
Fax +61 1300 550 663
aga@arkgroupasia.com

Commissioning editor
Anna Shaw
ashaw@ark-group.com

Head of editorial
Kate Clifton
kclifton@ark-group.com

Head of production
Danielle Filardi
dfilardi@ark-group.com

UK/Europe marketing enquiries


Adam Scrimshire
ascrimshire@ark-group.com

US marketing enquiries
Daniel Smallwood
dsmallwood@ark-group.com

Asia/Pacific marketing enquiries


Jo-Anne Rowland
jrowland@arkgroupasia.com

ISBN: 978-1-906355-42-5

Copyright
The copyright of all material appearing
within this publication is reserved by
Ark Conferences 2009. It may not be
reproduced, duplicated or copied by
any means without the prior written
consent of the publisher.
Partnership Agreements for
Law Firms
NICHOLAS WRIGHT

PUBLISHED BY IN ASSOCIATION WITH


Contents

Executive summary ............................................................................................................ V

About the author ..............................................................................................................IX

Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................XI

Part one: Partnership Agreements for Law Firms

Chapter 1: Partnerships, LLPs and limited companies.......................................................... 3

Chapter 2: Outside participation in legal firms ................................................................... 7

Chapter 3: Attracting new partners – LLPs and partnership ............................................... 11

Chapter 4: How is the partnership managed? .................................................................. 13

Chapter 5: Salaried and junior equity partners ................................................................. 15

Chapter 6: Discrimination in partnerships......................................................................... 17


Dealing with age discrimination ........................................................................................... 18

Chapter 7: Profit sharing .................................................................................................. 21


The equality system ............................................................................................................. 21
Profit share by capital contribution ....................................................................................... 22
Seniority (lockstep) .............................................................................................................. 22
Merit or performance based systems..................................................................................... 23
Hybrid profit sharing systems................................................................................................ 25
Retirement annuities ............................................................................................................ 28
Retaining profits .................................................................................................................. 28

Chapter 8: Different categories of partner and new partners ............................................ 31

Chapter 9: Additional benefits and provisions .................................................................. 35


Kinds of benefits ................................................................................................................. 36
Flexible working arrangements ............................................................................................. 37

Chapter 10: Supervision and disciplinary provisions ......................................................... 39


Partners’ obligations ............................................................................................................ 39

III
Contents

Compliance with regulatory obligations ................................................................................ 40


Disciplinary measures .......................................................................................................... 41
Performance measurement .................................................................................................. 41

Chapter 11: De-equitisation ............................................................................................. 43


Provisions for expulsion from the partnership ......................................................................... 43

Chapter 12: Expulsion, retirement and dissolution ............................................................ 45


Expulsion............................................................................................................................ 45
Retirement .......................................................................................................................... 48
Dissolution ......................................................................................................................... 51

Chapter 13: Good faith, arbitration and mediation ......................................................... 55


The duty of good faith ......................................................................................................... 55
Preventing litigation ............................................................................................................. 57
Indemnity and compensation ............................................................................................... 58
Arbitration .......................................................................................................................... 59
Mediation .......................................................................................................................... 60

Chapter 14: Drafting for the future .................................................................................. 61


Conversion to LLP ............................................................................................................... 61
Alternative business structures .............................................................................................. 62

Part two: Case studies

Case study 1: Partner or employee? A cautionary tale of muddled thinking ...................... 67

Case study 2: Division of assets on dissolution ................................................................. 69

Case study 3: Professional indemnity issues ...................................................................... 71


Providing full and accurate information................................................................................. 72
Mergers ............................................................................................................................. 73

Case study 4: Sinclair Roche & Temperley – Can drafting avoid discrimination claims? ..... 75

Case study 5: Kingsley Napley – Modified lockstep ........................................................... 79


Performance assessment ...................................................................................................... 80

Case study 6: Ousting partners – the need for a ‘no fault’ expulsion provision ............... 83
No provision to suspend...................................................................................................... 83
No provision to expel for any reason .................................................................................... 84

Case study 7: Why partnership agreements need reviewing ............................................. 87

Index ............................................................................................................................... 93

IV
Executive summary

MOST PARTNERSHIPS have formal the firm. A breach of these rules is a matter
partnership agreements, normally in the of conduct and can lead to disciplinary
form of a deed, although it is surprising sanctions. Many partnerships were formed
how many firms manage to exist on long before the Limited Liability Partnerships
informal arrangements. Many firms have Act. Many partners will have looked at the
an agreement, perhaps as a result of basic provisions and perhaps even have
expansion or merger, which was at the time attended lectures on the subject. Some will
well thought out and suited to the firm as have determined that LLP status does not suit
it then was, but which has subsequently the culture of their firm, some will not wish
been largely ignored because there seemed to put up with all the upheaval that would
no need to revise it or because the task of follow change, and some will simply have
revision was too daunting for the available been reluctant to change what they perceive
management time. to be a successful partnership arrangement.
Solicitors accept that they must constantly While LLP status still may not suit many
adapt to changes in the law and they firms, and the purpose of this report is to deal
have become used to regular and invasive with the issues that arise for those remaining
changes to the regulations which govern the in partnership rather than converting to
way they may operate. These changes create LLPs, the fact is that firms change and their
considerable burdens for busy practitioners requirements change with them. It is therefore
and it is therefore perhaps unsurprising that appropriate to consider, if only briefly, the
those managing solicitors’ firms may – even difference between partnerships and other
if they recognise that changes in what they forms of practice which are permitted. These
are permitted to do in practice also affect differences are not simply differences of
how they are entitled to manage their own disclosure and liability but can affect the
businesses – find insufficient time to do cultural ethos of a firm and the way in which
anything other than add another patch to it can manage its junior solicitors. This is
the partnership agreement to deal with the dealt with in Chapter 1.
latest problem that has arisen. The government has been at some pains
In the time that has passed since to emphasise its wish to see the traditional
many partnerships were formed and their concept of solicitors as a profession being
agreements settled, new rules of conduct converted to the business of providing legal
have come into force that require firms services, and the Legal Services Act 2007
to comply with management obligations, has been passed to that end. Apart from
varying from the obligation to have its other changes, such as the transfer of
catastrophe contingency planning to the regulatory supervision to a new authority with
promotion of equality and diversity within other authorities having delegated powers,

V
Executive summary

the Act permits a limited form of outside shared between partners. Lockstep and merit-
investment in, and management of, legal based systems are examined in some detail
firms probably after April 2009, although the in Chapter 7 and suggestions as to hybrid
timetable is subject to possible delay by the systems which partnerships may find suit their
Ministry of Justice. Although the regulations particular circumstances are also discussed.
relating to these new types of firm have not It is of course the case that most
yet been published, Chapter 2 gives an partnerships will wish to tailor their
overview as to how this regime will operate. remuneration policies to reward and
In the current climate many firms may maintain their existing partners while
be reluctant to expand but may wish to encouraging younger ones to put in the time
consolidate their capital base by seeking and dedicated effort necessary to achieve
new partners and Chapter 3 looks at senior status. Chapter 8 deals with new and
how the status of the firm may affect its junior partners and the types of partnership
attractiveness to new partners. arrangements which may apply to them. The
Before any full consideration of a management of any business has to balance
partnership agreement can be properly not just its financial survival and profitability
dealt with, the management of the firm, but also the service it provides against the
and ideally all of the equity partners, should demands that are made on its managers and
look at how it is actually run, whether that is staff. Solicitors’ firms are no different, except
how the partnership agreement envisaged it perhaps that they have a higher duty to their
would be run, whether it is an appropriate clients and the strains on those providing the
manner of running a firm in current service are therefore perhaps greater.
regulatory and market conditions, and how Provisions for staff to enable them to
it should be run in the future, for example have some part of their life not wholly
after the retirement of senior management. devoted to their particular field within the
Chapter 4 addresses this issue. firm may also be of benefit in recruiting,
A matter often overlooked by even the retaining and motivating staff and partners,
largest firms is the status of salaried partners. and this is discussed in Chapter 9. Whether
Particularly in dismissal, discrimination and or not the staff are motivated, it is an
dissolution cases, ambiguities in the status absolute essential for all management that
of salaried or junior partners can cause effective discipline and control over partners
considerable and expensive problems. as well as staff can be maintained, not only
Chapter 5 addresses this issue. to prevent lapses of discipline and attention
Chapter 6 is concerned with which might lead to reputational damage
discrimination, particularly age or a claim against the firm, but also to
discrimination as this is a relatively new ensure that discrimination and bullying
and difficult area for partnerships. This cannot go undetected and unpunished. With
is particularly so because many, if not discrimination law as it is at present, this
most, partnerships will have partnership requires agreement within the partnership
agreements which are discriminatory, and it specifically designed to allow those
will therefore be necessary for them to justify managing it to ensure compliance and this is
the discrimination as being lawful. discussed in Chapter 10.
The minefield of discrimination affects the In the current economic climate, many
manner in which profits can and should be firms have suffered a decline in business

VI
Partnership Agreements for Law Firms

volumes, some of which may affect


entire departments. Chapter 11 discusses
de-equitisation and Chapter 12 exit
arrangements and dissolution. Chapter 13,
perhaps appropriately, deals with litigation
and, more optimistically, how to avoid it.
Returning to the beginning, it has to be
accepted that managing a successful firm is
a time-consuming business which reduces
the ability of those managing to undertake
fee-earning work. It is for this reason that
partnership agreements are often neglected
for too long. The question then arises as to
whether or not there are mechanisms which
can be put in place to deal with possible
future events without the necessity for major
revision of the partnership agreement, and
this is discussed in Chapter 14.
Part 2 contains case studies, examples
and outside opinions on specific topics
raised in Part 1.

VII

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