When Angelique Moss and I first flirted with the idea of starting a law firm, more than one confidante questioned whether it was a good idea to go into business with a friend.
But here we are seven years later. And I can say unreservedly that it was the best decision I ever made. Since then, we got to partner with two more amazing women who are also great friends.
There have been so many upsides to partnering with friends:
- I genuinely love coming to work.
- Making decisions is so much easier when the partners have a shared set of values. For example, all four partners value environmental responsibility and our health, so we all commute by bicycle when we can. When we found an office space that had a secure indoor bike cage, a shower on our floor, and a “robing room” to store our professional clothes, we knew instantly we had found “the one”. We all value humane working hours, mentoring, access to justice, a love of the law, and humour. Decision making is smoother because we aren’t pulled in opposing directions.
- I completely trust my partners’ judgment, legal skills, and ethics.
- It eases my stress to have partners who genuinely care about me. Most lawyers I know are one major illness or family emergency away from dropping one of the balls in the air. I know that I could lean on my partners to carry me through a tough period, and I would do the same for them.
- Unlike many law firms where partners compete with each other, it is natural for us to work collaboratively for the good of the firm. We genuinely feel that a win for one of us is a win for all of us. This is the natural consequence of being actual friends.
- Early on, referrals started coming into the firm, rather than to one of us. Whoever wasn’t in court that day could call the person back. Our colleagues at other firms know that that they can refer a file to any of us or our associates without offending any internal political order.
- We have something rare and old-fashioned: loyalty.
Some early feedback made me feel like there was something unprofessional, almost juvenile, about starting a business with a bestie. Now, I wonder what is crazier: starting a law firm with a friend, or going into partnership with people you don’t genuinely like.
Nothing contained in this post constitutes legal advice or establishes a solicitor-client relationship. If you have any questions regarding your legal rights or legal obligations, you should consult a lawyer.