Kyle Montrose: Tips to help you navigate your path to partnership

This year, after nearly seven years at Dentons (formerly Bingham Greenebaum Doll), I achieved what many young lawyers strive for: I became a BigLaw partner.

Without a doubt, Feb. 23, 2024, will hold a spot as one of the best days in my professional career (right up there with passing the bar and landing my job at Dentons). But it’s not as if I went to bed on Feb. 22 as an associate and woke up the next day as “partner material.”

No, the road to becoming partner was much more involved than the simple flip of a switch from associate to partner. That road was paved with long hours and hard work, victories and defeats, confusion and clarity, insecurities and promotions – you get the idea.

Now that I’ve reached the end of the associate road, I’ve turned the corner onto a new path that no doubt will have its own share of pavement and potholes. As I begin that journey, allow me to offer some advice to those associates walking a bit behind me on their own paths to partnership.

Develop internal organic relationships

I’m a corporate lawyer, but that doesn’t define me or inform my relationships. What sets me apart as a lawyer is the fact that I am myself.

That might sound cliché, but think about it: You can go to any number of firms and find a lawyer doing much the same work that I do. The difference? They are them, I am me and you are you.

If you want to build your career and eventually become partner, you need to let people know who you are. Be yourself. Find supportive colleagues and wise mentors, and develop your relationships with each. You don’t have to force these relationships – often, the best connections are developed organically and are based on a recognition of your individuality and character. Also be sure to make time for those coming after you – it is equally important to be a mentor as it is to have one.

The goal of all this is to become part of, and build, a productive team that will best serve your clients. You can’t become part of that team, or build one, either as a partner or an associate, if no one knows who you are.

Be humble. Be kind. Be a leader. Be a friend. The rest will follow.

Consistency, ownership and hard work

There is, quite simply, no replacement for hard work.

You won’t get far working hard part of the time. If you want to instill confidence in those who have the ability to advance your career, you must consistently work hard, produce high quality work-product and develop your practice.

Instilling confidence in those above you – those who will ultimately vote on your partnership – also requires taking ownership of your work and work-product. Having a curious mind about how your potentially discrete task fits into the bigger picture and thinking about next steps shows those above you that you’re invested in the matter and gives them confidence in your abilities.

Take constructive criticism with grace

This one was my biggest hurdle as a young(er) attorney. In an educational environment, if you get 80% of the assignment correct, your feedback will reflect it, but in a professional environment, this may be the exception to the rule.

The truth is, if you do eight out of 10 things correctly, you likely won’t be congratulated on the eight, but you certainly will be criticized on the two.

And yes, while it’s always good to offer praise for a job well done, that’s not what leads to our growth – it is the criticism, when offered constructively. Everyone knows mistakes happen – we’re human after all –but the key is to not make excuses; rather, just make it right and learn from the experience. All said, receiving constructive criticism should be your goal – if those above you stop criticizing you, you’ve lost.

Over the past several years, I have had the privilege of mentoring a number of associates, so I’m qualified to say it is not easy, takes a lot of time and requires patience. Mentoring kind, humble, fun and interesting individuals who don’t take themselves too seriously makes the mentor’s role rewarding and easy to spend too much time doing.

That’s why it is imperative to learn how to take criticism with grace, both externally and internally, so those offering criticism feel it is a worthwhile use of their time and it is easy for them to freely do so. I’m my own biggest critic, but that’s not inherently a bad thing – it just means I’ve learned that self-reflection and correction is vital if I want to stay on a forward-moving career path.

Balance, balance, balance

I told you earlier that there’s no substitute for hard work, and I stand by that statement. But it’s also true that without a solid work-life balance, you won’t be able to consistently do your best work. And if you can’t consistently do your best work, your chances of succeeding in a law firm environment are slim, let alone your chances of making partner.

How do you find that balance? Check in with yourself and ask, “What do I need to do to feel centered?” Whatever that may be for you, find a way to weave balance into your daily life. This isn’t a one-and-done exercise and one size does not fit all – what works for you today, may not work for others or yourself in six months. When life changes and you feel off balance, reevaluate.

To the associates rolling their eyes at me: I get it. I know firsthand how difficult it can be to find any time for the “life” part of a “work-life balance.” But if you don’t try to find balance, your professional efforts and hard work will be for naught. Time management, self-control, responsibility and regimenting will go a long way toward helping you achieve the balance you need, and in turn, your career with flourish.

Let me sum up with this: The road to partnership is winding, but it’s not impassable; I’m living proof of this. There will be days when you feel like you’ll never reach your final destination, but don’t let those days define the entire journey.

Because guess what? Partnership is not the end of the journey; I didn’t “arrive” as an attorney when I became partner on Feb. 23.

No, Feb. 23 was just the beginning of the next chapter, and I’m looking forward to seeing where this leg of the journey takes me. I’m sure several of you will catch up with me along the way, and I look forward to welcoming you when that day comes.•

__________

Kyle Montrose is a partner at Dentons, where he is a member of the corporate practice group, focused on corporate and transactional law. You can reach him at [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author.