The Low Profile - Timing Right for Its Return

 "How many years do people last at Paul Weiss before being nudged, and then pushed out?" - Posted on Fishbowl Big Law, November 13, 2023


The default of professional anonymous networks such as Fishbowl, Reddit and Blind is this: being critical of what work is like at organizations, especially the large ones. The brutal size-ups are rolled out as a kind of public service.


So, it was the routine ritual to put the knock on elite law firm Paul,Weiss (as well as Kirkland & Ellis and Paul Hastings). It is big. It is wealthy. It is powerful. It is influential. Quite the suitable target for negative analysis.


Then, amid a sustained downturn in overall demand in the legal sector, Paul,Weiss has been among the firms which were, OMG, hiring. And, get this, not conducting formal Reductions-in-Forces.


Along with that came headline-grabbing moves. At the top of the list were three raids in London of Kirkland & Ellis Private Equity practice talent. Also, it was landing lots of major accounts such as representing Google and Chevron. An additional sweeting of its brand has been the rumor that it is considering establishing a NonEquity Partner tier. That would provide motivation for sought-after midlevels to remain with the law firm, reducing turnover.


Obviously, Paul,Weiss became attractive to the best and brightest determined to find a satisfying career. Media coverage, including by the business ones like the prestigious Financial Times, increased the wattage of the Paul,Weiss aura. 


Then, as also should have been expected, there is the dimming of the glow. Some label that as "cyclical." 



Those more attuned to mystical universals, though, would call it the operation of the Wheel of Fortune.


So, Paul,Weiss should be braced for, again, a time of trash talk about itself. 


Of course, this development is not stand-alone. Nothing is. So, what could be brewing on the macro level? Because of these kinds of fluctuations in branding realities, the low profile might be making its way back. 


Believe it or not, there was a time when corporate leadership carefully restricted their visibility. Too much exposure could invite outrage from constituencies. The executives were supposed to be minding the store, right. One slot in the Fortune 50 was for a group of us in Executive Communications to assess the extent of the C-Suite outreach in the way of speeches, published articles and attendance at conferences. 


Then came the era of the Celebrity CEO. The late Jack Welch had a merry ole time out there pontificating. 


Finally, that could be fading out as too many of them ranging from Disney's Bob Iger to Goldman Sachs' David Solomon encounter business challenges that require plenty of attention back in the store. 


Meanwhile, the door seemed to have been opened yet again for throwing shade on Paul,Weiss. Is its public relations up to neutralizing that force field, lessening brand damage?


In my coaching the meme is: It isn't what happens. It's how you handle it.


In most cases you have only one shot in communications. Jane Genova is a communications coach and content-creator. Complimentary consultation (please text 203-468-8579 or email janegenova374@gmail.com)

 

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