Practice Guide: How to Manage the Unexpected Resignation of a Key Legal Employee
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Kimberly Lerman is a Talent Manager in the Atlanta office of Consilio. She works primarily with attorneys, placing them in a variety of positions in corporate legal departments across numerous industries as well as at law firms. Prior to the start of her career in recruiting in 2015, Kimberly spent 15 years practicing law in Atlanta, and she was involved in hiring attorneys throughout that time. In her last legal role, she served as Vice President & Associate General Counsel for a large company in Atlanta. In addition to seven years of in-house experience, Kimberly also worked as a litigation associate at local law firms, including several years at both King & Spalding and Eversheds Sutherland. Throughout her law firm tenure, Kimberly was involved with interviewing law students and lawyers at job fairs, on-campus interviews, and onsite interviews. She also was a member of the Hiring Committee at Eversheds Sutherland from 2005 – 2007. Kimberly currently serves as Co-Chair of the Duke Atlanta Women’s Forum and is a Member of the Duke Law Atlanta Board. She also volunteers with Emory Connects as a mentor for current Emory students considering a career in law, and serves as an Interviewer for the Emory Alumni Interview Program. When not working or volunteering her time, Kimberly enjoys swimming, biking, and running, having completed 20 Ironman® triathlons. She is also an avid scuba diver and enjoys standup paddleboarding, hiking, nature photography (including underwater photography), yoga, and cooking.
Summary
In every legal team, resignations are inevitable – regardless of how valued your employees may feel. There is a lot to consider when a key employee resigns, and your first instinct may be to focus only on ensuring that the employee’s work gets done and deadlines are met, but it’s also important to make focus on long-term needs a priority, including evaluation of retention and succession plans. This guide reviews what to do to minimize risk and fill the gap quickly when you face an unexpected resignation, while also considering long-term needs and improvements for the future.
In this Practice Guide
- Six steps for responding to a departure
- How to balance present and future needs
- Sources for finding replacements
Key Insights
- How a counteroffer can change the dynamic
- The value of preserving a good relationship
- The importance of knowledge transfer
Summary
In every legal team, resignations are inevitable – regardless of how valued your employees may feel. There is a lot to consider when a key employee resigns, and your first instinct may be to focus only on ensuring that the employee’s work gets done and deadlines are met, but it’s also important to make focus on long-term needs a priority, including evaluation of retention and succession plans. This guide reviews what to do to minimize risk and fill the gap quickly when you face an unexpected resignation, while also considering long-term needs and improvements for the future.
In this Practice Guide
- Six steps for responding to a departure
- How to balance present and future needs
- Sources for finding replacements
Key Insights
- How a counteroffer can change the dynamic
- The value of preserving a good relationship
- The importance of knowledge transfer
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