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Jul 26, 2011


Law Firm Succession and Retirement Options

Question:

I am the senior partner in a six attorney firm in Los Angeles. I am 68 years old and thought that it was  about time I begin thinking about retirement and begin discussions with my other partners. We have no partnership agreement and no plans in place to effect the transition of partners. What are some of the methods being used by law firms effect the retirement of partners?

Response:

There are almost as many approaches as there are law firms – ranging from partners that just leave and give their practices to the others partners to various methods for buying out the departing partner's interest in the partnership. In the final analysis the optimal approach is what makes everyone happy and a solution that everyone can live with. Here are a few illustrations:

Fully Funded Retirement

50 Percent Wind Down Option – Then Retirement Payments For Live 

Pension For Life

Mandatory Wind Down

Five Year Retirement Benefit Payout Based On Earnings

More and more firms are avoiding payouts for life and even moving toward funded buyouts.

Click here for our blog on succession and retirement

Click here for our law firm management articles

John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC


Posted at 08:45 PM in Partnership, Succession/Exit Strategies
Tags: Law Firm Succession and Retirement

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