SideBar Advisors Melissa Peters: What Really Drives Lateral Partner Hiring Today
Lateral moves look straightforward from the outside. In reality, most fail for reasons attorneys don’t always see coming.
In this episode of the Sidebar Advisors Podcast, Niraj Chhabra sits down with Melissa Peters, founder of MP Legal Search, to break down what’s actually happening in the lateral partner market — and how firms evaluate candidates behind closed doors.
Melissa shares real-world insight into shifting compensation structures, how firms assess portability and fit, and the common mistakes that quietly derail otherwise strong candidates. The conversation cuts through the noise around lateral hiring and focuses on what matters now.
They discuss:
• What firms really look for when evaluating lateral partners
• How compensation expectations are changing across the market
• Why strong books still aren’t enough on their own
• The most common pitfalls that derail lateral moves
• How attorneys can make themselves more marketable before they explore a transition
A practical, candid conversation for partners and senior attorneys considering a move — or simply trying to understand how the market actually works.
🎧 Listen to the full episode on the Sidebar Advisors Podcast.