The New Leadership Expectations for Law Firm Partners

Tuesday, January 20, 2026

2 PM to 3 PM Eastern | 1 PM to 2 PM Central | 11 AM to 12 PM Pacific

Virtually via Zoom

For years, partnership was the finish line. Today, it’s the starting point for an entirely new role. Partners are expected to lead teams, grow practices, drive culture, retain talent, and think like owners. However, most were promoted for their technical excellence, rather than their leadership capabilities.

In this first LeadWise Forum of 2026, we’ll break down how the law firm partner role has changed and how it will continue to evolve, why the transition is so challenging for new partners, and what leading firms are doing to set partners up for success. We’ll explore:

• The new leadership and management expectations that partners face
• Why many new partners feel unprepared and the real root causes
• How firms are building clarity, support, and accountability into partner development

You’ll leave with a clearer picture of what “modern partnership” requires and practical strategies to help partners meet those expectations with confidence.

Please come prepared to share what you’ve seen work well, what didn’t work so well, and where you currently need support. Our goal is to crowdsource specific ideas that will help everyone!

About LeadWise Forum:

Looking for a confidential space to connect with your peers, discuss shared experiences, and crowdsource ideas and solutions to your most pressing issues as a law firm leader or business function professional? The LeadWise Forum sessions are led by Yuliya LaRoe, LeadWise Group CEO, an experienced attorney, legal industry consultant, and certified BD and executive coach. Across the legal industry, Yuliya is known as the law firm partner development expert and the coach who gets income partners promoted to equity.

LeadWise Forum events are complimentary invitation-only monthly events for law firm leaders in:

• professional/talent development & DEI
• business development & marketing professionals
• firm & office management
• practice group leadership
• practice management/development
• law firm operations

Request your invitation to join one of the upcoming LeadWise Forums and engage in open dialogue, learn from others facing similar challenges, and gain actionable insights that you can bring back to your firm to make an impact.

If you are inviting your firm colleagues, please ensure that they are part of the intended audience. Our Forums are not webinars; they are designed to be highly interactive, where every participant brings something to the table. The Forums are not recorded for public distribution as we want to create a confidential environment where participants can safely share their experiences, challenges, and solutions.