Warning, this is a unique opportunity with the potential to be a career game-changer.
Latitude is seeking a Nashville attorney who is (or has been) in private practice representing businesses to lead new client development in Nashville and the surrounding area. This is an outstanding opportunity for a highly driven Nashville attorney to leave the practice of law without leaving the legal industry. This position requires introducing Latitude to potential clients, working closely with Latitude’s existing clients to learn about their needs, collaborating with Latitude colleagues to present creative solutions, negotiating deal terms, and staying in touch with clients to ensure their complete satisfaction with Latitude’s services. This is a role with a high level of autonomy and flexibility, requiring strategic planning and on-the-ground daily hustle. You will be a credible, trusted advisor to your clients. And although this role has a heavy business development component, it is not a fully commissioned sales job.
What the role is:
This is a position for a lawyer, who no longer wants to practice law and is yearning to feel the excitement of trying something new. If you are looking for a career boost, to rekindle that “fire in the belly,” to help grow a business and see the results of your hard work reflected in the company’s bottom line as well as your own paycheck, then Latitude invites you to apply for this position.
What the role is NOT:
This is not a predictable 9-to-5 job. This is not a position that you can do (entirely) from your home, in pajamas, sitting in front of a screen all day. This job requires action, face-to-face conversation, strategic outreach and energy . . . lots of energy.
We want the person in this position to feel like their strengths are being engaged on a regular basis, so that their hard work is energizing rather than depleting. Consider these questions:
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to transition from law practice to a business role? Are you a natural connector and energized by building relationships with other attorneys far more than the day-to-day practice of law? Are you comfortable putting yourself out there, walking into a room where you know no one, inviting someone to lunch or initiating a conversation? Are you a competitor, energized by the next challenge, anxious to put points on the board? Would you love to leave the practice of law (and billable hours) while still benefiting from your legal experience and the professional relationships you have spent years building?
With over 20 years of experience in the flex talent space, we have noticed two traits that typically signal success in a role like this one:
First, being willing to put yourself out there. Whether it’s through local bar association events, national conferences, or online platforms like LinkedIn, the person in this position must be in constant contact with decision-makers at law firms and within corporate legal departments. Introducing Latitude to busy people is a hallmark of this job, and it is not as easy as you might think to get folks’ attention. This is where persistence and resilience pay off. You have to be willing to ask people to meet with you, without worrying they may say “no” or ignore your invitation entirely. Our clients are attorneys, and attorneys are busy. Sometimes, the hardest part of the job is getting on someone’s calendar.
Second, being hyper-responsive to clients’ needs, even outside of normal business hours. Latitude’s clients often rely on us to provide talent at the last minute, which means requests can come through at all hours of the day and sometimes on weekends. How quickly you respond can make all the difference. To be successful in this role, you should be energized by the possibility of new business and willing to respond promptly to clients whenever they reach out. It is also expected that you will host or attend dinners and other off-hours events.
Change with Low Risk
As you can see, this position is not for everyone. This role requires a high degree of hustle and responsiveness. But it also puts you in the driver’s seat of your own success.
We know this position may be a big change if you’ve never been in a sales or business role previously. And while we expect quick engagement, we do not necessarily expect quick success. We recognize that it will take some time initially to learn our business and how best to engage with potential and existing clients. And we’re willing to help with this transition, partnering you with a mentor who has over 20 years of experience in the flex talent industry. We believe one of the benefits of this opportunity is that Latitude is willing to pay you a six-figure salary while you learn how to sell to lawyers and develop mutually beneficial business relationships – in other words, you’ll get paid to learn a new skill which will allow you to pivot your legal career into what could be a more rewarding and higher-paying job in legal services/sales. (Or not, even if you soon realize the role is not for you, you won’t have lost anything – you would have made good money while trying something new and you can always go back to practicing law.)
To Review:
Responsibilities
• Serve as a Latitude brand ambassador and client relations leader in Nashville and throughout TN
• Develop new business and build strong client relationships
• Serve as the primary relationship partner for a portfolio of Latitude clients
• Negotiate and paper client contracts (with administrative assistance)
• Become the go-to person in Nashville and throughout Tennessee for legal departments and law firms who need peer-level contract attorneys
Requirements
• Prior experience as a successful corporate law firm associate or partner, legal department in-house counsel, or boutique firm practitioner responsible for business development
• Sterling reputation in the Nashville bar and community
• Highly prefer prior experience developing new business or cultivating tight relationships with existing clients; proven aptitude and drive may substitute for this experience if candidate has not previously been in a position to develop new business (e.g. BigLaw associate)
• While this is a full-time position which offers the opportunity to work from a home office (WFH), it also requires regularly meeting in-person with clients in the Nashville area. Accordingly, candidates must reside in the Greater Nashville area.
• Prior active involvement or leadership in Nashville-area professional and/or civic organizations is preferred
• High degree of individual initiative and discipline, responsiveness, attention to detail, organization, grit and social intelligence required
• JD degree (no active law license required)
• Outstanding references
Compensation & Benefits
• Six-figure base salary
• Unlimited Bonus Potential (based upon individual client development and larger team’s achievement of revenue goals); no billable hours required
• Full benefits, including complimentary Group Life, Long Term Disability and AD&D; Group Medical, Dental & Vision; Qualified 401k; and CLE and Professional Expense stipend.
About Latitude
Latitude is a fast-growing company that directly employs and provides high-caliber attorneys and other legal professionals to legal departments and law firms nationwide. Our specialty is providing practice-specific contract attorneys who have served as associates, counsel, and partners in Am Law firms and/or as in-house counsel in large corporate legal departments. We also assist many of our clients with permanent positions, including general counsel searches. Our clients range from Fortune Global 500 companies and Global 100 law firms to high-growth privately-held companies, major non-profits, government entities, and boutique law firms.
All Latitude market leaders are former law firm partners or senior in-house counsel with extensive community ties, practice experience and professional relationships in their respective markets. Our mission is to be the preeminent high-end flexible legal talent company in the world. Currently, the company has offices in multiple cities across the United States and more than 5,000 attorneys in our talent pool (including attorneys in all 50 states). Latitude is globally ranked by Chambers & Partners, and the National Law Journal has recognized Latitude as both the #1 attorney staffing company and the #1 legal recruiter in the United States.
Next Steps
• To learn more about Latitude visit our website at latitudelegal.com.
• If you meet the above requirements and are interested in this role, please submit your resume online or email EVP & Partner Candice Reed in confidence at creed@latitudelegal.com.
