Hartford Business Journal

HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JUNE 15, 2026 15 Future Counsel Here's how one CT law firm plans to keep clients from retiring with partners While some partners were initially "more cooperative and more 'all in' than others," Byrne said, resistance to the policy eased after firm leadership spent time discussing it internally. The succession policy is also not forced on clients, he said. "But if it's done correctly, it's as important for the client as it is for the firm, and it's as much the right thing for the client as it is for the firm," Byrne said. Eric Brown, a labor attorney with a small practice in Watertown, said he believes it makes sense for firms to have succession plans that create opportunities for younger attorneys. "The idea of involving younger lawyers more in the business and the practice of law is a good idea," Brown said. "If the firm is going to maintain its place in the legal world, it makes sense to me." Brown said clients also likely appre- ciate a transition period that allows them to get comfortable with a new attorney, especially if they've worked with the same lawyer for years. "I like to expose the clients I deal with primarily to my associates, so that they can get a comfort level, because you never know what's going to happen," Brown said. "You want the client to be a client of the firm, not of a single lawyer." By David Krechevsky davidk@hartfordbusiness.com L aw firms routinely advise busi- ness owners to plan for succes- sion. One major Connecticut firm has formalized that advice for itself. Day Pitney LLP, which has five Connecticut offices and more than 330 attorneys across the Northeast, Florida and Washington, D.C., has built succession planning directly into its partnership structure, requiring senior attorneys to gradually transition major client relationships to younger lawyers as they approach retirement. According to Michael Byrne, Day Pitney's recently installed managing partner, once partners turn 60, they are expected to ensure younger partners are meaningfully involved in their significant client relationships. Between ages 60 and 65, they must report twice a year on that tran- sition progress. By age 70, they can no longer remain equity partners, though they may continue working at the firm as employees. Byrne said the succession policy — which one outside legal expert said he had not seen at other firms — is designed to protect client relation- ships, create opportunities for younger attorneys and ensure a smooth transi- tion of leadership and client responsi- bilities as partners retire. The issue of succession planning has become increasingly important for law firms as many longtime partners approach retirement age. A 2023 anal- ysis by legal data company Leopard Solutions found that 36% of partners at the top 200 law firms were nearing or past retirement age. 'Zone of succession' Byrne, who turns 65 this year and has been with Day Pitney for 39 years, said there was some initial pushback from older partners when the succes- sion policy was first discussed about a decade ago. "Implementing this type of change was challenging," he said. The initial concerns came from part- ners in what firm members jokingly refer to as "the zone of succession" — the five-year window between ages 65 and 70, Byrne said. "Part of the pushback was concern about their own compensation," he said. "We all love our jobs, but we also do this to get paid." So, the firm worked to create a system that convinced transitioning partners they would be treated fairly and "compensated as if they hadn't done any transition," Byrne said. The firm also worked to convince younger partners that the policy repre- sented a real opportunity. "And that if we do this right, they will … step into longstanding relationships that they might not otherwise have had the opportunity to step into," he said. Byrne noted that younger partners might decide to leave if they see little chance of inheriting longstanding client relationships. While succession planning is a common consideration for law firms, implementing a policy like Day Pitney's requires careful consider- ation, according to Scott DeVito, an associate law professor at Quinnipiac University in Hamden. Policies tied to attorneys' ages can raise legal and other concerns, he said. For example, such policies may prompt questions about age discrim- ination, whether firms are improperly limiting attorneys' ability to continue practicing law, and whether clients retain full freedom to choose their lawyers, among other issues. However, DeVito said those concerns become less significant if partners voluntarily agree to the arrangement. Byrne said Day Pitney carefully considered the policy before implementing it. "It's not a mandatory retirement age," he stressed, adding that "our succession policy does not impede any of our lawyers' ability to practice law." AT A GLANCE Day Pitney LLP Industry: Law Founded: 1919 Top Executive: Michael Byrne, Managing Partner CT Offices: Greenwich, Hart- ford, New Haven, Stamford, West Hartford Other Locations: Boston; New York; Providence; Parsippany, New Jersey; Boca Raton, Miami and West Palm Beach, Florida; Washington D.C. Gross Revenue: $250.1 million Employees: 335 attorneys, 708 employees overall; 115 attor- neys and 159 staff (274 total) in CT Michael Byrne, managing partner of Day Pitney, says the firm's succession plan helps ease attorney retirements and retain younger lawyers. Contributed Photo

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