Understanding Law Firm Compensation: Models, Metrics & Strategic Growth for Legal Professionals

Rena Barnett | Attorney Career Coaching & Counseling

Rena Barnett Matthews is an attorney career coach with nearly two decades of experience advising lawyers on advancement, positioning, and compensation strategy across law firms, corporate legal departments, and nonprofit and NGO organizations. With a background as both a practicing attorney and executive legal recruiter, she brings a unique, business-focused perspective to career development in the legal profession. Rena works with attorneys at all levels—including associates, counsel, partners, in-house counsel, and mission-driven professionals—to help them develop strategic business plans, refine compensation positioning, prepare for high-stakes interviews, and navigate lateral and leadership transitions. Her approach emphasizes business literacy, teaching lawyers to think like stakeholders, communicate effectively with decision-makers, and build leverage through value creation.

• Education & Credentials

Rena Barnett Matthews’ credentials are grounded in her experience as both a practicing attorney and an executive legal recruiter, providing her with a comprehensive understanding of the legal profession from both practice and hiring perspectives.

• Recognition & Leadership

Rena Barnett Matthews is recognized for her leadership in attorney career development, particularly in guiding lawyers on compensation strategy, origination, and advancement. Her work advising attorneys across multiple sectors highlights her role as a trusted voice in legal career strategy.

• Professional Involvement

Rena Barnett Matthews is actively involved in the legal community through speaking engagements at bar associations and professional development programs, where she shares insights on career strategy, compensation positioning, and advancement within the legal profession.

• Experience

Rena Barnett Matthews has nearly 20 years of experience advising attorneys on career strategy across law firms, corporate legal departments, and nonprofit and NGO organizations. Her work includes helping attorneys develop business plans, refine compensation and origination strategies, prepare for high-stakes interviews, and navigate lateral moves and leadership transitions. Drawing on her dual background as a practicing attorney and executive legal recruiter, she provides practical, business-oriented guidance that helps legal professionals understand and leverage the factors that drive career success.

Jennifer Gillman | Focus Work

Jennifer Gillman is a candidate-facing legal recruiter and former Am Law 100 attorney who specializes in helping rainmaker partners and solo practitioners find the right firm fit for their careers and personal goals. With more than two decades of combined experience in legal practice and full-service recruiting, she founded Gillman Strategic Group in 2018 to focus exclusively on guiding lawyers toward careers that align with both success and fulfillment. Taking a distinct approach, she prioritizes finding the right firm for the lawyer—rather than the other way around—by helping attorneys clarify their goals and matching them with environments where they can thrive. She is also the creator of the 6 Pillars to Be(coming) a Happy Rainmaker framework and the author of The Happy Rainmaker: A Little Tale About a Lawyer Who Found Success and Happiness Too.

• Education & Credentials

Jennifer Gillman earned her law degree from NYU School of Law and her undergraduate degree from Brandeis University. Her credentials are further supported by over a decade of experience as a practicing attorney at an Am Law 100 firm and an additional decade in legal recruiting.

• Recognition & Leadership

Jennifer Gillman demonstrates leadership through her role as founder of Gillman Strategic Group and as creator of the 6 Pillars to Be(coming) a Happy Rainmaker framework. She also serves on the board of the National Association of Legal Search Consultants (NALSC) and has previously held board and executive committee roles with the Westfield Chamber of Commerce and Temple Emanu-El of Westfield.

• Professional Involvement

Jennifer Gillman is actively involved in the legal and professional community through her service on the NALSC board and her participation on planning committees for the Women Owned Law Symposium and the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL) Annual Meeting. Her involvement reflects her commitment to advancing career development and leadership opportunities within the legal profession.

• Experience

Jennifer Gillman brings over 20 years of experience spanning legal practice and recruiting, including more than a decade as a practicing attorney and another decade in full-service legal recruiting. Through Gillman Strategic Group, she works closely with partners and solo practitioners to identify their priorities, refine their career strategies, and secure positions at firms that align with their professional and personal goals. Her approach emphasizes long-term success and satisfaction, helping lawyers build sustainable and fulfilling careers.

SESSION 1 – Negotiation, Career Strategy & Compensation Growth | 1:00pm – 1:40pm

This session explains law firm compensation as a business system tied to revenue, roles, clients, and markets. It covers compensation structures, practice economics, negotiation preparation, ethical considerations, and strategies to build leverage through revenue control, client development, and forward-looking planning.

BREAK | 1:40pm – 1:50pm

SESSION 2 – Beyond Your Firm: Compensation, Value, and the Lateral Market | 1:50pm – 3:20pm

This session examines how compensation varies across law firms and what drives earning potential. It covers internal versus market value, lateral hiring criteria, compensation structures, and how to assess whether to stay or move to improve positioning.