What a Founding Partner at VLP Law Group Wishes They Knew Before Entering Law
David, a Founding Partner at VLP Law Group, finds fulfillment in shifting from "working in the business" to "working on the business," focusing on team training and client priorities like cost and timely delivery—aspects many lawyers overlook. This approach allows for a flexible schedule, balancing career success with personal life, unlike the experience of a more junior attorney.
Executive/Leadership, Teamwork, Problem-Solving, Communication, Business Management
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
David Goldenberg
Founding Partner
VLP Law Group
Stanford 1993
Law - JD - Stanford Law School
Philosophy
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing), Law
Entrepreneurship and Business Owner
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. David enjoys the flexibility of his role as Founding Partner, allowing him to balance work and family life, unlike his experience as a junior attorney.
2. He emphasizes the importance of working "on" the business, focusing on team training and quality control, rather than solely "in" the business, delivering services personally.
3. David highlights the significance of client priorities, such as cost and time efficiency, in contrast to a lawyer solely focused on the perfect product, and how he trains his team to balance these factors.
Transcript
What do you enjoy most about being in your current role?
It's interesting, and you hear this from a lot of people who run small businesses, that you don't actually work. There's a distinction I've learned: working in your business versus working on your business.
I spend less time now working in my business and probably at least half my time working on it. This means I'm focused on training my team and improving the quality of the work we deliver. Even if I'm not doing the work myself, I want to ensure the client receives a high-quality product.
For many people, this involves knowing the cost and delivery timeline. Those things are just as important as delivering a perfect product or covering every single detail. Many lawyers aren't naturally good at these aspects of business.
Lawyers are often detail-oriented, strong drafters, and smart, so they are good at working in their business. However, that doesn't automatically mean they prioritize what's important to the client, such as not spending a lot of money on a contract.
I work on getting my team to focus on client priorities. That aspect of running a small business is pretty satisfying. I like having flexibility. Because I'm not the primary client contact, I have a more flexible schedule. This allows me to see my family at night, things I couldn't do as a junior attorney.