Foley & Lardner LLP Chairman and CEO Daljit Doogal is profiled by Law.com in the article, “How I Made It to Law Firm Leadership: ‘A Successful Firm Leader Has to Learn How to Embrace Change,’ Says Daljit S. Doogal of Foley & Lardner.” In the Q&A, Doogal shares about his background, leadership style, focal areas for 2022, and advice to younger attorneys, among other things.
Doogal, who recently stepped into the role of chairman and CEO, said he wants to “build on the firm’s solid and successful foundation, as well as draw on the inspiration of servant leadership to leave the firm better than I found it. My job is to give others the opportunity to succeed like I was given.” He continued, “I firmly believe that Foley’s people are our greatest asset… We are a dynamic and growing firm that puts our people first and empowers them to bring new and innovative thinking — and I want to listen and learn from them.” Ultimately, Doogal said, “my definition of success for Foley is simple… I want us to be one team acting as leading, strategic partners to our clients.”
When asked about three key elements he wants to focus on for 2022, Doogal responded, “I’m focused on maintaining the firm’s collaborative culture and core values” amid the inflection point we are at in the industry, and said “we are committed to investing more in our people.” He went on to say, “we recently adopted a new strategic plan with client service as one of the main pillars… we want to continue to harness our experience and knowledge by working together and bringing team-based solutions to our clients,” and “we are intently focused on attracting and retaining top talent… while other firms plan for attrition, we plan and provide for our people to build long, successful, and satisfying careers at Foley.”
Doogal also discussed how Foley “operates as one firm” and offers “a number of programs that provide the support needed to do great work every day, including a way for personnel to seek confidential support when struggling with certain life events, an attorney coaching resource that allows for candid conversations around professional and personal goals, and an internal blog where firm members submit personal stories to help remove the stigma surrounding mental wellness issues.”
He advised young lawyers to “always provide excellent legal work, exceed client expectations, be responsive, and get to know a client’s business,” and added “if you make it a point to connect and make personal contact with colleagues, it will pay dividends for your career.”
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