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Jeff Fialky Ascends to Managing Partner at Bacon Wilson
BY GEORGE O’BRIEN
Iobrien@ BusinessWest.com
t’s called Service at the Pleasure of My Part- ners: Advice to the New Firm Leader.
And as that title might suggest, this book by Patrick McKenna and Brian Burke is intended for those lawyers who have, or soon
will have, the title ‘managing partner’ affixed to their business card.
Jeff Fialky, a partner at Springfield-based Bacon Wilson, bought a copy of the book, which presents content built around real-life issues and questions, several weeks ago, after initial talks with Ken Albano, longtime managing partner at the firm, about passing the torch.
He said he’s read it, marked several passages, and dog-eared several of the pages, an exercise he described as just part of the transition process at the firm, one that should be completed by the spring.
“It’s a good resource to hear from other manag- ing shareholders about coping with some of their challenges — what they encountered and what they had to overcome,” he said of the book.
As he takes the helm at Bacon Wilson, Fialky said he believes the firm is well-positioned for the future. It has what all firms this size — roughly 40 lawyers — are looking for in a solid mix of young lawyers, those at the mid-career stage, and several older, veteran lawyers. It also has an established presence in the region through its main office in Springfield and smaller locations in Westfield, Amherst, Northampton, and Hadley.
“The firm is in a phenomenal place,” he said.
“We’ve been here for 135 years, and we have a solid foundation for the firm to succeed well on into the future — for another 135 years.”
There are challenges, though, especially when it comes to hiring young lawyers and maintaining that mix of talent. Indeed, there are fewer people graduating from law schools, and the competition for those who do is considerable and becoming more intense with each passing year.
“We’ve had significant challenges in retaining and identifying new talent,” he said. “The past few
years have been really difficult to find people; it’s been very competitive, with all forms of employ- ees, be it staff members, legal secretaries, admin- istrative assistants, and lawyers. It’s all about sup- ply and demand.”
Fialky said he is looking forward to leading the firm through these intriguing times and continu- ing a pattern of strong leadership that has enabled Bacon Wilson to continue to grow and expand its presence over the past few decades.
“I’m really excited for the opportunity,” he said.
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