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The Experts AmLaw Firms Trust

Retirement & Succession Planning


We help AmLaw firms normalize retirement planning, ensure predictable succession outcomes, and turn partner transitions into opportunities for strengthening client relationships, developing rising talent, and giving back to partners.

86

%

of business leaders believe succession planning is an urgent priority

14

%

believe they will do it well

The Issue That's Costing Law Firms Millions

For attorneys nearing retirement, the transition is complex. Structured planning is crucial to maintaining client trust, preparing future leadership, and preserving firm value. Left unplanned, these challenges can jeopardize your firm's future. The hidden cost? Lost revenue, damaged relationships, and younger partners leaving for competitors who offer clearer advancement paths.

With the right strategy, these challenges become opportunities to secure continuity and strengthen your legacy.

 * Deloitte

The Benefits of Proactive Transition Planning

We develop transition and retirement strategies that safeguard firm legacy, strengthen leadership, and provide long-term stability for clients and colleagues. We deliver outcomes that protect firms and honor the attorneys that dedicated their lives to firm success.

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Retain  Clients

Smooth transitions ensure better client retention. Clients value succession transparency and proactive planning.

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Empower Talent 

Position younger partners for long-term client development and preserve decades of client relationship investment.

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Ensure Advantage 

Differentiate your firm through sophisticated continuity planning.
Attract top talent with clear advancement opportunities.

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Build A Framework

Predictable client transition strategies create structure and ensure advance notice for retirement.

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Normalize Retirement

Foster openness around retirement, ensuring it’s viewed as a respected milestone rather than an avoided topic.

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Reward Dedication

Honor decades of loyalty and contribution by supporting attorneys as they move into retirement.

Our Work

We design programs that help law firms and their attorneys navigate retirement with confidence. Each program addresses the unique challenges of transition — ensuring continuity for the firm and a meaningful next chapter for every attorney.

  • Pinnacle Program
  • Consulting & Workshops

Retirement & Succession, Redefined

 

Pinnacle is our cohort-based partner transition program, built for firms ready to move beyond ad hoc retirement conversations and into thoughtful, structured, firmwide succession planning.

Each cohort participates in a day-long retreat that addresses succession and client transition planning, the fundamentals of identity and purpose after practice, and how to leave the career with integrity and at the top of one's game. The retreat is followed by dedicated, individual deep-dive facilitations led by a certified executive coach, ensuring that each participant develops their own unique personal plan.

Pinnacle is often anchored to a firm's annual retreat and scaled to a cohort of the firm's choosing, with capacity to expand in future years as more partners approach the inflection point.

Explore Pinnacle
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Bringing Structured Succession Planning to Your Partnership

 

Zelinka Parsons works with firm leadership to introduce succession planning to the full partnership before a formal cohort begins. Most engagements start with a conversation with firm leadership to assess our fit with your firm. This meeting is typically followed by a formal proposal and presentation to the firm's executive committee before adoption.

To introduce the topic to the partnership, we offer a one-hour presentation delivered in person by Elizabeth Zelinka Parsons and David Parsons at a partner meeting or retreat, open to all partners approaching transition.

These sessions have proven to be the most effective way to move a partnership from awareness to action, generating the internal momentum firms need to launch their first Pinnacle cohort.

We work directly with firm leadership to design an introduction suited to your culture, timing, and partner population. No two firms are alike, and neither is our approach to bringing this work to yours.

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Zelinka and David Parsons Headshot
WHO WE ARE

Trusted Advisors for Attorneys in Transition

For the past 15 years, Elizabeth Zelinka and David Parsons have empowered intense career professionals to step out of identity-defining careers and into inspiring next chapters. They cover all aspects of retirement and continuity planning that helps attorneys and their firms ensure a successful path forward.

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Testimonials from Accomplished Professionals

“ “ (1)

Elizabeth and David provided invaluable advice to me (and my spouse) as we prepare to enter the next leg of our journey. Our meetings with Elizabeth and David were enjoyable in a beautiful, relaxed setting. But most importantly they provided a unique perspective and manner of thinking about retirement. Their advice ranged from the introspective (very methodically directing discussions about my plans and objectives for retirement) to the practical (e.g., changing over email contacts well in advance).

Partner

AmLaw 10 Firm

“ “ (1)

Elizabeth and David are superb in helping you identify those things that you truly value and love and the range of post-retirement opportunities that could be genuinely fulfilling--and how to utilize your skills and relationships to pursue those opportunities. I left the meetings with a much higher comfort level about how to approach retirement and the opportunities ahead.

Partner

AmLaw 20 Firm

“ “ (1)

I met with Elizabeth and David in late 2019. I had a projected Latham retirement date of June 30, 2021 and a very clear sense that I wanted to continue working in an in-house job after that. My session with David and Elizabeth in Tucson clarified and focused in on the job attributes that I should be seeking, and my own qualities that I should be selling, in my search. They then worked with me on a very specific networking plan intended to provide me with an ever expanding set of connections. They continued to advise me every step of the way, including on positioning myself for every particular opportunity...I had never engaged in such an open-ended, broad-based process, and they were an essential part of it...They were absolutely invaluable throughout, and both have enormous perspective and wisdom. If you are facing a major transition, you should most definitely have Elizabeth and David on your team!"

Partner

AmLaw 20 Firm

“ “ (1)

The retirement planning program developed by David and Elizabeth should be a benefit afforded to everyone as they contemplate that phase of their life. David and Elizabeth are extremely skilled at helping people, individually and then as a couple, explore, develop and refine existing or new ideas for a fulfilling retirement. Then they draw on their complementary skillsets and vast experience in this field to help craft those ideas into a meaningful transition plan. They also offer continued support throughout the implementation phase of that plan, and adapt that support given one’s evolving needs, desires and opportunities. Going through their program will help anyone, regardless of their degree of confidence and self-assuredness, to better know themselves.

Partner

AmLaw 10 Firm

“ “ (1)

I found the program to be an excellent tool for better planning my life post retirement. The personalized, methodical approach used by Elizabeth and David made for both a smart and fun set of conversations, and left me with a solid foundation of considerations to guide me in the future. Importantly, Elizabeth and David are quite knowledgeable about issues applicable to and resources available for retiring professionals in a broad variety of circumstances. Moreover, they invested themselves in getting to know me and constructing a unique program for me, and I found them to be warm and thoughtful."

Partner

AmLaw 20 Firm

“ “ (1)

I have very much enjoyed working with David and Elizabeth on my planning for retirement. I reached out to meet with them even though I am several years from retirement so that I could put some structure around planning for what I hope will be a fulfilling retirement journey after Latham. Our sessions gave me tremendous insight into myself.

Partner

AmLaw 20 Firm

“ “ (1)

I was blown away by how helpful I found the program. Going in, I thought I had a pretty good sense of how I would transition to retirement, but quickly realized how many things are about to change and how those changes would impact every area of life. Elizabeth and David are engaging, entertaining and insightful. Their holistic process touches on everything from what an ideal day would look like, to physical health and wellness, relationships, roles, personal fulfillment, peace of mind, financial freedom and sense of balance. I highly recommend including your spouse. I left after two days with a much greater sense of clarity, purpose and direction, as well as a practical, detailed plan on how to make the most of this exciting next phase.

Partner

AmLaw 20 Firm

Checklist for Firms

Is your firm ready for retirement? Download our checklist to see how prepared your firm is for retirement. 

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