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Wilton McDonald II had some special challenges in building up a small legal practice. Hired in November 2006 by a small to mid-sized firm in Grand Cayman as a senior associate, he was charged with bringing in his own work and full responsibility for the Investment Funds Department.

He couldn’t rely on a flourishing client base; billable hours for the department in January of 2007 were 43, total. Add to that challenge a clientele which is not local but global, and a daunting set of competing law firms.

Yet he built a successful business for the firm within two years, and positioned himself to surpass his goal of US$ 2 million in annual billings for the Investment Funds Department, winning him the title of Originate! 2008 Rainmaker of the Year in the category for associates. Our judges were impressed by the intelligence and commitment he brought to it, how well he took control of what he did, and how he challenged himself with rigorous goals by which he measured his progress.

Making it Work

Even though he had full support from his new partners, and the latitude to set a marketing and work program in place, he knew he had some hard work before him. He admits that most lawyers can find this daunting: “In the profession, a lot of people expect to be given work. That’s like little birds waiting to be fed by the mother bird. But that’s not how it works in a small firm. There especially you have to feed yourself.”

As he set his course, he knew he needed four things to be successful. Let’s look at what he did...

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