Pros
One character, one personality, one individual… is all it takes to impact (for better or for worse) an entire firm's path, its team members' careers, its culture, and its reputation.
Cons
In Lippincott's case, it's for the worse. Imagine… A place where a single senior partner can derail your career. Where your role and responsibilities shift on a dime (over and over) because of one individual's latest whim. A place where a leader (a loose term) can be rewarded for a complete lack of any and all management capabilities, emotional intelligence, and leadership skills. Where said leader celebrates their inabilities and boasts of having driven previous companies into the ground. A place where an individual can be put in charge of a practice area, is (directly) the cause of driving multiple strong team members away (from the firm), is removed from that role, and then years later creates the same situation with a different team where even more long-time employees flee. A place where a leader (again, a loose term) can get by using blatant manipulation, condescending language, intimidation tactics, and bullying as everyday behaviors (without consequence). Where these child-like behaviors are (inappropriately and inexcusably) directed at employees of every level (including junior team members) and enabled by other firm leaders. A place where a single individual can erode the culture of the firm to nearly un-fixable levels. Where the tone is set by said individual's (frequent) temper tantrums and the younger employees look like the adults. Spoiler alert… this individual is still at Lippincott. And many, many assets (some of the greatest people) to the firm are not.