<p>Tempus, skills factor in, but they are not the whole story. Working in a hot (busy) practice area (like bankruptcy right now, rather than M&A) and having the ability to socialize, schmooze, impress and thus, win big clients also play roles. It is definitely not enough to simply be a good lawyer, though that is typically (though definitely not always) a factor in one’s financial success in the long term.</p>