Which NY firms have the most "pull" in Cali? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Assuming you can't break into the CA market right after graduation, which NY BigLaw firms have the most pull to get you into CA a few years down the road? Are there certain firms/tiers of firms in NY that just have more "national prestige" than others in a way that'll get you interviews in CA?

My main concern is that the type of work done in NY is going to be so different than the work done in CA that it'll be next to impossible to make the transition.

Although lateraling across offices is one option, I'm really interested in in-house options.

[LLS2L]

Assuming you can't break into the CA market right after graduation, which NY BigLaw firms have the most pull to get you into CA a few years down the road? Are there certain firms/tiers of firms in NY that just have more "national prestige" than others in a way that'll get you interviews in CA?

Tag. Also interested.

[KM2016]

Firms with large offices on the West Coast. Even if you've never worked with these companies directly, they may have worked with your firm's Cali office(s).

[TheOnePercent]

I'm really interested in in-house options.

Will be firm and practice group specific, no? Need more info re: your target practice area and how compelling of a candidate you are (approximate grades/school/WE).

[Anonymous User]

Huge firms in CA like Gibson Dunn, Quinn Emmanuel, Latham Watkins, Skadden. Then New York elite, S&C/Davis/Cravath/Paul Weiss.

[Anonymous User]

I'm really interested in in-house options.

Will be firm and practice group specific, no? Need more info re: your target practice area and how compelling of a candidate you are (approximate grades/school/WE).

OP Here -

I'm at at a lower T-14, and currently I'm at around 10-20% mark. WE is strong but not extraordinary (worked in non-legal corporate environment for a couple of years). Technically, I'm a good candidate for CA, but since there are few CA firms that actually do OCI here, it can be a little risky to bet on it.

I guess what I'm wondering is whether the practice areas that NY are so popular (e.g. financial services) can be leveraged when you're trying to get, say, into an in-house position at a NorCal Tech firm. My sense is that its an uphill battle since you're not in direct contact with these types of clients, so you'll really have to 1) leverage the reputation of your firm and 2) sell your "transferable skillset."

Which firms really have the "name-brand" to convince an in-house recruiter at a CA Tech firm to look at the guy working on Tax or M&A in NY?

[TheOnePercent]

Huge firms in CA like...Skadden. Then New York elite, S&C/Davis/Cravath/Paul Weiss.

Egregious Skadden trolling.

But seriously, think the above is the quick/dirty answer. Could presumably transfer w/in firm and/or name has sufficient cachet to pivot externally.

But the low-hanging in-house fruit will be client related - so I'd do due diligence if I were you on the client base of the practice group at the NY firms you're targeting (as added insurance).

[sundance95]

Huge firms in CA like Gibson Dunn, Quinn Emmanuel, Latham Watkins, Skadden. Then New York elite, S&C/Davis/Cravath/Paul Weiss.

Yeah, I don't get including Skadden in this list. Would add MoFo.

[Yea All Right]

Paul Hastings and O'Melveny & Myers are big in California, though I don't know about OMM in NY.

[DELG]

abandon hope

[Anonymous User]

Skadden is bigger in LA than in SF.

At least here in LA, Gibson is considered the best of the big national firms with offices out here, followed by Latham/Quinn/O'Melveny, and then followed by everyone else (with Paul Hastings maybe being a notch above because it's a big native LA firm). Munger, Irell, and all of the LA boutiques also get a lot of respect, but they aren't national firms so I didn't include them in this list.

[Anonymous User]

Gibson is considered the best of the big national firms with offices out here

Probably unintentional, but this makes it sound like Gibson isn't an LA based firm.

[Big Dog]

well let's see...maybe try vault or google for firms with large offices in NY and California. (Hint: Latham, Gibson Dunn, OMM, Quinn are four that quickly come to mind.)

[Big Dog]

Technically, I'm a good candidate for CA, but since there are few CA firms that actually do OCI here, it can be a little risky to bet on it.

Do you have any ties to California? If not, LA is your best bet and even that is not a sure thing during OCI. SF/SV is even more difficult without ties or a tech/STEM background.

[Old Gregg]

any firm with a big national name that's decent and that makes you a known quantity. if you're applying from V&E NYC, tough luck. if you're applying from weil gotshal, you have a much better chance.

it's not hard to figure these firms out. they're not necessarily hugely selective (i.e., i'd think wilmerhale NYC would suffice, for instance), but the more national and the more elite, the better.