Associates in London Forum

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Re: Associates in London

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Aug 03, 2017 8:22 pm

Any anecdotes on how much time is "average" for a move from the US to the UK (once you factor in interviews, visa issues, moving, etc.)?
Would starting to interview 3 months in advance of a move to the UK be a pragmatic timeline?

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Re: Associates in London

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Aug 04, 2017 3:08 am

Do London firms have resources or programs available for US qualified attorneys to become duly qualified solicitors, i.e., a stipend for the Qualifying Lawyers Transfer Scheme?

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Re: Associates in London

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Aug 04, 2017 5:28 am

Anonymous User wrote:Any anecdotes on how much time is "average" for a move from the US to the UK (once you factor in interviews, visa issues, moving, etc.)?
Would starting to interview 3 months in advance of a move to the UK be a pragmatic timeline?
That sounds about right. The visa process generally takes about a month, though I think the UK govt says 6-8 weeks. Most firms will have some sort of relocation package that includes stay in their corporate housing for a few weeks or they will put you up in serviced housing.

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Re: Associates in London

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Aug 04, 2017 5:30 am

Anonymous User wrote:Do London firms have resources or programs available for US qualified attorneys to become duly qualified solicitors, i.e., a stipend for the Qualifying Lawyers Transfer Scheme?
I haven't heard of any firms offering this sort of program, at least in cap markets practices. There just isn't very much overlap that would require UK qualification.

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Re: Associates in London

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Aug 04, 2017 6:00 am

Anonymous User wrote:Do London firms have resources or programs available for US qualified attorneys to become duly qualified solicitors, i.e., a stipend for the Qualifying Lawyers Transfer Scheme?

No. Hey you are not being hired for this if this is your target for aiming london.

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Re: Associates in London

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Aug 04, 2017 3:53 pm

Anonymous User wrote:Do London firms have resources or programs available for US qualified attorneys to become duly qualified solicitors, i.e., a stipend for the Qualifying Lawyers Transfer Scheme?
A Magic Circle firm might pay for your QLTS. At a US firm you'd probably want to hide the fact you were taking it.

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Re: Associates in London

Post by harveyspector2017! » Tue Dec 05, 2017 4:25 pm

Can you send me a PM, too?
Thanks!


Anonymous User wrote:I've recently lateraled back to the US but I spent 3 years working in London, at 2 different US firms, doing mainly cap markets / leveraged finance / high yield.

On COLA: top of the market is around $100k (a few firms used to pay a bit more), but almost everyone is cutting back or getting rid of it entirely. If you're considering London for the future, you should assume your COLA will be minimal.

In general I think recruiters are a better way to apply but you need to find a good one. If you work for a firm with a London office, getting transferred out there is probably the easiest way.

There seems to be a lot of FCPA/investigations work in London, I think that's probably a growing area. US JDs doing international arbitration exist but I think it's quite rare. Some firms have US associates do M&A work or English law cap markets work in their London offices, but it's rare. The most marketable thing you can do is cap mkts / high yield.

London market for associates is not amazing at the moment, that was true even a bit prior to Brexit. Things may pick up but they don't seem to be yet.

Work/life is definitely better than New York, but it could still be terrible depending on where you work. Because groups are small it's very easy to get overwhelmed some of the time, and be twiddling your thumbs at other times. Generally English and European clients are a little more humane, and the work culture of the British and European lawyers rubs off a bit.

Ask any questions in thread or let me know if you want a PM.

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Re: Associates in London

Post by Anonymous User » Wed Dec 06, 2017 3:01 pm

harveyspector2017! wrote:Can you send me a PM, too?
Thanks!
Just sent

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Re: Associates in London

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Dec 08, 2017 12:57 pm

Messaged you.
Anonymous User wrote:
harveyspector2017! wrote:Can you send me a PM, too?
Thanks!
Just sent

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Re: Associates in London

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Jan 30, 2018 11:50 pm

I know this has been discussed in the past.

But does anyone have an up to date guide in regards to landing a job in London as a 3L for post-grad?

Are there specific websites to look at or is it just looking at firm sites specifically? Necessary qualifications, difficulty, etc?

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starchild

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Re: Associates in London

Post by starchild » Thu Jun 14, 2018 11:30 pm

guyonabuffalo wrote:Would also greatly appreciate if any of the anons currently/previously working in London would PM me. I'm trying my damnedest to lateral over (permanently), but it's taking considerably longer than anticipated.
Hey.. any luck on this? Trying to start the lateral process from NYC to London but am trying to figure out where to start. Would appreciate some advice or guidance :)

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Re: Associates in London

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Jun 14, 2018 11:32 pm

Anonymous User wrote:I've recently lateraled back to the US but I spent 3 years working in London, at 2 different US firms, doing mainly cap markets / leveraged finance / high yield.

On COLA: top of the market is around $100k (a few firms used to pay a bit more), but almost everyone is cutting back or getting rid of it entirely. If you're considering London for the future, you should assume your COLA will be minimal.

In general I think recruiters are a better way to apply but you need to find a good one. If you work for a firm with a London office, getting transferred out there is probably the easiest way.

There seems to be a lot of FCPA/investigations work in London, I think that's probably a growing area. US JDs doing international arbitration exist but I think it's quite rare. Some firms have US associates do M&A work or English law cap markets work in their London offices, but it's rare. The most marketable thing you can do is cap mkts / high yield.

London market for associates is not amazing at the moment, that was true even a bit prior to Brexit. Things may pick up but they don't seem to be yet.

Work/life is definitely better than New York, but it could still be terrible depending on where you work. Because groups are small it's very easy to get overwhelmed some of the time, and be twiddling your thumbs at other times. Generally English and European clients are a little more humane, and the work culture of the British and European lawyers rubs off a bit.

Ask any questions in thread or let me know if you want a PM.
PM me? Please and thank you.

guyonabuffalo

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Re: Associates in London

Post by guyonabuffalo » Fri Jun 15, 2018 9:30 am

starchild wrote:
guyonabuffalo wrote:Would also greatly appreciate if any of the anons currently/previously working in London would PM me. I'm trying my damnedest to lateral over (permanently), but it's taking considerably longer than anticipated.
Hey.. any luck on this? Trying to start the lateral process from NYC to London but am trying to figure out where to start. Would appreciate some advice or guidance :)

I did! But I did it in a really weird way that is likely not practical for many people. For fear of outing myself, feel free to PM me with any questions or if you want a bit more information on how I got across the pond.

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Anonymous User
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Re: Associates in London

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Jul 13, 2018 11:55 pm

Has anyone tried getting a mortgage on an associate salary? Interested if anyone can share their experiences (multiple vs. gross salary - do lenders factor in the COLA, etc). Realistically, the places I’d invest in are in the 550-600 GBP range (know London well).

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Yugihoe

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Re: Associates in London

Post by Yugihoe » Sat Jul 14, 2018 11:08 am

Which firms have the highest COL adjustments and relocation packages? Are london offices busier than their nyc counter parts?

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Strangeland

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Re: Associates in London

Post by Strangeland » Sat Aug 18, 2018 3:48 pm

Very interested to hear about someone's experience at the London offices. I'm thinking a specific Magic Circle firm but would love to hear about others as well! Curious about the culture/relationships/satisfaction etc

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thisiswater

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Re: Associates in London

Post by thisiswater » Sat Aug 18, 2018 5:08 pm

Anonymous User wrote:I've recently lateraled back to the US but I spent 3 years working in London, at 2 different US firms, doing mainly cap markets / leveraged finance / high yield.

On COLA: top of the market is around $100k (a few firms used to pay a bit more), but almost everyone is cutting back or getting rid of it entirely. If you're considering London for the future, you should assume your COLA will be minimal.

In general I think recruiters are a better way to apply but you need to find a good one. If you work for a firm with a London office, getting transferred out there is probably the easiest way.

There seems to be a lot of FCPA/investigations work in London, I think that's probably a growing area. US JDs doing international arbitration exist but I think it's quite rare. Some firms have US associates do M&A work or English law cap markets work in their London offices, but it's rare. The most marketable thing you can do is cap mkts / high yield.

London market for associates is not amazing at the moment, that was true even a bit prior to Brexit. Things may pick up but they don't seem to be yet.

Work/life is definitely better than New York, but it could still be terrible depending on where you work. Because groups are small it's very easy to get overwhelmed some of the time, and be twiddling your thumbs at other times. Generally English and European clients are a little more humane, and the work culture of the British and European lawyers rubs off a bit.

Ask any questions in thread or let me know if you want a PM.
Could I get a PM too? I worked in London for a while in a professional job prior to law school and am now hoping to get back.

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