Relative Prestige Between HQ and Regional Offices Forum

[270910]

So let's say, after working BigLaw for 2-5 years, you are looking to lateral to another field, for example government or academia. Would working in HQ, or the most famous office of a firm, give a significant advantage over working at a regional office of the same firm for:

Random Academia placement
Government position in DC
Government position in same city as regional office.

From the responses so far, it seems that you are at no disadvantage, and possibly at an advantage for government or in-house positions in the same metropolitan area as the regional office. But would you be at a disadvantage when trying to move to a new position in a new city, or for academia?

The firm you work at will mean almost nothing for academic placement.

Exit opportunities otherwise have much more to do with practice area/clients than with "prestige" of the firm.

[oscarthegrouch]

Is this a top 10% jerk-off session? Cause beggars can't be choosers, people.

[LurkerNoMore]

This thread is ridiculous. While there are valid reasons for wanting to be at an HQ over a regional office, the "prestige" of the office should not be anywhere near the top.

Things to think about when evaluating what office you'd like to be at:

1. What practice areas does the office specialize in?
Some offices have particular areas of expertise. If this is the case, you want to make sure its a match for what you want to do.

2. How integrated are the firm's offices?
Some firms have a strong hierarchy internally. If you are open to staying long term, this can matter. You don't want to be at an office that gets the scraps.

3. Is the office the product of a merger?
Many firms have grown by taking over other firms. This can lead to distinctly different cultures between offices. It can also create difficult dynamics between them.

4. Where are the clients of the office?
If you are looking at BigLaw as a stepping stone to moving in house, see who the local clients are. Also, check out to see if the office just gets portions of work from other offices.

5. What's the partner/associate ratio?
Some smaller offices have very few partners and lots of associates. That kind of leveraging can keep you from getting substantive work experience. Some smaller offices have close to 1:1 partner/associate ratios. This can be a sign that the firm is planning on growing that office.