What does a "good" inhouse position look like post Biglaw? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Currently in-house for a large company. Company is in a big city, but not in one of the extremely high COL places. The figures thrown around in this thread are similar to the ones I see. You start out at about 150K with a couple of years of experience plus a good 401K match. Benefits are also better than a majority of Biglaw firms from what I can tell. Hours are reasonable, ~50hrs a week. You get promoted fairly quickly but we don't really give the big bonuses here until you make exec level. Every lawyer makes exec unless they're lazy or incompetent. Within the executive range our salary vary between about 230k and 450K and the bonuses range between nothing and 1.5 million/yr (stock/cash). Then there's the senior executive level. I actually don't know what type of compensation they get but I'm assuming the floor is close to 2 mil and the GC of the company is at least pulling in twice that.

[Anonymous User]

Currently in-house for a large company. Company is in a big city, but not in one of the extremely high COL places. The figures thrown around in this thread are similar to the ones I see. You start out at about 150K with a couple of years of experience plus a good 401K match. Benefits are also better than a majority of Biglaw firms from what I can tell. Hours are reasonable, ~50hrs a week. You get promoted fairly quickly but we don't really give the big bonuses here until you make exec level. Every lawyer makes exec unless they're lazy or incompetent. Within the executive range our salary vary between about 230k and 450K and the bonuses range between nothing and 1.5 million/yr (stock/cash). Then there's the senior executive level. I actually don't know what type of compensation they get but I'm assuming the floor is close to 2 mil and the GC of the company is at least pulling in twice that.

Can you speak to qualifications you see people being hired with? Any common threads or practice areas from firms?

[Anonymous User]

Currently in-house for a large company. Company is in a big city, but not in one of the extremely high COL places. The figures thrown around in this thread are similar to the ones I see. You start out at about 150K with a couple of years of experience plus a good 401K match. Benefits are also better than a majority of Biglaw firms from what I can tell. Hours are reasonable, ~50hrs a week. You get promoted fairly quickly but we don't really give the big bonuses here until you make exec level. Every lawyer makes exec unless they're lazy or incompetent. Within the executive range our salary vary between about 230k and 450K and the bonuses range between nothing and 1.5 million/yr (stock/cash). Then there's the senior executive level. I actually don't know what type of compensation they get but I'm assuming the floor is close to 2 mil and the GC of the company is at least pulling in twice that.

Can you speak to qualifications you see people walking in with?

We've actually been trending younger. Our last two hires (besides me) were IP attorney's, one was 2 years out of law school and worked at V50 firm from CCN. The other person had no firm experience but had worked with the company prior to going to law school at a TT.

[patogordo]

ip transactions or patent prosecutors?

[Anonymous User]

ip transactions or patent prosecutors?

Truthfully, I don't know. I just know they are both engineers and handle IP matters. I'm not an IP attorney and we work in completely different buildings.

[Anonymous User]

Currently in-house for a large company. Company is in a big city, but not in one of the extremely high COL places. The figures thrown around in this thread are similar to the ones I see. You start out at about 150K with a couple of years of experience plus a good 401K match. Benefits are also better than a majority of Biglaw firms from what I can tell. Hours are reasonable, ~50hrs a week. You get promoted fairly quickly but we don't really give the big bonuses here until you make exec level. Every lawyer makes exec unless they're lazy or incompetent. Within the executive range our salary vary between about 230k and 450K and the bonuses range between nothing and 1.5 million/yr (stock/cash). Then there's the senior executive level. I actually don't know what type of compensation they get but I'm assuming the floor is close to 2 mil and the GC of the company is at least pulling in twice that.

These numbers seem high. I have friends in house at Google, Oracle and L3 and they have given me ballpark numbers that are much lower.

[Anonymous User]

Currently in-house for a large company. Company is in a big city, but not in one of the extremely high COL places. The figures thrown around in this thread are similar to the ones I see. You start out at about 150K with a couple of years of experience plus a good 401K match. Benefits are also better than a majority of Biglaw firms from what I can tell. Hours are reasonable, ~50hrs a week. You get promoted fairly quickly but we don't really give the big bonuses here until you make exec level. Every lawyer makes exec unless they're lazy or incompetent. Within the executive range our salary vary between about 230k and 450K and the bonuses range between nothing and 1.5 million/yr (stock/cash). Then there's the senior executive level. I actually don't know what type of compensation they get but I'm assuming the floor is close to 2 mil and the GC of the company is at least pulling in twice that.

These numbers seem high. I have friends in house at Google, Oracle and L3 and they have given me ballpark numbers that are much lower.

You may have a point, my numbers are specifically for my company. I do think my company pays on the higher side esp. when you factor in the lower cost of living. I was actually surprised because truthfully the salary is very similar to Biglaw and you don't have to worry about getting pushed out in 3 years. What numbers are you hearing?

[Old Gregg]

These numbers seem high. I have friends in house at Google, Oracle and L3 and they have given me ballpark numbers that are much lower.

This is correct, but not appreciably lower. And it still varies. Amazon, for example, pays biglaw market.

[Anonymous User]

These numbers seem high. I have friends in house at Google, Oracle and L3 and they have given me ballpark numbers that are much lower.

This is correct, but not appreciably lower. And it still varies. Amazon, for example, pays biglaw market.

Plus bonus?

[Anonymous User]

Currently in-house for a large company. Company is in a big city, but not in one of the extremely high COL places. The figures thrown around in this thread are similar to the ones I see. You start out at about 150K with a couple of years of experience plus a good 401K match. Benefits are also better than a majority of Biglaw firms from what I can tell. Hours are reasonable, ~50hrs a week. You get promoted fairly quickly but we don't really give the big bonuses here until you make exec level. Every lawyer makes exec unless they're lazy or incompetent. Within the executive range our salary vary between about 230k and 450K and the bonuses range between nothing and 1.5 million/yr (stock/cash). Then there's the senior executive level. I actually don't know what type of compensation they get but I'm assuming the floor is close to 2 mil and the GC of the company is at least pulling in twice that.

Is the work very specialized? How is career progression if you want to move inhouse jobs? is it harder/easier than from a law firm? Is that 150 including bonus?

[Anonymous User]

Currently in-house for a large company. Company is in a big city, but not in one of the extremely high COL places. The figures thrown around in this thread are similar to the ones I see. You start out at about 150K with a couple of years of experience plus a good 401K match. Benefits are also better than a majority of Biglaw firms from what I can tell. Hours are reasonable, ~50hrs a week. You get promoted fairly quickly but we don't really give the big bonuses here until you make exec level. Every lawyer makes exec unless they're lazy or incompetent. Within the executive range our salary vary between about 230k and 450K and the bonuses range between nothing and 1.5 million/yr (stock/cash). Then there's the senior executive level. I actually don't know what type of compensation they get but I'm assuming the floor is close to 2 mil and the GC of the company is at least pulling in twice that.

Is the work very specialized? How is career progression if you want to move inhouse jobs? is it harder/easier than from a law firm? Is that 150 including bonus?

1) It depends on the job, but most people move around to various departments. I can't really say much more than this because it would get too close to giving the company away.

2) You have to change positions to make it to the exec level.

3) I've never worked at a law firm besides a couple of summers, but most of my coworkers say the QOL is better.

4) You normally don't get a bonus until you've been here for a while, but even then your bonuses are less than 40K and those are pretty much limited to the top performers. At least until you reach Exec level.

[iplulzer]

Not OP here. Anyone know the salary range of in-house positions? In the SF area or another high-cost of living area? Is $150k typical, and is this an entry-level salary that is likely to scale up? I'd be a bit disappointed if a successful end to this whole ordeal is a $150k job.

I know he lore -- in-house = better quality of life, better colleagues -- but $150k, as an adult probably raising a family at this point? That isn't close to enough money to raise a family comfortably in a high COL city.

Lol.

(I live in a high COL area. If you're struggling to raise a family with $150, even here, you need to reexamine your priorities and take a good look at how you spend money. Or you grew up with a lot of money, are somehow oblivious about it, and have no real conception of how the average person lives. That too deserves some self-examination)

[FSK]

Do in-house attorneys no get paid on the same scale as other F500 middle/upper management types? Everyone I know who gets a bonus in that situation gets a % of base salary, determined annually on performance (Usually between 10% and 25%).

[Anonymous User]

Do in-house attorneys no get paid on the same scale as other F500 middle/upper management types? Everyone I know who gets a bonus in that situation gets a % of base salary, determined annually on performance (Usually between 10% and 25%).

Once again this is specific to my company. But no one in my company gets bonuses like that. The bonuses are set on either an exec plan or high potential plan. Your bonus is a calculation between the level of job you have and your performance and this is static across all job functions including law.

[Anonymous User]

I'm an in-house attorney at a software company. Just as another data point, my bonus is calculated as a percentage of my base salary, adjusted for my performance, how the company performed, etc.

That said, my base is high 5-figures, considerably less than the $150k people were talking about earlier. I'm also not in SF.

[Anonymous User]

Not OP here. Anyone know the salary range of in-house positions? In the SF area or another high-cost of living area? Is $150k typical, and is this an entry-level salary that is likely to scale up? I'd be a bit disappointed if a successful end to this whole ordeal is a $150k job.

I know he lore -- in-house = better quality of life, better colleagues -- but $150k, as an adult probably raising a family at this point? That isn't close to enough money to raise a family comfortably in a high COL city.

Lol.

(I live in a high COL area. If you're struggling to raise a family with $150, even here, you need to reexamine your priorities and take a good look at how you spend money. Or you grew up with a lot of money, are somehow oblivious about it, and have no real conception of how the average person lives. That too deserves some self-examination)

I think you're mistaken. Are you living in Chicago and confused as to what a "high COL area" is? Are you commuting from distant suburbs? Are you saving money for retirement? Raising a family with $150k = $450k mortgage, living mildly comfortable. If you are living a high COL area, raising a family in a 1BR or 2BR apartment (which, if you're lucky, you can find for $450k) sounds sucky. I, for my own life, don't see why I would bother living in a high COL city earning that amount of money. First, I'd be limited to one child. Second, what's the benefit? Move to the middle of the country and earn 50% as much $, and buy a nice 3BR house for $200k with plenty of cash to spare. Obviously, a low COL city has less to offer, but if you can't afford to enjoy what the city has to offer, then what's the point of living in a high COL city?

$150k is top 10%, and less than top 5%--of households--nationwide. (http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012 ... .html?_r=0). Top 10% = lucky -- I am grateful. But when only 28% of Americans hold a bachelor's degree (http://www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/p20-566.pdf), top 10% isn't that great, relatively speaking. When you adjust for COL, and graduating from a top law school, $150k in SF or NYC or DC is somewhat-failing-at-life. Maybe I have the wrong life priorities. Please elaborate on your situation.

[Old Gregg]

$150k in SF or NYC or DC is somewhat-failing-at-life.

dumbass.

[wiseowl]

Not OP here. Anyone know the salary range of in-house positions? In the SF area or another high-cost of living area? Is $150k typical, and is this an entry-level salary that is likely to scale up? I'd be a bit disappointed if a successful end to this whole ordeal is a $150k job.

I know he lore -- in-house = better quality of life, better colleagues -- but $150k, as an adult probably raising a family at this point? That isn't close to enough money to raise a family comfortably in a high COL city.

Lol.

(I live in a high COL area. If you're struggling to raise a family with $150, even here, you need to reexamine your priorities and take a good look at how you spend money. Or you grew up with a lot of money, are somehow oblivious about it, and have no real conception of how the average person lives. That too deserves some self-examination)

[25 year old single K-JD living in a studio whose parents paid for LS]

[Anonymous User]

I've gotten a really good vibe for the position. I am just afraid that it will limit my career prospects for the future.

[jrf12886]

but $150k, as an adult probably raising a family at this point? That isn't close to enough money to raise a family comfortably in a high COL city.

Lol.

[notgreat]

$150k in SF or NYC or DC is somewhat-failing-at-life.

dumbass.

[A. Nony Mouse]

$150k in SF or NYC or DC is somewhat-failing-at-life.

LOL. must be nice to be in a position to feel this way.

[84651846190]

$150k in SF or NYC or DC is somewhat-failing-at-life.

Which prep school did you attend? Are mommy and daddy still paying for all of your expenses?

[Anonymous User]

Currently in-house for a large company. Company is in a big city, but not in one of the extremely high COL places. The figures thrown around in this thread are similar to the ones I see. You start out at about 150K with a couple of years of experience plus a good 401K match. Benefits are also better than a majority of Biglaw firms from what I can tell. Hours are reasonable, ~50hrs a week. You get promoted fairly quickly but we don't really give the big bonuses here until you make exec level. Every lawyer makes exec unless they're lazy or incompetent. Within the executive range our salary vary between about 230k and 450K and the bonuses range between nothing and 1.5 million/yr (stock/cash). Then there's the senior executive level. I actually don't know what type of compensation they get but I'm assuming the floor is close to 2 mil and the GC of the company is at least pulling in twice that.

Do you or anyone else know how attractive a JD/MBA (T10/M10) is to your/similar company(s)?

[Anonymous User]

$150k in SF or NYC or DC is somewhat-failing-at-life.

LOL. must be nice to be in a position to feel this way.

This is hilarious. Even living in Manhattan you can raise a family comfortably on 150k. Yes, you'll have to live in a small apartment and it'll be a while before you can buy your own, your kids will go to public school, you won't have a car, and you won't have a second house, but you'll be just fine. And if you want want any of those things, the easy solution is for your spouse to work so you have another income or move to the suburbs.

And in DC you can actually afford a nice townhouse in a nearby suburb (or a nice house in a more distant suburb) with good schools and a nice car on that income. Most families in high COL areas get by on a lot less.

Edit: Accidentally posted anon.