Let's talk about Atlanta! Forum

[Anonymous User]

As for compensation, they both start at ATL market. I believe A&B has more salary compression as you advance but don't have firsthand knowledge.

What is salary compression?

The lockstep is smaller, for example normal firm might be 145, 165, 195. After the compression, it might look like 145, 155, 175. Even though both firms start at 145.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know the incoming SA class size of KS, AB and TS (ATL office)?

[Anonymous User]

any ATL guys?

[Anonymous User]

any ATL guys?

Yep

[Anonymous User]

any ATL guys?

Yep

Do you have any information on incoming SA class size of KS, AB and TS? Thanks.

[Anonymous User]

any ATL guys?

Yep

Do you have any information on incoming SA class size of KS, AB and TS? Thanks.

Not that anon, but I think KS is about 10.

[Anonymous User]

any ATL guys?

Yep

Do you have any information on incoming SA class size of KS, AB and TS? Thanks.

Not that anon, but my friend told me TS is about 20, which is surprisingly large.

[BruceWayne]

Piggybacking off of the previous anon post I have seen/heard that the Atlanta market is FINALLY improving. Class sizes are moving past the atrociously small sizes of the past few years and I'm even seeing entry level (i.e. 3L) postings. Don't get me wrong it isn't 2006 again when 60 people where getting SA positions at the K&S/AB tier alone but it's improving. Honestly I might even go so far as to estimate that next year will be even better because they've been hiring a pitiful amount of people the last few years. They're going to have to catch up a bit IMO. Who knows though.


Let this be a good example of me posting good news about the market--I go with reality--whether it's good or bad. Kinda tired of 0Ls getting butthurt at hearing what the market is really like and claiming that I'm a so called "doom and gloom" poster.

[MyNameIsFlynn!]

Piggybacking off of the previous anon post I have seen/heard that the Atlanta market is FINALLY improving. Class sizes are moving past the atrociously small sizes of the past few years and I'm even seeing entry level (i.e. 3L) postings. Don't get me wrong it isn't 2006 again when 60 people where getting SA positions at the K&S/AB tier alone but it's improving. Honestly I might even go so far as to estimate that next year will be even better because they've been hiring a pitiful amount of people the last few years. They're going to have to catch up a bit IMO. Who knows though.


Let this be a good example of me posting good news about the market--I go with reality--whether it's good or bad. Kinda tired of 0Ls getting butthurt at hearting what the market is really like and claiming that I'm a so called "doom and gloom" poster.

I'll play the role of doom and gloom poster. By contrast, you'll sound incredibly optimistic.

Sure, things are improving, but the market is still atrocious. Figure KS takes 10, Troutman takes 20, AB takes 30 (I'm pulling that last number out of my ass), MLA takes a couple, JD, PH, Sutherland, etc etc. You might have 100 market paying (135k+) gigs in the entire city, and then maybe 100 more between mid-market firms like MMM, AGG, etc. Sure, that sounds promising, but the market is grossly oversatured. Just among in-state students, Emory is graduating 300 a year, UGA is 225, GSU is 200, plus you're competing with the top of Mercer / JM. Lots of Bama/UF/UNC people also have ties to Atl, then throw in a significant number of Vandy, Duke, UVA, HYS, and random other T14s with ties to Atlanta (it turns out there are lots of T14 people with ties to Atl) and you've got a couple thousand people with decent resumes and plausible ties to Atl/the Southeast competing for two hundred jobs.

My point is the market recovery is not really meaningful from an applicant's perspective. It has recovered nowhere near the same as many other major cities, e.g. a lot of NYC law firms now have classes the size of the entire Atl BigLaw market. It remains foolish to plan one's legal career around, or really to hope for, getting Atl Big/MidLaw.

[BruceWayne]

Piggybacking off of the previous anon post I have seen/heard that the Atlanta market is FINALLY improving. Class sizes are moving past the atrociously small sizes of the past few years and I'm even seeing entry level (i.e. 3L) postings. Don't get me wrong it isn't 2006 again when 60 people where getting SA positions at the K&S/AB tier alone but it's improving. Honestly I might even go so far as to estimate that next year will be even better because they've been hiring a pitiful amount of people the last few years. They're going to have to catch up a bit IMO. Who knows though.


Let this be a good example of me posting good news about the market--I go with reality--whether it's good or bad. Kinda tired of 0Ls getting butthurt at hearting what the market is really like and claiming that I'm a so called "doom and gloom" poster.

I'll play the role of doom and gloom poster. By contrast, you'll sound incredibly optimistic.

Sure, things are improving, but the market is still atrocious. Figure KS takes 10, Troutman takes 20, AB takes 30 (I'm pulling that last number out of my ass), MLA takes a couple, JD, PH, Sutherland, etc etc. You might have 100 market paying (135k+) gigs in the entire city, and then maybe 100 more between mid-market firms like MMM, AGG, etc. Sure, that sounds promising, but the market is grossly oversatured. Just among in-state students, Emory is graduating 300 a year, UGA is 225, GSU is 200, plus you're competing with the top of Mercer / JM. Lots of Bama/UF/UNC people also have ties to Atl, then throw in a significant number of Vandy, Duke, UVA, HYS, and random other T14s with ties to Atlanta (it turns out there are lots of T14 people with ties to Atl) and you've got a couple thousand people with decent resumes and plausible ties to Atl/the Southeast competing for two hundred jobs.

My point is the market recovery is not really meaningful from an applicant's perspective. It has recovered nowhere near the same as many other major cities, e.g. a lot of NYC law firms now have classes the size of the entire Atl BigLaw market. It remains foolish to plan one's legal career around, or really to hope for, getting Atl Big/MidLaw.

Lol yeah that all sounds about right. But at least it's better than it has been the past few years lol.

I will say that you do bring up something that isn't mentioned enough. A LOT of people from the top 14 have ATL ties (especially the one's at UVA and Duke). So the market has more people with top stats applying than many on TLS think. I actually don't think the quality of applicants is all that different from the more commonly discussed TLS markets (NYC, Cali, DC).

[Anonymous User]

Just read FBD thread
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=243152

Is ATL mid-level compensation as bad as twin city? Can a third year associate make 160K in ATL?

[Omerta]

can anybody comment on the culture of King & Spalding v. Alston & Bird? Or the perception of their predominate practice groups, compensation, etc... How are both perceived in Atlanta? How are they both perceived in NYC?

No real differences on a firm-wide basis; you're splitting hairs. People say that K&S is more intense hours-wise and more formal, but I really don't think there's a difference in practice. The associates I know at both firms are billing a lot, and their QOL depends on which partners they work for, not whether they're at A&B or K&S. Both firms have practice groups that are known to be very hard on associates, but it's more of a practice group thing. For example, I have a friend at A&B. He really enjoys working there, but other associates in the same group and same sub-specialty are super miserable because they work for an insane partner. (Moral of this story: do your diligence on who you're going to work for).

Both firms have roughly equivalent perceptions among lawyers and non-lawyers are well-regarded in ATL. Can't say anything about NY impressions. My personal impression is that I wasn't very impressed with their work product (I'm a clerk). It wasn't horrible, but I wouldn't pay the rates they charge if that's what I got.

As for practice groups, they're generally highly-regarded and differentiated only in terms of who their client base is. For example, K&S does more debtor-side bankruptcy work while A&B does more creditor-side stuff. K&S has a phenomenal products liability group, but A&B is much better for privacy and data breach litigation. K&S probably wins on leveraged finance, and A&B has a slightly stronger M&A team. I think trying to compare them for "quality" is a waste of time; it's more about sub-specialties that I doubt someone could make a meaningful/informed decision unless you are really into a specific field of law.

As for compensation, they both start at ATL market. I believe A&B has more salary compression as you advance but don't have firsthand knowledge.

Pretty much confirmed what I have heard: KS is a sweat shop. Do u know anything about Troutman? I know it is not as prestigious (or compensation) as KS or AB, but I heard there is a good life work balance over there.

I'd say they're both sweat shops haha. Troutman is kinda a weird outlier. I've heard it's more congenial and run like a traditional law firm (ie, not as lean and mean). This is both good (better work-life balance) and bad (IMO, firms like TS are most prone to market pressure/not as forward thinking as other "good but not incredible" law firms in terms of its future place in the market). The two people I know at Troutman really like it there.

Piggybacking off of the previous anon post I have seen/heard that the Atlanta market is FINALLY improving. Class sizes are moving past the atrociously small sizes of the past few years and I'm even seeing entry level (i.e. 3L) postings. Don't get me wrong it isn't 2006 again when 60 people where getting SA positions at the K&S/AB tier alone but it's improving. Honestly I might even go so far as to estimate that next year will be even better because they've been hiring a pitiful amount of people the last few years. They're going to have to catch up a bit IMO. Who knows though.


Let this be a good example of me posting good news about the market--I go with reality--whether it's good or bad. Kinda tired of 0Ls getting butthurt at hearing what the market is really like and claiming that I'm a so called "doom and gloom" poster.

Piggybacking off of the previous anon post I have seen/heard that the Atlanta market is FINALLY improving. Class sizes are moving past the atrociously small sizes of the past few years and I'm even seeing entry level (i.e. 3L) postings. Don't get me wrong it isn't 2006 again when 60 people where getting SA positions at the K&S/AB tier alone but it's improving. Honestly I might even go so far as to estimate that next year will be even better because they've been hiring a pitiful amount of people the last

Piggybacking off of the previous anon post I have seen/heard that the Atlanta market is FINALLY improving. Class sizes are moving past the atrociously small sizes of the past few years and I'm even seeing entry level (i.e. 3L) postings. Don't get me wrong it isn't 2006 again when 60 people where getting SA positions at the K&S/AB tier alone but it's improving. Honestly I might even go so far as to estimate that next year will be even better because they've been hiring a pitiful amount of people the last few years. They're going to have to catch up a bit IMO. Who knows though.


Let this be a good example of me posting good news about the market--I go with reality--whether it's good or bad. Kinda tired of 0Ls getting butthurt at hearting what the market is really like and claiming that I'm a so called "doom and gloom" poster.

I'll play the role of doom and gloom poster. By contrast, you'll sound incredibly optimistic.

Sure, things are improving, but the market is still atrocious. Figure KS takes 10, Troutman takes 20, AB takes 30 (I'm pulling that last number out of my ass), MLA takes a couple, JD, PH, Sutherland, etc etc. You might have 100 market paying (135k+) gigs in the entire city, and then maybe 100 more between mid-market firms like MMM, AGG, etc. Sure, that sounds promising, but the market is grossly oversatured. Just among in-state students, Emory is graduating 300 a year, UGA is 225, GSU is 200, plus you're competing with the top of Mercer / JM. Lots of Bama/UF/UNC people also have ties to Atl, then throw in a significant number of Vandy, Duke, UVA, HYS, and random other T14s with ties to Atlanta (it turns out there are lots of T14 people with ties to Atl) and you've got a couple thousand people with decent resumes and plausible ties to Atl/the Southeast competing for two hundred jobs.

My point is the market recovery is not really meaningful from an applicant's perspective. It has recovered nowhere near the same as many other major cities, e.g. a lot of NYC law firms now have classes the size of the entire Atl BigLaw market. It remains foolish to plan one's legal career around, or really to hope for, getting Atl Big/MidLaw.

few years. They're going to have to catch up a bit IMO. Who knows though.


Let this be a good example of me posting good news about the market--I go with reality--whether it's good or bad. Kinda tired of 0Ls getting butthurt at hearing what the market is really like and claiming that I'm a so called "doom and gloom" poster.

I'll throw my perspective in here. I'm the poster who started this thread nearly 4 years ago. I can say that the market is a zillion times better than it used to be. There are quite a few entry-level corporate postings going up.

The main difference that I'd note is a structural change to the marketplace. In the heady days of the real estate boom, I think ATL was treated as a secondary market that bordered on a primary market. The past few years have pretty clearly demonstrated that view isn't really warranted (for example, Paul Hasting charges NY rates in ATL--anyone wonder why their office here shrunk over 50%?).

I don't think ATL biglaw will ever go back to the way it was during the boom. Rather, I see midlaw firms as the primary force in the market with a few big boys on top.

IME (clerk looking for a spot in ATL), hiring activity at market or over market paying firms is about the same--maybe a bit better. The real difference is in firms that pay 10-25k below market. Seems like lots of firms that are solidly in the midlaw category are busy and getting busier, and "lower midlaw" or whatever you'd like to call firms that pay $90k or more appears to be growing.

For people who are biglaw or bust, I think it's pretty dire. But for people like me who would much rather work at a lit boutique or midlaw firm, things are definitely looking up. (Sidenote: except for the few blockbuster cases, I don't really think there's much of a difference in the work either. Sure, K&S might have a huge case or two, but the work K&S does and MMM/AGG/PHRD/Polsinelli/Stites/a bunch of other firms are probably 80% interchangeable).

I wouldn't stress too much about the salary or compare ATL to NY. It's so different I don't really get why people do it; the market and lifestyle aren't remotely similar. Maybe I'm cheap but I feel like I live like a king on $70k (and I put nearly 20% of my post-tax salary towards my student loans this year). If you can't live comfortably on $90k a year in ATL, then you either have massive student loans or need a lifestyle adjustment.

One final thought. The division between biglaw and midlaw ITT is completely arbitrary. For example, two firms that people have labeled as "midlaw" in the past few pages pay the same or more than K&S/A+B/Kilpatrick when you account for bonuses and compensation other than base salary.

[Anonymous User]

can anybody comment on the culture of King & Spalding v. Alston & Bird? Or the perception of their predominate practice groups, compensation, etc... How are both perceived in Atlanta? How are they both perceived in NYC?

No real differences on a firm-wide basis; you're splitting hairs. People say that K&S is more intense hours-wise and more formal, but I really don't think there's a difference in practice. The associates I know at both firms are billing a lot, and their QOL depends on which partners they work for, not whether they're at A&B or K&S. Both firms have practice groups that are known to be very hard on associates, but it's more of a practice group thing. For example, I have a friend at A&B. He really enjoys working there, but other associates in the same group and same sub-specialty are super miserable because they work for an insane partner. (Moral of this story: do your diligence on who you're going to work for).

Both firms have roughly equivalent perceptions among lawyers and non-lawyers are well-regarded in ATL. Can't say anything about NY impressions. My personal impression is that I wasn't very impressed with their work product (I'm a clerk). It wasn't horrible, but I wouldn't pay the rates they charge if that's what I got.

As for practice groups, they're generally highly-regarded and differentiated only in terms of who their client base is. For example, K&S does more debtor-side bankruptcy work while A&B does more creditor-side stuff. K&S has a phenomenal products liability group, but A&B is much better for privacy and data breach litigation. K&S probably wins on leveraged finance, and A&B has a slightly stronger M&A team. I think trying to compare them for "quality" is a waste of time; it's more about sub-specialties that I doubt someone could make a meaningful/informed decision unless you are really into a specific field of law.

As for compensation, they both start at ATL market. I believe A&B has more salary compression as you advance but don't have firsthand knowledge.

Pretty much confirmed what I have heard: KS is a sweat shop. Do u know anything about Troutman? I know it is not as prestigious (or compensation) as KS or AB, but I heard there is a good life work balance over there.

I'd say they're both sweat shops haha. Troutman is kinda a weird outlier. I've heard it's more congenial and run like a traditional law firm (ie, not as lean and mean). This is both good (better work-life balance) and bad (IMO, firms like TS are most prone to market pressure/not as forward thinking as other "good but not incredible" law firms in terms of its future place in the market). The two people I know at Troutman really like it there.

Piggybacking off of the previous anon post I have seen/heard that the Atlanta market is FINALLY improving. Class sizes are moving past the atrociously small sizes of the past few years and I'm even seeing entry level (i.e. 3L) postings. Don't get me wrong it isn't 2006 again when 60 people where getting SA positions at the K&S/AB tier alone but it's improving. Honestly I might even go so far as to estimate that next year will be even better because they've been hiring a pitiful amount of people the last few years. They're going to have to catch up a bit IMO. Who knows though.


Let this be a good example of me posting good news about the market--I go with reality--whether it's good or bad. Kinda tired of 0Ls getting butthurt at hearing what the market is really like and claiming that I'm a so called "doom and gloom" poster.

Piggybacking off of the previous anon post I have seen/heard that the Atlanta market is FINALLY improving. Class sizes are moving past the atrociously small sizes of the past few years and I'm even seeing entry level (i.e. 3L) postings. Don't get me wrong it isn't 2006 again when 60 people where getting SA positions at the K&S/AB tier alone but it's improving. Honestly I might even go so far as to estimate that next year will be even better because they've been hiring a pitiful amount of people the last

Piggybacking off of the previous anon post I have seen/heard that the Atlanta market is FINALLY improving. Class sizes are moving past the atrociously small sizes of the past few years and I'm even seeing entry level (i.e. 3L) postings. Don't get me wrong it isn't 2006 again when 60 people where getting SA positions at the K&S/AB tier alone but it's improving. Honestly I might even go so far as to estimate that next year will be even better because they've been hiring a pitiful amount of people the last few years. They're going to have to catch up a bit IMO. Who knows though.


Let this be a good example of me posting good news about the market--I go with reality--whether it's good or bad. Kinda tired of 0Ls getting butthurt at hearting what the market is really like and claiming that I'm a so called "doom and gloom" poster.

I'll play the role of doom and gloom poster. By contrast, you'll sound incredibly optimistic.

Sure, things are improving, but the market is still atrocious. Figure KS takes 10, Troutman takes 20, AB takes 30 (I'm pulling that last number out of my ass), MLA takes a couple, JD, PH, Sutherland, etc etc. You might have 100 market paying (135k+) gigs in the entire city, and then maybe 100 more between mid-market firms like MMM, AGG, etc. Sure, that sounds promising, but the market is grossly oversatured. Just among in-state students, Emory is graduating 300 a year, UGA is 225, GSU is 200, plus you're competing with the top of Mercer / JM. Lots of Bama/UF/UNC people also have ties to Atl, then throw in a significant number of Vandy, Duke, UVA, HYS, and random other T14s with ties to Atlanta (it turns out there are lots of T14 people with ties to Atl) and you've got a couple thousand people with decent resumes and plausible ties to Atl/the Southeast competing for two hundred jobs.

My point is the market recovery is not really meaningful from an applicant's perspective. It has recovered nowhere near the same as many other major cities, e.g. a lot of NYC law firms now have classes the size of the entire Atl BigLaw market. It remains foolish to plan one's legal career around, or really to hope for, getting Atl Big/MidLaw.

few years. They're going to have to catch up a bit IMO. Who knows though.


Let this be a good example of me posting good news about the market--I go with reality--whether it's good or bad. Kinda tired of 0Ls getting butthurt at hearing what the market is really like and claiming that I'm a so called "doom and gloom" poster.

I'll throw my perspective in here. I'm the poster who started this thread nearly 4 years ago. I can say that the market is a zillion times better than it used to be. There are quite a few entry-level corporate postings going up.

The main difference that I'd note is a structural change to the marketplace. In the heady days of the real estate boom, I think ATL was treated as a secondary market that bordered on a primary market. The past few years have pretty clearly demonstrated that view isn't really warranted (for example, Paul Hasting charges NY rates in ATL--anyone wonder why their office here shrunk over 50%?).

I don't think ATL biglaw will ever go back to the way it was during the boom. Rather, I see midlaw firms as the primary force in the market with a few big boys on top.

IME (clerk looking for a spot in ATL), hiring activity at market or over market paying firms is about the same--maybe a bit better. The real difference is in firms that pay 10-25k below market. Seems like lots of firms that are solidly in the midlaw category are busy and getting busier, and "lower midlaw" or whatever you'd like to call firms that pay $90k or more appears to be growing.

For people who are biglaw or bust, I think it's pretty dire. But for people like me who would much rather work at a lit boutique or midlaw firm, things are definitely looking up. (Sidenote: except for the few blockbuster cases, I don't really think there's much of a difference in the work either. Sure, K&S might have a huge case or two, but the work K&S does and MMM/AGG/PHRD/Polsinelli/Stites/a bunch of other firms are probably 80% interchangeable).

I wouldn't stress too much about the salary or compare ATL to NY. It's so different I don't really get why people do it; the market and lifestyle aren't remotely similar. Maybe I'm cheap but I feel like I live like a king on $70k (and I put nearly 20% of my post-tax salary towards my student loans this year). If you can't live comfortably on $90k a year in ATL, then you either have massive student loans or need a lifestyle adjustment.

One final thought. The division between biglaw and midlaw ITT is completely arbitrary. For example, two firms that people have labeled as "midlaw" in the past few pages pay the same or more than K&S/A+B/Kilpatrick when you account for bonuses and compensation other than base salary.

great post, thank you.

[Anonymous User]

Looking for info on McCalla Raymer.
Pending interview with the firm at the main branch in Atlanta (Roswell). I have researched the firm and have come across a few negative articles regarding their eviction practice etc. Interesting stuff but I didn't find out what I wanted to know.

I am looking for any information on any of the McCalla branches hoping that info may correlate with the home office.

I am looking for 1. starting salary 2. whether they are on a lockstep system 3. number of attorneys nationwide 4. partner track 5. billable hours 6. anything else any TLS'ers may deem worthy of mentioning.

I know this information might not be available to the general public but I wanted to see if anyone had any old connections to McCalla. I like to go into interviews with this information already committed to memory. I know these are all good questions to ask in the interview so I will just get the info then if need be.

Anon because not sure if I am the only interviewer or not.


P.S Is the firm large enough to be called midlaw or nah?

[Anonymous User]

Looking for info on McCalla Raymer.
Pending interview with the firm at the main branch in Atlanta (Roswell). I have researched the firm and have come across a few negative articles regarding their eviction practice etc. Interesting stuff but I didn't find out what I wanted to know.

I am looking for any information on any of the McCalla branches hoping that info may correlate with the home office.

I am looking for 1. starting salary 2. whether they are on a lockstep system 3. number of attorneys nationwide 4. partner track 5. billable hours 6. anything else any TLS'ers may deem worthy of mentioning.

I know this information might not be available to the general public but I wanted to see if anyone had any old connections to McCalla. I like to go into interviews with this information already committed to memory. I know these are all good questions to ask in the interview so I will just get the info then if need be.

Anon because not sure if I am the only interviewer or not.


P.S Is the firm large enough to be called midlaw or nah?

I doubt firm like this have lockstep system. Some ATL big law don't even do lockstep system.

[Anonymous User]

Hey, haven't really seen this discussed in-depth ITT:

How tough is Atlanta for a AA URM at HYS? Particularly S (really want to move out to the west coast, but I might suck it up for H/Y for a few years). I've been told that the dearth of SLS grads in Atlanta makes it easier to break into the market, because they are "rare." No idea if that's true.

I went to undergrad in Atlanta, btw. I used to work for a big Atlanta firm during undergrad, albeit as a courier/mailroom guy.

[Anonymous User]

Hey, haven't really seen this discussed in-depth ITT:

How tough is Atlanta for a AA URM at HYS? Particularly S (really want to move out to the west coast, but I might suck it up for H/Y for a few years). I've been told that the dearth of SLS grads in Atlanta makes it easier to break into the market, because they are "rare." No idea if that's true.

I went to undergrad in Atlanta, btw. I used to work for a big Atlanta firm during undergrad, albeit as a courier/mailroom guy.

If you are AA at HYS, any market is a piece of cake for you, period.

[Anonymous User]

A Black person from Atlanta who attended Stanford won't have any difficulty whatsoever going to Atlanta. Enjoy that as not many people can say that about their chances at Atlanta biglaw.

[FluffMonster]

If NY salaries go up this year, how long till Atlanta follows suit?

[Anonymous User]

If NY salaries go up this year, how long till Atlanta follows suit?

at least a couple of years

[MyNameIsFlynn!]

If NY salaries go up this year, how long till Atlanta follows suit?

Salaries are a function of supply and demand, as you know. AtL still has a ridiculous oversupply of new grads every year and very few slots. You can figure out the rest

[SplitMyPants]

If NY salaries go up this year, how long till Atlanta follows suit?

Salaries are a function of supply and demand, as you know. AtL still has a ridiculous oversupply of new grads every year and very few slots. You can figure out the rest

Certainly, but it seems a 40% pay increase in NYC relative to Atl, which more than makes up for CoL, would be significant enough to make Atlanta move, too?

[JAYINSD]

If NY salaries go up this year, how long till Atlanta follows suit?

Salaries are a function of supply and demand, as you know. AtL still has a ridiculous oversupply of new grads every year and very few slots. You can figure out the rest

Certainly, but it seems a 40% pay increase in NYC relative to Atl, which more than makes up for CoL, would be significant enough to make Atlanta move, too?

Nah, ATL firms are not really competing with NYC firm in any way. Southern firms are selling the life style lol. If ATL do react that will be a few years (>3years) down the road. The market reacts to NYC first will be SF, LA and DC markets. BTW, NYC won't raise the salary.

[FluffMonster]

Certainly, but it seems a 40% pay increase in NYC relative to Atl, which more than makes up for CoL, would be significant enough to make Atlanta move, too?

Nah, ATL firms are not really competing with NYC firm in any way. Southern firms are selling the life style lol. If ATL do react that will be a few years (>3years) down the road. The market reacts to NYC first will be SF, LA and DC markets. BTW, NYC won't raise the salary.

Idk. I'd say candidates that are undecided as to location or teetering on the edge may choose NY over ATL. It certainly changes my calculations, and I'd imagine that other people feel similarly.

[JAYINSD]

Certainly, but it seems a 40% pay increase in NYC relative to Atl, which more than makes up for CoL, would be significant enough to make Atlanta move, too?

Nah, ATL firms are not really competing with NYC firm in any way. Southern firms are selling the life style lol. If ATL do react that will be a few years (>3years) down the road. The market reacts to NYC first will be SF, LA and DC markets. BTW, NYC won't raise the salary.

Idk. I'd say candidates that are undecided as to location or teetering on the edge may choose NY over ATL. It certainly changes my calculations, and I'd imagine that other people feel similarly.

Last time when NYC went to 160, it took ATL 4 or 5 years to react, and it merely goes up to 145/135. Big ATL firms like AB and KS are not particularly well known for their generosity to their associates.