Help Me Decide Between Firms Forum

[Anonymous User]

Ok, so I have 3 offers in hand and several CB's scheduled. Offer deadlines are coming up soon so assuming offers at all of the below firms (unrealistic, I know), I'd be curious to get people's thoughts. (1-3 would be preferable...but for any that are automatic no's, please let me know).


A&O / Cadwalader / Jones Day / Cahill / Kaye Scholer / Freshfields / Schulte / Milbank

P.S. - My apologies for use of anon. I hate to do it, but some people on TLS know me, but not my job opportunities, and I'd rather keep it that way.

[rad lulz]

Impossible without knowing where the offices are (I'm assuming NYC) and knowing what you want to do.

[Anonymous User]

Impossible without knowing where the offices are (I'm assuming NYC) and knowing what you want to do.

NYC offices. Corporate work, but not dead-set on any one thing.

[Anonymous User]

You could follow the vault rankings? I really don't know. You have a bunch of peer firms up there with Jones Day standing out as one of the better ones. It really comes down to fit and personal preferences though. If you loved anyone of those and you think you'll be happiest there, there's no reason you shouldn't choose it.

[Anonymous User]

Shameless bump.

I've narrowed it down to A&O / Cahill / Milbank / Jones Day.

Looking for corporate work in NYC. Not sure what particular practice group yet. Capital Markets, various Finance (project, leveraged, etc.), all interest me. Maybe even some more of the general corporate/m&a work.

Any advice to be had?

[Old Gregg]

You should have kept Freshfields and dropped A&O.

Cahill: leveraged finance, high yield bond work
Milbank: leveraged finance, project finance
Jones day: M&A

The most well rounded practice IMO is Milbank, but still not that much M&A going on there.

[Watermelon Man]

Pick Jones Day.

Cahill ranks a close second if you are fixated on capital markets. But if you would like to try a little bit of everything within corporate before you pigeonhole yourself, then Jones Day wins for sure.

[Old Gregg]

Pick Jones Day.

Cahill ranks a close second if you are fixated on capital markets. But if you would like to try a little bit of everything within corporate before you pigeonhole yourself, then Jones Day wins for sure.

I defer to this guy.

[Anonymous User]

Pick Jones Day.

Cahill ranks a close second if you are fixated on capital markets. But if you would like to try a little bit of everything within corporate before you pigeonhole yourself, then Jones Day wins for sure.

I defer to this guy.

Full disclosure, Freshfields was one of the CBs that didn't work out. Otherwise it would have stayed over A&O.

And amused re: deferring to dude above.

Concerned re: exit options at Cahill since it's so specialized. Upside is the better bonuses.

[Old Gregg]

Milbank exits into banks. While the paycut won't be as steep, I question whether the banks aren't as much a revolving door. Im more of the view that you should only exit into something if you can see yourself there for 10+ years, potentially until retirement. But I'm just old fashioned that way.

[Anonymous User]

Worked at Jones Day NY last summer. Incredible place to work, great firm, and I couldn't recommend it more. Exit options look to be very solid (and its one of the reasons I picked the firm). They do a survey each year of firm brand recognition among clients. Last year, Skadden finished 1, and Jones Day finished at 2. What that means is that companies know and recognize the name on a wide scale. Combine that with the insanely high client satisfaction scores the firm gets (BTI conducts a widely-circulated survey on this each year, and I believe we finished 1 multiple times within the past decade), and thats a winning combo when/if you want exit options.

[Anonymous User]

Dropped A&O as suggested. Did 2nd looks at Cahill/Milbank/Jones Day and all 3 must try super hard to put their best foot forward cuz I was impressed across the board.

Aside from compensation/exit options/people, what other factors are people looking at? I'm trying hard to separate these firms out and it's tough because they are very different, but each great in their own way.

[Anonymous User]

Jones Day. Cahill is the sweatiest of sweatshops.

[Anonymous User]

Jones Day. Cahill is the sweatiest of sweatshops.

Doesn't it pay those above-market bonuses to make up for it though?

[Anonymous User]

Milbank is also lockstep which a few at my CB said really adds to the culture of the firm due to lack of competition for specific clients and bonuses. There is also a bit smaller feel there, which I know drew people in from behemoths like Skadden and Latham (five partners came to Milbank from L&W together within last few years).

[Anonymous User]

Are any of the 3 easier to lateral in/out of?

With Cahill paying the big bucks, is it reasonable to go there for that extra 10k or so and then try to jump ship for one of the other two? My impression is that Cahill is harder to get into as a lateral, but nothing but anecdotal evidence to support that.

Does anyone know if any of them do 3L hiring (in case I go to one, realize it's not for me, and then try to do 3L OCI again, or just stay in touch with them and try to get a jerb that way)?

[Anonymous User]

Milbank is also lockstep which a few at my CB said really adds to the culture of the firm due to lack of competition for specific clients and bonuses. There is also a bit smaller feel there, which I know drew people in from behemoths like Skadden and Latham (five partners came to Milbank from L&W together within last few years).

Cahill's bonuses are lockstep as well. Cahill has long hours but I don't think it's significantly more than other firms - certainly not more so than the other firms on this list, namely Jones Day.

[Renne Walker]

FWIW: A 1L SA friend I know at Kaye, she really likes the firm. Never had anything negative to say.

[Anonymous User]

FWIW: A 1L SA friend I know at Kaye, she really likes the firm. Never had anything negative to say.

Kaye, as in Kaye Scholer? I've heard it's a fine place to work, but I'd winnowed them out (for various reasons) some time ago.