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I'm interested in international litigation, arbitration, corporate investigations, and white collar. It would be great to transition to Fed Govt down the line. My personal circumstances are that I would prefer to be in SF but might need to move to NY or DC if my SO gets a job there. I know Wilmer and Debevoise are top international arbitration shops but I think I would be happier in SF, even if it means doing less of that kind of work. So I'm leaning OMM but want to make sure (1) I'm not at a significant disadvantage for Fed positions compared to Debevoise and Wimer and (2) I could transition to other DC and NY firms in a few years if needed to (I have ties to DC).

I realize I'm very fortunate to be making this decision and I'm always appreciative of the TLS wisdom given the limited knowledge I have of this whole process and market. Please do comment rather than just vote, if possible.

If you really want to do International Arbitration then Debevoise is the best choice. They are consistently involved in some of the biggest ICSID and commercial arbitrations worldwide. Also, all of their major players are based out of the NY office. Wilmer has some superstars in the field (Gary Born), but none of them are based out of NY - primarily London or DC.

It's basically a decision about SF vs. international arbitration. The most rational choice would probably be to take OMM in SF. You get the certainty that you'll be living in a place you like and working saner hours than NYC. There's no guarantee that you'd be able to work on international arbitration at Debevoise (my understanding from speaking with people there is that demand for the work among associates is really high) or Wilmer (although I should admit that from what they told me during my interview, it does seem like they have a steady stream of work in NYC). And there is absolutely no guarantee that you'll actually like the practice area once you start working. Plus, OMM is well-regarded in DC if you want to transition to fed government at some point.

OP here: thank you for your thoughts. I think I see that, though getting to work on arbitration at Debevoise or Wilmer would not be guaranteed, it would be far less likely at OMM. At bottom, I think I'm trying to understand which doors, apart from arbitration, I'd be closing by joining O'Melveny.