Let's talk in-house salaries Forum

[Anonymous User]

This is an easy one. Are you excited by taking on more responsibility and growing your career? If so, take option two. Do you just want to coast until you hit your FIRE number? Then stick with option one, because you're very likely going to be working more at two and better to stick with devil you know. Equity value is pretty risky if based on 2020 tech valuations so I think you have to take that part with a grain of salt.

Thanks. This is helpful. I mostly want to coast. Am leaning option 1.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone have insight into salaries for in-house middle/lower-middle market PE firms? I'm considering an offer AGC offer from a regional PE shop with about $1 billion in assets under management, and I'm having trouble finding any real benchmarks.

Bumping this - also considering a similar offer. Slightly less AUM but in their raise and will be close to $2bn after that raise if it continues to go as well as it appears.

[Anonymous User]

Cash: ~$290
RSU: ~$250/yr at current value
Total: ~$540
Experience: ~10 yrs
Hours: ~50-60/wk

I have received a bunch of different awards, so my comp is pretty highly variable, within a range of about $500-600/yr.

[Anonymous User]

Cash: ~$290
RSU: ~$250/yr at current value
Total: ~$540
Experience: ~10 yrs
Hours: ~50-60/wk

I have received a bunch of different awards, so my comp is pretty highly variable, within a range of about $500-600/yr.

Where is this and how can i get one of these??

[Anonymous User]

Cash: ~$290
RSU: ~$250/yr at current value
Total: ~$540
Experience: ~10 yrs
Hours: ~50-60/wk

I have received a bunch of different awards, so my comp is pretty highly variable, within a range of about $500-600/yr.

Wow! Would you mind sharing if you're located in a V/HCOL? Also, is this a remote/hybrid/or in-office role?

[Anonymous User]

Cash: ~$290
RSU: ~$250/yr at current value
Total: ~$540
Experience: ~10 yrs
Hours: ~50-60/wk

I have received a bunch of different awards, so my comp is pretty highly variable, within a range of about $500-600/yr.

Wow! Would you mind sharing if you're located in a V/HCOL? Also, is this a remote/hybrid/or in-office role?

What was your practice area?

[Anonymous User]

HCOL. In-office. General (with background in lit).

[AnonRenewablesLawyer]

Adding another data point here.

Sector: Renewable Energy, fully remote
Base Salary: $265k
Bonus: 30% guaranteed, usually exceeded by ~10%
Equity: Substantial option grants on an annual basis, 1 year cliff + 4 year vesting schedule
PTO: Unlimited (actually means unlimited, not like biglaw -- company doesn't even track it)
401k: 6% match vesting immediately
Hours: Roughly 9am to 5:30pm M-F, almost never weekend work
Medical: Fully paid PPO for self, spouse and dependents
Fringe benefits: $50k IVF allowance, 16 week fully paid parental leave, lots of other goodies

Moved in house with 5 years of experience from a top renewable energy firm.

Man, any chance you'd divulge the type of employer in a private message? I'm in the renewables space and most in-house jobs I'm looking at are offering more like $185-$200K base + 20% bonus, but nothing relating to equity and not even close to $250+ base.

Happy to discuss without divulging too much. Feel free to PM me.

[AnonRenewablesLawyer]

Adding another data point here.

Sector: Renewable Energy, fully remote
Base Salary: $265k
Bonus: 30% guaranteed, usually exceeded by ~10%
Equity: Substantial option grants on an annual basis, 1 year cliff + 4 year vesting schedule
PTO: Unlimited (actually means unlimited, not like biglaw -- company doesn't even track it)
401k: 6% match vesting immediately
Hours: Roughly 9am to 5:30pm M-F, almost never weekend work
Medical: Fully paid PPO for self, spouse and dependents
Fringe benefits: $50k IVF allowance, 16 week fully paid parental leave, lots of other goodies

Moved in house with 5 years of experience from a top renewable energy firm.

Man, any chance you'd divulge the type of employer in a private message? I'm in the renewables space and most in-house jobs I'm looking at are offering more like $185-$200K base + 20% bonus, but nothing relating to equity and not even close to $250+ base.

Happy to discuss without divulging too much. Feel free to PM me.

[Anonymous User]

C/o 2015

Cash: 250
Bonus: 40
RSUs: 125 (4 yr vest/ 1 yr cliff); refresher each year
Additional equity that’s part of another plan: 85

25 signing bonus also. Non-FAANG tech, fully remote. The role is essentially product counsel.

[Anonymous User]

These salaries look huge to me. I went in-house late last year in a not quite HCOL major city with a 225k base 25% bonus. Class of 2015. I looked for awhile and this was the best I could find. Job is very close to a 9:00-5:00. M&A/VC background.

[tyroneslothrop1]

Can anyone post their in-house salary for an L&E position?

[Anonymous User]

These salaries look huge to me. I went in-house late last year in a not quite HCOL major city with a 225k base 25% bonus. Class of 2015. I looked for awhile and this was the best I could find. Job is very close to a 9:00-5:00. M&A/VC background.

This is a fine comp structure for 2015 (my year as well) so long as you are getting a decent equity kicker each year. If you all in comp is sub $300, that is one of the lowest I have heard (I am same year as you and have received 2-3 in-house offers over the last year in the $350-450 range).

[Anonymous User]

A couple data points to add:

Last year I was commercial counsel at a F50.
Base: $185
Bonus: 10-15%
Equity: none
Location: NYC (but Covid remote)
Hours: maybe 30/week if I was trying to grind
PTO: 4 weeks

Left for product counsel at a fintech company. This year's comp:
Base: $250
Bonus: none, but annual base raise and equity refreshers
Equity: $175/yr
Location: fully remote or I can go into office as I choose
Hours: a solid 40/hr week.
PTO: unlimited

[Anonymous User]

A couple data points to add:

Last year I was commercial counsel at a F50.
Base: $185
Bonus: 10-15%
Equity: none
Location: NYC (but Covid remote)
Hours: maybe 30/week if I was trying to grind
PTO: 4 weeks

Left for product counsel at a fintech company. This year's comp:
Base: $250
Bonus: none, but annual base raise and equity refreshers
Equity: $175/yr
Location: fully remote or I can go into office as I choose
Hours: a solid 40/hr week.
PTO: unlimited

Holy upgrade batman. How far out of law school are you?

[Anonymous User]

These salaries look huge to me. I went in-house late last year in a not quite HCOL major city with a 225k base 25% bonus. Class of 2015. I looked for awhile and this was the best I could find. Job is very close to a 9:00-5:00. M&A/VC background.

This is a fine comp structure for 2015 (my year as well) so long as you are getting a decent equity kicker each year. If you all in comp is sub $300, that is one of the lowest I have heard (I am same year as you and have received 2-3 in-house offers over the last year in the $350-450 range).

All in is around 280. I was pretty stoked when I got it as that’s the highest I saw. I’m in Chicago, if that changes anything. No equity.

[Anonymous User]

I agree these salaries look huge. Just remember that the sample is self selecting. Your all in compensation is on the higher side of plenty of people I know who did biglaw and then made the jump to in house.

These salaries look huge to me. I went in-house late last year in a not quite HCOL major city with a 225k base 25% bonus. Class of 2015. I looked for awhile and this was the best I could find. Job is very close to a 9:00-5:00. M&A/VC background.

This is a fine comp structure for 2015 (my year as well) so long as you are getting a decent equity kicker each year. If you all in comp is sub $300, that is one of the lowest I have heard (I am same year as you and have received 2-3 in-house offers over the last year in the $350-450 range).

All in is around 280. I was pretty stoked when I got it as that’s the highest I saw. I’m in Chicago, if that changes anything. No equity.

[Anonymous User]

These salaries look huge to me. I went in-house late last year in a not quite HCOL major city with a 225k base 25% bonus. Class of 2015. I looked for awhile and this was the best I could find. Job is very close to a 9:00-5:00. M&A/VC background.

This is a fine comp structure for 2015 (my year as well) so long as you are getting a decent equity kicker each year. If you all in comp is sub $300, that is one of the lowest I have heard (I am same year as you and have received 2-3 in-house offers over the last year in the $350-450 range).

All in is around 280. I was pretty stoked when I got it as that’s the highest I saw. I’m in Chicago, if that changes anything. No equity.

I think being in Chicago must matter because I'm also in a non-NY/SF market, Class of 2015, and 350-450 is like... quite high to me. Maybe we're both just bad at negotiating, but I think the salaries in this thread (and the similar thread in the in-house forum) skew high.

Edit: But also, comparison is the thief of joy, so maybe it's better just to keep away from these threads in any event lol

[Anonymous User]

A couple data points to add:

Last year I was commercial counsel at a F50.
Base: $185
Bonus: 10-15%
Equity: none
Location: NYC (but Covid remote)
Hours: maybe 30/week if I was trying to grind
PTO: 4 weeks

Left for product counsel at a fintech company. This year's comp:
Base: $250
Bonus: none, but annual base raise and equity refreshers
Equity: $175/yr
Location: fully remote or I can go into office as I choose
Hours: a solid 40/hr week.
PTO: unlimited

Holy upgrade batman. How far out of law school are you?

I'm class of 2015. Definitely a huge upgrade, and not sure how more traditional companies can compete when tech offers that kind of comp.

[Anonymous User]

A couple data points to add:

Last year I was commercial counsel at a F50.
Base: $185
Bonus: 10-15%
Equity: none
Location: NYC (but Covid remote)
Hours: maybe 30/week if I was trying to grind
PTO: 4 weeks

Left for product counsel at a fintech company. This year's comp:
Base: $250
Bonus: none, but annual base raise and equity refreshers
Equity: $175/yr
Location: fully remote or I can go into office as I choose
Hours: a solid 40/hr week.
PTO: unlimited

Holy upgrade batman. How far out of law school are you?

I'm class of 2015. Definitely a huge upgrade, and not sure how more traditional companies can compete when tech offers that kind of comp.

I mean...offer more money? Traditional companies are flush with cash and have lots of business execs making $1 million+ a year. The fact that they have been able to get away with paying trash comp to lawyers is a reflection of supply and demand, and now that the supply of lawyers willing to work for them is on the decline, the comp needs to rise. Also, as law firms become more expensive to use, it makes sense to attract more competent people in house so you can control your legal spend.

[Anonymous User]

A couple data points to add:

Last year I was commercial counsel at a F50.
Base: $185
Bonus: 10-15%
Equity: none
Location: NYC (but Covid remote)
Hours: maybe 30/week if I was trying to grind
PTO: 4 weeks

Left for product counsel at a fintech company. This year's comp:
Base: $250
Bonus: none, but annual base raise and equity refreshers
Equity: $175/yr
Location: fully remote or I can go into office as I choose
Hours: a solid 40/hr week.
PTO: unlimited

Little off topic, but was it pretty tough to move from commercial to product counsel? Seems pretty different.

[Anonymous User]

A couple data points to add:

Last year I was commercial counsel at a F50.
Base: $185
Bonus: 10-15%
Equity: none
Location: NYC (but Covid remote)
Hours: maybe 30/week if I was trying to grind
PTO: 4 weeks

Left for product counsel at a fintech company. This year's comp:
Base: $250
Bonus: none, but annual base raise and equity refreshers
Equity: $175/yr
Location: fully remote or I can go into office as I choose
Hours: a solid 40/hr week.
PTO: unlimited

Little off topic, but was it pretty tough to move from commercial to product counsel? Seems pretty different.

OP here. Product counsel experience is hard to get at a firm, but my firm experience was actually pretty relevant, and I worked at a tech company briefly before the F50 job in a role that had some product counsel similarities. So I was able to transition easily and am much better suited for it.

[Anonymous User]

It seems like tech/financial services pay considerably more than other industries. Compare the salaries from the first few posts of this thread to the last few posts.

[Anonymous User]

Litigation counsel at Fortune 500. 6 years' litigation experience at AMLAW100 firm.

Base: $240
Bonus: 25-40%
Equity: none
RSUs: none
401(k): 5%
Location: 100% remote
Hours: 40/week
PTO: 3 weeks

[Anonymous User]

Litigation counsel at Fortune 500. 6 years' litigation experience at AMLAW100 firm.

Base: $240
Bonus: 25-40%
Equity: none
RSUs: none
401(k): 5%
Location: 100% remote
Hours: 40/week
PTO: 3 weeks

This sounds like the holy grail of lit opportunities. Well done!