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Help, I'm in a bit of a pickle. I'm trying to choose between an offer from a v10 firm back in a secondary market and an offer between v50 firm in NYC. I applied to the secondary market in my hometown because I wasn't sure at that time. I like my hometown, but I also want to try NYC life. What to do?

how do the billable requirements compare? compensation? Sometimes NYC offices will require a lot more hours than a secondary market office. Things to consider.

Anonymous User wrote:how do the billable requirements compare? compensation? Sometimes NYC offices will require a lot more hours than a secondary market office. Things to consider.

Same compensation; lower cost of living in secondary market; billable requirements are similar.

Take the V10. There is nothing glamorous about NYC life, and being in a V10 firm will more than make up for any disadvantages you might have from working in a secondary market.

Anonymous User wrote:Take the V10. There is nothing glamorous about NYC life, and being in a V10 firm will more than make up for any disadvantages you might have from working in a secondary market.

180. V10 in a secondary market at the same compensation….is the easy choice!

One thing about satellite offices (such as my own) is that you can tell way more easily what practice group you're going to end up in. A 30 person office with 25 cap markets attorneys and 5 tax lawyers means that you're going into cap markets.

What's the status with your V10 offer? If you know what group they'll put you into then that might help you decide

Too little information to decide, imo. But I would lean secondary market if you ever want to get out of new york. Getting out of new york can be harder than it seems I think. Lots of V50 NYC corporate associates in the world.

however Ive heard work is slower in satellite offices (hence lower billable hours), and you are first on the chopping block if necessary.

How large is the V10 office? If it's the firm headquarters (Kirkland Chicago or Latham LA) then you're probably better off going there. If it's a small satellite outpost, make sure the office does the type of work you want to do and try to figure out how the satellite outpost is treated relative to the rest of the firm. As other people have hinted at/mentioned, this question is probably too vague to decide because practice area strengths don't align with Vault rankings. You're anonymous and I highly doubt you're the only person deciding between these two firms. It would be helpful if you just named the firms, their location, and what you want to do. Without that information, you're getting mediocre advice based on imperfect information you provided.

I would use a second look to ask associates about ease of transfer between offices before choosing the secondary market offer. You don't want to pidgeonhole yourself into a smaller market early in your career if you can avoid it, especially if you are going to end up in a particularly niche-y practice group.