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Is being asked to go on secondment a sign that your firm doesn’t really value you? I’m not saying they think you are terrible or there is anything wrong with you, but it seems like you’re not one of their top associates if they’re willing to farm you out to a client.

That being said, I’m going to enjoy the well-paid vacation.

haven't gone on one, but the fact they are putting you with a client is likely a good thing. A firm wouldn't want to ruin a relationship with a paying client by giving them someone who sucks. The client is more valuable than you, so if they were trying to push you out the door a swift kick to the ass would have occurred rather than pushing you aside.

I did one. Your firm is paying your salary so it doesn't make sense for them to pay a shitty attorney. Mine was boring but it was an easy 9 to 5 and I lifted weights every day at the gym next to my secondment for 1 to 1.5 hours at lunch. You are lucky. You will also get access to other firms if you do litigation.

Anonymous User wrote:I did one. Your firm is paying your salary so it doesn't make sense for them to pay a shitty attorney. Mine was boring but it was an easy 9 to 5 and I lifted weights every day at the gym next to my secondment for 1 to 1.5 hours at lunch. You are lucky. You will also get access to other firms if you do litigation.

How did you handle vacations? Did you take any?

Anonymous User wrote:I did one. Your firm is paying your salary so it doesn't make sense for them to pay a shitty attorney. Mine was boring but it was an easy 9 to 5 and I lifted weights every day at the gym next to my secondment for 1 to 1.5 hours at lunch. You are lucky. You will also get access to other firms if you do litigation.

How did you handle vacations? Did you take any?

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:I did one. Your firm is paying your salary so it doesn't make sense for them to pay a shitty attorney. Mine was boring but it was an easy 9 to 5 and I lifted weights every day at the gym next to my secondment for 1 to 1.5 hours at lunch. You are lucky. You will also get access to other firms if you do litigation.

How did you handle vacations? Did you take any?

Yes. There was a holiday on a monday so the office was closed and then I took Tuesday through Friday off.

What year were you? It seems people take them at my firms pretty often from 2nd year up. I'd love one.

Anonymous User wrote:What year were you? It seems people take them at my firms pretty often from 2nd year up. I'd love one.

No OP but I am about to start one as a third soon to be fourth year.

Some firms are very secondment heavy. I was at a V10 and about 2/3 of the practice group went on secondment at some point. Some of these were exiting the associate to an in-house position, and sometimes the associate wanted/asked for this. It is sometimes thought of as an associate development. Also some of the secondment agreements with clients are lucrative for the firm. Also sometimes the secondments are recurring with clients.

Anonymous User wrote:Some firms are very secondment heavy. I was at a V10 and about 2/3 of the practice group went on secondment at some point. Some of these were exiting the associate to an in-house position, and sometimes the associate wanted/asked for this. It is sometimes thought of as an associate development. Also some of the secondment agreements with clients are lucrative for the firm. Also sometimes the secondments are recurring with clients.

I would love to do a secondment, but isn’t it a little bold to ask for one? I would think that’s a red flag to the firm.

At my firm (NYC v30) the majority of people who go on secondment end up not coming back because they are offered and accept an in house job at the secondment company.

Hutz_and_Goodman wrote:At my firm (NYC v30) the majority of people who go on secondment end up not coming back because they are offered and accept an in house job at the secondment company.

During my secondment interview they straight up asked me if I had any interest in coming in house or if I had ever thought about going in house.

Which reminds me I need to research in house salaries for counsel at private equity firms.

If I was offered a first years' salary and my hours were 9 to 6 with no weekends I would accept on the spot.

I'm a second year at a V10 corporate group (started in Sept '16). I'm thinking of expressing interest in a secondment sometime after the New Year. For those who have done so already, do you think that I'd likely still be too junior? I wouldn't be opposed to waiting another year. Also, how did you ask / express your interest? Are most secondments around 6 months long? Thanks.