Biglaw firms with offices in Connecticut? Forum

[Anonymous User]

As the title states, I'm currently in biglaw in litigation in NYC and am looking to move to CT for personal reasons. Other than Vault, NALP, etc., I was curious if anyone knows of any biglaw firms that have offices in CT - particularly if they pay NYC market (if any?)

Please let me know if you know of any firms in CT that I should look into. Thank you!

[dogger]

Axinn

Though I assume you've seen them already.

Boutique antitrust/IP firm. So maybe hard to get a job if you're not in those fields.

[Anonymous User]

Wiggin and Dana (New Haven) and Robinson and Cole (Hartford) are IIRC the traditional big 2. Day Pitney, Shipman, and Murtha also have pretty good reputations. I don’t know much about Carmody Torrance but I think they are a decent size and I know one brilliant person who went there and seemed very happy.

As of a couple years ago, I don’t think anyone paid NY market, certainly not for anyone but first years.

Source: Clerked in CT, but definitely not an expert.

[Anonymous User]

Bumping this. Anyone know anything about firms in Stamford?

[uvalaw19]

ML has an office in Hartford. Withers Bergman (although not biglaw) has offices in New Haven and Greenwich.

[Anonymous User]

Bracewell Hartford - bankruptcy
Axinn - IP/antitrust (NY rate)

Biggest CT firms:

Robinson & Cole
Day Pitney
Shipman & Goodwin
Wiggin & Dana
Carmody sandak Torrance Hennessey
Pullman & Comley
Murtha Cullina

[Moneytrees]

Bracewell Hartford - bankruptcy
Axinn - IP/antitrust (NY rate)

Biggest CT firms:

Robinson & Cole
Day Pitney
Shipman & Goodwin
Wiggin & Dana
Carmody sandak Torrance Hennessey
Pullman & Comley
Murtha Cullina

Isn't Mcarthur English pretty huge in CT too?

[Anonymous User]

As the title states, I'm currently in biglaw in litigation in NYC and am looking to move to CT for personal reasons. Other than Vault, NALP, etc., I was curious if anyone knows of any biglaw firms that have offices in CT - particularly if they pay NYC market (if any?)

Please let me know if you know of any firms in CT that I should look into. Thank you!

No CT firms pay market. In Hartford, market is probably 130k. In Fairfield County, it is 150k or 160k depending on the firm.

[Lacepiece23]

As the title states, I'm currently in biglaw in litigation in NYC and am looking to move to CT for personal reasons. Other than Vault, NALP, etc., I was curious if anyone knows of any biglaw firms that have offices in CT - particularly if they pay NYC market (if any?)

Please let me know if you know of any firms in CT that I should look into. Thank you!

No CT firms pay market. In Hartford, market is probably 130k. In Fairfield County, it is 150k or 160k depending on the firm.

Doesn’t ML lay market everywhere?

[Anonymous User]

As the title states, I'm currently in biglaw in litigation in NYC and am looking to move to CT for personal reasons. Other than Vault, NALP, etc., I was curious if anyone knows of any biglaw firms that have offices in CT - particularly if they pay NYC market (if any?)

Please let me know if you know of any firms in CT that I should look into. Thank you!

No CT firms pay market. In Hartford, market is probably 130k. In Fairfield County, it is 150k or 160k depending on the firm.

Doesn’t ML lay market everywhere?

What does ML stand for? If that is a big vault firm, then yes, it is possible. I just know that even the biggest CT based firms in Fairfield county only go up to 150k or 160k for 1st years.

[QContinuum]

Doesn’t ML lay market everywhere?

What does ML stand for? If that is a big vault firm, then yes, it is possible. I just know that even the biggest CT based firms in Fairfield county only go up to 150k or 160k for 1st years.

I believe ML stands for Morgan Lewis.

[Anonymous User]

As the title states, I'm currently in biglaw in litigation in NYC and am looking to move to CT for personal reasons. Other than Vault, NALP, etc., I was curious if anyone knows of any biglaw firms that have offices in CT - particularly if they pay NYC market (if any?)

Please let me know if you know of any firms in CT that I should look into. Thank you!

No CT firms pay market. In Hartford, market is probably 130k. In Fairfield County, it is 150k or 160k depending on the firm.

Day Pitney is $140k for first years, and Axinn is at $180k.

[Anonymous User]

As the title states, I'm currently in biglaw in litigation in NYC and am looking to move to CT for personal reasons. Other than Vault, NALP, etc., I was curious if anyone knows of any biglaw firms that have offices in CT - particularly if they pay NYC market (if any?)

Please let me know if you know of any firms in CT that I should look into. Thank you!

No CT firms pay market. In Hartford, market is probably 130k. In Fairfield County, it is 150k or 160k depending on the firm.

Not entirely true - Axinn pays market or close to market (~180), and Bracewell in Hartford pays market (190). I think Morgan Lewis in Hartford is either market or close to market (~180). These jobs are few and far between, and are often in very specialized areas (Bracewell = restructuring; ML = restructuring/finance; Axinn = AT). The CT midlaw firms pay around 120-140; even some of the biglaw guys with small offices pay this in Hartford/Stamford (I think LL or KD pay this or near this). I think there may be a couple patent firms around that pay higher but I know nothing about that market in CT.

[Anonymous User]

As the title states, I'm currently in biglaw in litigation in NYC and am looking to move to CT for personal reasons. Other than Vault, NALP, etc., I was curious if anyone knows of any biglaw firms that have offices in CT - particularly if they pay NYC market (if any?)

Please let me know if you know of any firms in CT that I should look into. Thank you!

No CT firms pay market. In Hartford, market is probably 130k. In Fairfield County, it is 150k or 160k depending on the firm.

Not entirely true - Axinn pays market or close to market (~180), and Bracewell in Hartford pays market (190). I think Morgan Lewis in Hartford is either market or close to market (~180). These jobs are few and far between, and are often in very specialized areas (Bracewell = restructuring; ML = restructuring/finance; Axinn = AT). The CT midlaw firms pay around 120-140; even some of the biglaw guys with small offices pay this in Hartford/Stamford (I think LL or KD pay this or near this). I think there may be a couple patent firms around that pay higher but I know nothing about that market in CT.

Anon who posted the "not entirely true" above - to answer the original question, the firm with the biggest biglaw presence in CT is probably Morgan Lewis (highest ranked vault firm + biggest office in CT). Locke Lord has a Hartford office, though they are small. Same with Bracewell. Kelley Drye has a Stamford office but its very specialized (I think entirely IP, maybe real estate). I think Holland Knight just bought out a small Stamford firm as well, but I dont think they hire in that office. LeClaire Ryan has an office (or two) in CT, as does Withers Bergman, but those are very specialized work (I want to say T&E and tax)

Axinn and Brown Rudnick are probably the closest to biglaw in CT - (in that they have more substantial offices, but may not be vault ranked firms). I mentioned Axinn above but I think Brown Rudnick also pays ~180 in its Hartford office. The big CT firms have been listed above, but when we were at UCONN we generally thought of the big firms in CT as Day Pitney, RC and Shipman - though Robinson has been on the outs for a bit and Shipman is on the rise; Day Pitney has usually been seen as the best of the CT law firms. Hinckley Allen has a Hartford office but they are mostly a RI/MA firm (the last time I was in their Hartford office it was half-empty), but I think they pay the best of the local firms (or equal to DP). Verill Dana, Wiggin Dana and Carmody also have substantial practices, as do Murtha Cullina and McCarter. These guys all do work both in and outside of CT.

Then there are the smaller firms that tend to do (almost) entirely CT work - Pullman, Cohen & Wolf, Halloran Sage, Zeldes, Reid Reige.

There are also a couple lit shops that I wouldnt recommend - Jackson Lewis has an office, Gordon Rees.

[Anonymous User]

As the title states, I'm currently in biglaw in litigation in NYC and am looking to move to CT for personal reasons. Other than Vault, NALP, etc., I was curious if anyone knows of any biglaw firms that have offices in CT - particularly if they pay NYC market (if any?)

Please let me know if you know of any firms in CT that I should look into. Thank you!

No CT firms pay market. In Hartford, market is probably 130k. In Fairfield County, it is 150k or 160k depending on the firm.

Not entirely true - Axinn pays market or close to market (~180), and Bracewell in Hartford pays market (190). I think Morgan Lewis in Hartford is either market or close to market (~180). These jobs are few and far between, and are often in very specialized areas (Bracewell = restructuring; ML = restructuring/finance; Axinn = AT). The CT midlaw firms pay around 120-140; even some of the biglaw guys with small offices pay this in Hartford/Stamford (I think LL or KD pay this or near this). I think there may be a couple patent firms around that pay higher but I know nothing about that market in CT.

Anon who posted the "not entirely true" above - to answer the original question, the firm with the biggest biglaw presence in CT is probably Morgan Lewis (highest ranked vault firm + biggest office in CT). Locke Lord has a Hartford office, though they are small. Same with Bracewell. Kelley Drye has a Stamford office but its very specialized (I think entirely IP, maybe real estate). I think Holland Knight just bought out a small Stamford firm as well, but I dont think they hire in that office. LeClaire Ryan has an office (or two) in CT, as does Withers Bergman, but those are very specialized work (I want to say T&E and tax)

Axinn and Brown Rudnick are probably the closest to biglaw in CT - (in that they have more substantial offices, but may not be vault ranked firms). I mentioned Axinn above but I think Brown Rudnick also pays ~180 in its Hartford office. The big CT firms have been listed above, but when we were at UCONN we generally thought of the big firms in CT as Day Pitney, RC and Shipman - though Robinson has been on the outs for a bit and Shipman is on the rise; Day Pitney has usually been seen as the best of the CT law firms. Hinckley Allen has a Hartford office but they are mostly a RI/MA firm (the last time I was in their Hartford office it was half-empty), but I think they pay the best of the local firms (or equal to DP). Verill Dana, Wiggin Dana and Carmody also have substantial practices, as do Murtha Cullina and McCarter. These guys all do work both in and outside of CT.

Then there are the smaller firms that tend to do (almost) entirely CT work - Pullman, Cohen & Wolf, Halloran Sage, Zeldes, Reid Reige.

There are also a couple lit shops that I wouldnt recommend - Jackson Lewis has an office, Gordon Rees.

[Anonymous User]

As the title states, I'm currently in biglaw in litigation in NYC and am looking to move to CT for personal reasons. Other than Vault, NALP, etc., I was curious if anyone knows of any biglaw firms that have offices in CT - particularly if they pay NYC market (if any?)

Please let me know if you know of any firms in CT that I should look into. Thank you!

No CT firms pay market. In Hartford, market is probably 130k. In Fairfield County, it is 150k or 160k depending on the firm.

Not entirely true - Axinn pays market or close to market (~180), and Bracewell in Hartford pays market (190). I think Morgan Lewis in Hartford is either market or close to market (~180). These jobs are few and far between, and are often in very specialized areas (Bracewell = restructuring; ML = restructuring/finance; Axinn = AT). The CT midlaw firms pay around 120-140; even some of the biglaw guys with small offices pay this in Hartford/Stamford (I think LL or KD pay this or near this). I think there may be a couple patent firms around that pay higher but I know nothing about that market in CT.

Not sure if you're still checking but do you have any insight into what raises look like for CT midlaw? If you start at $125k what can you expect for 2nd year, 3rd year, and so on.

[Anonymous User]

Anon because I've posted about this firm before, but surprised no one has mentioned Finn Dixon yet. I think they're top in comp in CT, no?

[Anonymous User]

Anon because I've posted about this firm before and don't want this tied to my username, but surprised no one has mentioned Finn Dixon yet. I think they're top in comp in CT, no?

[Anonymous User]

Dechert has a random office in Hartford that pays market I believe, but the other top paying firms are Finn Dixon and Day Pitney with starting salaries around 150k for first years.

[pineapple25]

As the title states, I'm currently in biglaw in litigation in NYC and am looking to move to CT for personal reasons. Other than Vault, NALP, etc., I was curious if anyone knows of any biglaw firms that have offices in CT - particularly if they pay NYC market (if any?)

Please let me know if you know of any firms in CT that I should look into. Thank you!

No CT firms pay market. In Hartford, market is probably 130k. In Fairfield County, it is 150k or 160k depending on the firm.

Not entirely true - Axinn pays market or close to market (~180), and Bracewell in Hartford pays market (190). I think Morgan Lewis in Hartford is either market or close to market (~180). These jobs are few and far between, and are often in very specialized areas (Bracewell = restructuring; ML = restructuring/finance; Axinn = AT). The CT midlaw firms pay around 120-140; even some of the biglaw guys with small offices pay this in Hartford/Stamford (I think LL or KD pay this or near this). I think there may be a couple patent firms around that pay higher but I know nothing about that market in CT.

Not sure if you're still checking but do you have any insight into what raises look like for CT midlaw? If you start at $125k what can you expect for 2nd year, 3rd year, and so on.

Did you ever end up getting an answer on this? Curious what raises look like for RC, Shipman, Wiggin, etc.