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There are numerous threads discussing the intensity and volume of hours of bankruptcy/restructuring attorneys. However, much of this seems to be focused on V20 firms, and there have been a few passing references to the fact that the lifestyle is much more manageable as you move towards V50-V100 firms.

Can anyone confirm whether this is the case? If so, is the work still fairly interesting relative to the quality one would encounter at V20 firms, or is there a pretty significant drop-off? I'm sure the dollar amounts involved are lower, but I'm curious whether the substance would vary significantly as well. Thanks.

Vault rankings don’t have anything to do with this question. Assuming the firm you have an offer from is a player in the BK space (check Chambers), the bigger question is who is your firm usually repping? The two firms who do most of the massive debtor side reps are going to have a different QOL than the firms who primarily rep secured lenders, unsecured creditors, or equity holders. And many of the firms who do BK work do a mix of work, so you really need to analyze what percentage of the group’s work falls into those broad categories. The good news is that this is actually fairly easy to do since many of the deals are public.

The other thing to consider is whether at your firm the BK folks are BK deal folks or they also do a mix of litigation or corporate as well within the context of bankruptcy deals. That is going to have a huge impact on QOL.