Help Picking Boston Firm Forum

[Anonymous User]

I'm fortunate to have two offers in Boston for Ropes and Proskauer. I'm definitely staying in Boston for my whole career. Deadset in Transactional work, but not sure which specific sub-group to work in. Thoughts on Ropes vs. Proskauer? I'm leaning Ropes since it has more practice groups since it's the HQ, but Proskauer the people I met with clicked better for me.

Any thoughts, advice appreciated.

[nickiolio]

That’s a great dilemma to have! Both are great firms. I networked with both, and if I were in your position I would pick Proskauer as well. The people just seemed chill and laid back, and I think it may be a less intense atmosphere than Ropes. Do what feels right to you, but I had the same initial impression.

[Anonymous User]

I know people who have left Proskauer and people who work at Ropes. For me, it would be no-brainer Ropes because the Boston office is, obviously, much larger being HQ with many different practice groups. I think it's not about Proskauer being "bad" but that I think Ropes is just better for Boston practice, at least a place to start out. I think especially since you're not really sure what sub-practice you're interested in, it is best to start off at a larger shop (relative to Boston) with more options, more training, more exposure. I get the sense that Proskauer's Boston office is less extensive with the corporate stuff, and more heavy on the IP work, for now at least.

Even though I don't work at Ropes, most of my lawyer friends are at Ropes than any other Boston firm, for some reason. (I'm not a Bro, but am friends with somewhat Bro-y people and find my Ropes Bro friends to be very fun and good people who work extremely hard and are some of the smartest people I know.) I find their culture to be generally fun and not that intense in terms of uptightness (I actually think my firm is a little more "intense" in terms of uptightness than Ropes). I think they are intense in that they very much epitomize the work hard play hard mantra of all the Boston firms.

[Anonymous User]

Unless you're pretty set on private funds work, I'd do Ropes. From my sense, Proskauer's main heavy hitter in Boston is their funds group and they seem to really push that.
Also, as the above person said, Ropes is a better place to start out from Boston, and easier to lateral anywhere you want in the city with it on your resume.

[Anonymous User]

Unless you're pretty set on private funds work, I'd do Ropes. From my sense, Proskauer's main heavy hitter in Boston is their funds group and they seem to really push that.
Also, as the above person said, Ropes is a better place to start out from Boston, and easier to lateral anywhere you want in the city with it on your resume.

TITCR. Proskauer = you'll almost certainly do investment management work. Ropes = high chance you'll do PE work, but there's the opportunity to do IM work. Ropes is also more "preftigious" in Boston. IME, HQ is always safer in a downturn--there's more partners, with more clout, pulling to save their associates. Best of luck--two good options, but if you want "real" corporate and not IM, Ropes hands down. (Know that Ropes has plenty of IM and '40 Act work too...but you can avoid that if you want to do straight corporate.)