Which BigLaw firms in Charlotte are NOT Sweatshops Forum

[Anonymous User]

I'm a current finance midlevel at one of the sweatshops (Mayer Brown/CWT/MVA). Looking for better QOL, ideally keeping NY market or close. Never lateralled before. Open to all tips/advice

[Anonymous User]

Ugh that's what I was afraid of.

[Anonymous User]

Your expectations are unrealistic. You make NY market in charlotte solely because you work at a sweatshop. You can lateral to any other NY market paying firm in charlotte and it will also be a sweatshop, because that's the deal you're making at those firms: crazy hours for big pay. If you look at the regional biglaw firms in Charlotte (A&B, McGuirewoods, etc.) you'll take somewhat of a pay cut to about the $165k scale, but will still bill like 1950-2000 per year. If you look at the NC-based firms you'll take even more of a a pay cut, to about the $150k scale, but will bill likely on average 1850-1900 or so per year.

I work at one of the firms in Charlotte, and I'm not sure how much you work but associates here certainly still work a lot. I have friends at several other firms here and it's mostly the same story-- MVA hours are like my firm's, nelson mullins same thing, etc. The one exception is probably robinson bradshaw. From what i've heard their associates average more like 1700 per year, but of course that comes with the $150k scale.

Edit to add: if you're willing to cut to the $150k scale I'd look at robinson bradshaw and parker poe. I'm not sure what your credentials are, but it'd certainly be easier to go to parker poe than robinson bradshaw--a lot of top 10%/appellate clerkship T-14 types at robinson.

[Anonymous User]

If you look at the regional biglaw firms in Charlotte (A&B, McGuirewoods, etc.) you'll take somewhat of a pay cut to about the $165k scale, but will still bill like 1950-2000 per year.

AB Charlotte does not feel like a sweatshop and I can confirm we recently moved to the NY base salary payscale. See also https://abovethelaw.com/2019/12/forget- ... ot-raises/

EDIT to add I'm not in finance group, so YMMV.

[Anonymous User]

Your expectations are unrealistic. You make NY market in charlotte solely because you work at a sweatshop. You can lateral to any other NY market paying firm in charlotte and it will also be a sweatshop, because that's the deal you're making at those firms: crazy hours for big pay.

I would also add (my brother is a partner in Finance at MVA) that Finance work in Charlotte is...Finance work. It's never going to have good hours because that's how Finance work is....if you're really looking for W-L balance...don't do Finance work.