Should I leave my midsized firm to join a national firm with a $10,000 paycut Forum

[Anonymous User]

I am midlevel L&E attorney at midsized firm that I otherwise have no complaints about. People are good and the work is good. I have received an offer from an L&E Boutique (Littler/JL/Ogletree, etc.) but the pay would be $10,000 less. Possibly more since the bonuses at my current firm are better.

This is how I see this - in the short run, my current firm is better because the pay is better and I am otherwise happy here. However, I commute an hour a day.; That sucks. There is a possibility for me to work at a closer office, but I don't know when that would happen, if it would. The firm is just a local firm that most people don't know about. Truthfully, I am slightly unhappy here. Maybe this is just thinking the grass is greenier, and I want to join a bigger firm.

In the long run, it would be better for my career to work at the L&E Boutique because of the name brand, quality of work, etc. The commute would also be reduced to 20 mins.

What would you do? Should I go to the L&E firm or just stay put where my future is a little less exciting (then again, maybe partners at my current firm make more than boutique, not sure.)

[dabigchina]

Why would you take a pay cut to lateral? When you lateral, you take the risk that you won't like the new firm/people. You should be compensated for that risk. You should not take a pay cut to bear that risk.

Why don't you just move closer to your office? You're going about this backwards.

If you are trying to go in house, does your local firm not have good name recognition where you live? Does national name recognition matter when you aren't even willing to move an hour down the road to be closer to your current job?

Sorry if I come off as attacking you. I am not. I'm just slightly confused.

[pbfalcon]

I would stay put, unless you know you want to go in-house. For many people at those boutiques, I guarantee that their end goal is working at the firm you are currently at.

It depends on your end goals, the only real advantage I see is more in-house opportunities or geographical flexibility.

[Anonymous User]

OP here:

One big factor for me is that my commute would go from an hour to 15-20 mins.

[beepboopbeep]

That could also be accomplished by moving, but I assume there's some reason that's out of the question.

[2013]

Will the bigger firm’s salary ever eclipse yours?

[papermateflair]

I said take the pay cut and move to the boutique if the commute is that important to you - I assume you can't move for a specific reason (partner's job, kids in school, hate the city where your current job is, whatever) and that's off the table. I think your time is valuable, and saving time commuting so that you can spend it on things you actually enjoy is something that should be factored in. I *hate* commuting so I get it, and would probably make the same decision (or just move closer to my job). If it's worth the pay cut to you, then do it and don't look back. It also sounds like you're unhappy there for other reasons, and sure, maybe the grass isn't greener, but starting over with a shorter commute could give you a boost to get over the hump and make it to partner at the new firm, or continue to grind it out as an associate for a few more years. Even if you're making less, if you end up rage quitting at the current job and taking a job that pays significantly less in a couple of years, you may have been financially better off to take this smaller pay cut now.

[burritotaco]

I worked 10-15 mins from my firm and I was miserable most of the time because of the partners I worked with. I now commute 45 mins to an hour, but I love the job. I would pick a long commute to/from a good job with good people over a short commute to a job with terrible people 10 times out of 10. The biggest risk to lateraling, IMO, is if the new firm is not a good personality fit. There's often nothing you can do about it and it rarely gets better.

[Anonymous User]

I worked 10-15 mins from my firm and I was miserable most of the time because of the partners I worked with. I now commute 45 mins to an hour, but I love the job. I would pick a long commute to/from a good job with good people over a short commute to a job with terrible people 10 times out of 10. The biggest risk to lateraling, IMO, is if the new firm is not a good personality fit. There's often nothing you can do about it and it rarely gets better.

THIS. I lateraled from a firm where I loved my coworkers to a firm in one of my desired cities.

I literally hate the partners I work for here, but I’m stuck at this point.

I dread going to work and have considered just quitting on the spot while I’m being yelled at.