Thoughts on in house role?
Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 1:42 pm
I am looking for advice or opinions on a potential job switch. I’ll try to keep this post brief. Hard to believe but I’ve been on TLS for 10 years and could use some advice once again.
I’m a 6th year associate at an AmLaw 200 firm in a just okay city—think St. Louis, Nashville, Cleveland. I was making about $155-165 but had my pay cut like everyone else in our firm. I’m way over goal on hours right now.
I don’t work the hours like most of you in large firms but I’m in a demanding practice. I probably bill 1,900 to 2,000 hours a year, plus hundreds of non-billable hours (firm requirement). I don’t work the weekend all the time but several times a year I deal with around the clock situations. Most of my vacations are working vacations. I think I’ve had 3 real weeks of vacation in my time at the firm. Work is not distributed evenly. I get most of the work and get criticized if I delegate. Bizarre.
In the next year or two I’ll be income partner eligible. So far, I’ve had good reviews and our CEO/chairperson said I’ll be running the PG one day. I have no book of business to speak of and if I become partner I assume my billable hours will decrease. Income partners probably make no more than $200k. Equity is a crap shoot. Anywhere from $250k to a million, my guess.
Right now I’m beyond burnt out. I just don’t care about the work or the job anymore, which is unusual for me. I’m at the point where I can tell people no or find someone else and don’t get questioned for it, so I’ve been doing that a lot.
Recently a F500 bank approached me about a transactional job. It’s going to pay $20-30k more than my pre-cut pay. Not sure about bonuses or benefits yet. Hours will be more stable. Probably not a lot of upward mobility.
Does anyone have any thoughts or opinions on a move like this? Should I just stick it out at the firm for a few more years? Any advice would be great.
I’m a 6th year associate at an AmLaw 200 firm in a just okay city—think St. Louis, Nashville, Cleveland. I was making about $155-165 but had my pay cut like everyone else in our firm. I’m way over goal on hours right now.
I don’t work the hours like most of you in large firms but I’m in a demanding practice. I probably bill 1,900 to 2,000 hours a year, plus hundreds of non-billable hours (firm requirement). I don’t work the weekend all the time but several times a year I deal with around the clock situations. Most of my vacations are working vacations. I think I’ve had 3 real weeks of vacation in my time at the firm. Work is not distributed evenly. I get most of the work and get criticized if I delegate. Bizarre.
In the next year or two I’ll be income partner eligible. So far, I’ve had good reviews and our CEO/chairperson said I’ll be running the PG one day. I have no book of business to speak of and if I become partner I assume my billable hours will decrease. Income partners probably make no more than $200k. Equity is a crap shoot. Anywhere from $250k to a million, my guess.
Right now I’m beyond burnt out. I just don’t care about the work or the job anymore, which is unusual for me. I’m at the point where I can tell people no or find someone else and don’t get questioned for it, so I’ve been doing that a lot.
Recently a F500 bank approached me about a transactional job. It’s going to pay $20-30k more than my pre-cut pay. Not sure about bonuses or benefits yet. Hours will be more stable. Probably not a lot of upward mobility.
Does anyone have any thoughts or opinions on a move like this? Should I just stick it out at the firm for a few more years? Any advice would be great.