In-house opportunities after NYC midlaw Forum

[Anonymous User]

I’m considering an offer from a NYC midlaw firm. Think Davis & Gilbert type firm. I’m a midlevel corporate M&A attorney coming from a well-regarded big law firm.

Long term, I’d like to move in-house to a large company, preferably not a financial institution or PE firm. Does anyone have experience going in-house after doing a stint at a mid-law firm? Any advice, or input? It would be appreciated.

Rather than go in-house, I could try to stick it out one more year at my firm, but I couldn’t stand it any longer than that. The hours are actually not bad right now but it’s still pretty stressful and I have little interest in my PE clients.

[Anonymous User]

Can't you go in house right now? From what I understand from talking to recruiters (coming from finance practice), corporate/M&A is relatively easy to convert into a solid in-house gig if you make it to mid-level. I hear a lot of "ah if only you were an M&A fourth/fifth year"

[Anonymous User]

What recruiters are you talking to? Relatively few recruiters have in-house positions, and of those it feels like a lot are for positions in Seattle for Amazon.

Yes ideally I’d be going in-house now, but for whatever reason, be it my poor luck or the pandemic, I haven’t been able to get to the interview stage for many in-house positions. So that’s why I’m looking to go to a mid size firm for right now, because I don’t know how much longer I can take my firm.

[nealric]

What recruiters are you talking to? Relatively few recruiters have in-house positions, and of those it feels like a lot are for positions in Seattle for Amazon.

Yes ideally I’d be going in-house now, but for whatever reason, be it my poor luck or the pandemic, I haven’t been able to get to the interview stage for many in-house positions. So that’s why I’m looking to go to a mid size firm for right now, because I don’t know how much longer I can take my firm.

Recruiters are not your best bet for in-house jobs. Most companies don't want to pay recruiter fees, and most recruiters are primarily setup for biglaw hiring. Network, network, network.

I don't see the benefit of going to a midlaw firm if your ultimate goal is in-house. There's no guarantee midlaw will be better hours-wise, and it may look like you didn't leave biglaw voluntarily to prospective employers. You might also consider signaling to trusted people at your firm that you are looking to go in-house or would like to be seconded. A secondment can be a great bridge to in-house and will give you a break from the biglaw grind.

[Prize24]

My experience has been that in-house interviewers won’t care that you are currently at a midlaw firm after having completed a stint (hopefully 4-5+ years) in biglaw. They will all understand why you left biglaw. What matters most is the experience you gained from biglaw and midlaw and it’s applicability to the in-house role (along with your general interviewing skills). If taking the midlaw gig will help your sanity and buy you time as you look for an in-house gig, you should take it.

[LawrenceGazebo]

I’m considering an offer from a NYC midlaw firm. Think Davis & Gilbert type firm. I’m a midlevel corporate M&A attorney coming from a well-regarded big law firm.

Long term, I’d like to move in-house to a large company, preferably not a financial institution or PE firm. Does anyone have experience going in-house after doing a stint at a mid-law firm? Any advice, or input? It would be appreciated.

Rather than go in-house, I could try to stick it out one more year at my firm, but I couldn’t stand it any longer than that. The hours are actually not bad right now but it’s still pretty stressful and I have little interest in my PE clients.

Seems like the best option would be to stick it out and take full advantage of the presumably better exit options straight from your current big law firm. What are you expecting different from the mid-law place? My understanding is that the hours aren't always better, but the pay is (almost) always worse, as are the exit options.