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Done second looks at all three. K&E is the 800-lb gorilla but get the sense it is a better place to lateral into than to start out at. Preferred STB/GDC but both are smaller satellites in a crowded market. Thoughts?

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 08, 2021 6:29 pm

Done second looks at all three. K&E is the 800-lb gorilla but get the sense it is a better place to lateral into than to start out at. Preferred STB/GDC but both are smaller satellites in a crowded market. Thoughts?

Think you are right - K&E Houston is pretty brutal and doesn't train you as a junior, but things get better as you get more senior. If you want M&A, is the better of the 3 shops in terms of volume.

I've heard the ppl at GDC are nice, but don't know that they get lots of M&A work in Houston. Think STB gets good M&A work, don't know much about the ppl, but know that it is less brutal than K&E.

STB Houston has a deep bench for banking / credit work -- that is the Houston office's strongest practice.

Kirkland is so... Kirkland.

STB and GDC aren't big players in Houston corporate. K&E is, but as other posters have said it's absolutely brutal. Everyone I know that has started at that office has left the firm or moved to a different office.

Former associate at one of those here that lateraled to one of the others. I would recommend K&E or GDC for all corporate groups except credit/banking in Houston and recommend K&E for CapM over GDC. STB just isn’t a player in the market and there are issues with deal flow in some of their non-credit group, not to mention issues with how they manage the office and staff deals generally. You’ll have better admin and attorney/partner support at the other firms.

Also, STB does not have a large (if any) client base in Houston. If you are looking to make an in house move in Houston eventually you 100% should go to K&E or GDC.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 10, 2021 2:13 pm

You’ll have better admin and attorney/partner support at the other firms.

Junior K&E Houston associate here. Administrative support gets worse than this at other firms?

Deleted post(ty Iowahawk)

If I were you, OP, I would delete an anecdote that specific just to be safe.

Senior Associate at KE Houston - agree the hours can be brutal (at all levels) but you can go anywhere from here. Why is VE and LW not in the mix? They and KE are undoubtedly the top 3 corporate shops in Houston, and its not even close after that. I would rule out STB , people only go there if they have no other options in Houston. At least the GDC partners are former BB partners and have books and good client relationships.

OP: Didn’t get a callback at LW & ghosted by VE since early fall interview which is why they’re not in the mix

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 11, 2021 2:48 pm

OP: Didn’t get a callback at LW & ghosted by VE since early fall interview which is why they’re not in the mix

As someone who just went through this process and has accepted an offer at one of the shops mentioned here, I agree with the poster directly above that states KE/LW/V&E are the three major players in town and that the drop off is significant. If I were you, OP, I'd pick KE pretty easily if you have any inclination to be in Houston for the long haul which seems a reasonable assumption.