Firms that allow transfers within its offices? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Which firms (I guess those with decent sized offices, not just satellites, outside of their home bases) allow/encourage transfers within their offices? E.g., firms like Latham, Kirkland, maybe Gibson, Skadden—is there a meaningful difference in ability to make intra-firm moves?

For context, considering joining a firm with a NY office but has large offices in CA. Short term want to be on the East Coast but long term goal is to move back to CA where fiance's family is. Not sure if firms all approach such transfers in the same way or whether some are more open to it.

Any guidance/info is appreciated.

[Anonymous User]

Kirkland does. Also, specifically for the Dallas and Houston offices/Texas market, it seems they allow people to work out of either while working at one of the KE Texas offices.

[Anonymous User]

heard latham is friendly with intra-office transfers

[Anonymous User]

Gibson is pretty cool with office transfers if you spent a couple years and have a good reputation at your current office.

[Anonymous User]

Jones Day is great about office transfers, but it’s Jones Day.

[Anonymous User]

Easy peasy at Skadden. I don't know anyone who has ever been turned down to move within a domestic office (I'm talking like a dozen or so people I personally know at this point), and I also know a lot who have been able to move around foreign offices seemingly at will.

[SummerAssociate1689]

Easy peasy at Skadden. I don't know anyone who has ever been turned down to move within a domestic office (I'm talking like a dozen or so people I personally know at this point), and I also know a lot who have been able to move around foreign offices seemingly at will.

Any chance you could PM me? Really interested to hear about these experiences.

[Anonymous User]

Easy peasy at Skadden. I don't know anyone who has ever been turned down to move within a domestic office (I'm talking like a dozen or so people I personally know at this point), and I also know a lot who have been able to move around foreign offices seemingly at will.

I've heard through the grapevine that Skadden Palo Alto is >>> Skadden LA for corporate work. Any idea whether there's any truth to that?

[Anonymous User]

Kirkland does. Also, specifically for the Dallas and Houston offices/Texas market, it seems they allow people to work out of either while working at one of the KE Texas offices.

KE associate here and I have had colleagues I can think of that moved among the DC-NY-Chicago-Dallas-SF offices with pretty much no problem. Only possible exception MIGHT be if you aren't that well liked and the office you want doesn't have partners in your group or your group/office is especially busy. If you are in good standing and liked, it's not a challenge.

Also in the pre-COVID days I knew someone who lived in one of the cities I mentioned above but frequently traveled for personal reasons to another one of them (a week or more every month) and this person was able to work out of that office with no trouble when traveling.

[Anonymous User]

Easy peasy at Skadden. I don't know anyone who has ever been turned down to move within a domestic office (I'm talking like a dozen or so people I personally know at this point), and I also know a lot who have been able to move around foreign offices seemingly at will.

Any chance you could PM me? Really interested to hear about these experiences.

+1. Could you elaborate on how "mov[ing] around foreign offices" actually works? Does this mean the firm is cool with allowing a series of "permanent" transfers? Or would you continue to be associated with the office where you started from?

[xoxoBlairWaldorf]

I am an associate at a West Coast-based firm. I have sat in three offices (all domestic), and for each move, I had a strong reason. PM for more info.