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I am a junior associate who has received an offer from a substantially better firm than my current one, but I've never been that concerned about the prestige. For me the work culture is way more important and my firm and office has always done right by me. Only issue is that I am not in the market I am currently in. The new firm is, which is what instigated my desire to look around a bit more, and my current firm has never seemed that at the ready to transfer.

I was wondering if there would be any good way to leverage the offer I have received into getting transferred to the office I want to be in. Additionally, I have also always wanted to do a secondment in one of the firm's foreign offices. I have heard from others that they were able to leverage an offer from a different firm in getting a guaranteed foreign office secondment as well as "a renewed look" at if a permanent position at their office of choice would be possible, but how does one bring this up? I don't want to waltz in like "hey, I got this offer and am leaving if you don't give me what I want!" nor do I want to seem like a flight risk. Does anyone have any experience with this? I don't want a pay increase or anything.

Have you asked the firm if you could transfer offices? I’m confused. It seems like you don’t think they’d be amenable to it, but it also doesn’t seem like you’ve asked…

The foreign office secondment… I’d wait for that until you’re a few years in. May be risky to demand a foreign office secondment 2 years into the future. Assuming you’re a second year.

Talk to a partner you are close with and let them know you want to move to [X] market because of [blah, blah] indefinitely, and that you started interviewing and have interest at X firm, but really have enjoyed working with the partners and clients here and wanted to see if it were possible to work out of [X] office and at some point, take a secondment.

You don't have to name drop the firm, and can say a market paying firm's [X] office, but up to you.

I was in a similar situation and successfully obtained a fully remote position in a state where my firm doesn't have an office. It's a good market for it but I am not a junior so YMMV.

I would suggest you give them a firm date to get back to you by, especially given offers expire. "I need to hear back by June 10th, for planning purposes for me and for my [wife/parents/lease/etc].

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Thu May 27, 2021 1:20 pm

I would suggest you give them a firm date to get back to you by, especially given offers expire. "I need to hear back by June 10th, for planning purposes for me and for my [wife/parents/lease/etc].

This is HUGE. I had friend who was working with their firm on a request who had an offer as leverage, and the firm took their sweet time and made many agreeable noises and just short of guaranteeing the request that friend wanted.. when friend pushed for answer they asked said friend to trust them that they will make them happy and "get it done" etc. Friend passed on offer because similarly liked firm they were at, and lo and behold, firm came back and said they couldn't get mgmt to sign off on XYZ, some technicality, blah blah blah.