LW Houston vs. NRF Austin Forum

[Anonymous User]

Would you choose NRF Austin or LW Houston?

I have a house in Austin and love it more than Houston. But I like Houston okay, and I am willing to do what's best for my career if there is a big enough difference between the firms and opportunities. Interested in transactional work. I got great vibes from the people at both. This would be for a SA.

I know NRF hasn't been doing too hot recently, but would I really limit opportunities or jeopardize job stability by going there over LW?

Anon because of identifying information.

[Anonymous User]

I would go to LW Houston for a few years, get that on your resume, and then lateral back to Austin.

[Anonymous User]

Would you choose NRF Austin or LW Houston?

I have a house in Austin and love it more than Houston. But I like Houston okay, and I am willing to do what's best for my career if there is a big enough difference between the firms and opportunities. Interested in transactional work. I got great vibes from the people at both. This would be for a SA.

I know NRF hasn't been doing too hot recently, but would I really limit opportunities or jeopardize job stability by going there over LW?

Anon because of identifying information.

0 reason to pick NRF over LW Houston, location notwithstanding.

Plenty of firms to lateral to in Austin in 2-4 years if you want to, the market there is only going to grow and you will likely be able to end up somewhere superior to NRF.

[Pneumonia]

Latham and it’s not close.

[Anonymous User]

Also NRF has a troubling history of no offering summers. A firm like that doesn't deserve someone who can get a LW Houston offer.

[trmckenz]

Go to Latham for two years and then lateral back to Austin. You'll have great options. Congrats!

[Anonymous User]

I’ll offer a very non-tls opinion. I was between a firm similar to latham, very well respected in its market and a firm more in the nrf range with a smaller presence in its market and I don’t regret choosing the nrf equivalent. Sometimes it’s ok to make a lifestyle decision. That being said it’ll be very easy to go back to Austin after a couple years at latham houston.

[Anonymous User]

I’ll offer a very non-tls opinion. I was between a firm similar to latham, very well respected in its market and a firm more in the nrf range with a smaller presence in its market and I don’t regret choosing the nrf equivalent. Sometimes it’s ok to make a lifestyle decision. That being said it’ll be very easy to go back to Austin after a couple years at latham houston.

There is a good argument for going to a mid-market regional for the lifestyle and partnership prospects. However, all of that presupposes that the mid-market regional is otherwise financially stable. In other words, there is a decent argument to go to Haynes & Boone Dallas for corporate, even if you have a Kirkland offer. What you don't do is go to an NRF, which (if Houston and Dallas is anything to go by) is in a downward spiral and has no offered summers too many times.

[Wubbles]

Similar to the above, going to a lower ranked firm is often very defensible especially when location is involved, but I cannot in good faith recommend going to NRF specifically. Basically any other big firm Austin office I'd say go for it if you want Austin, but in this case I would personally suck it up in the short term for job security and the resume bump

[Anonymous User]

I’ll offer a very non-tls opinion. I was between a firm similar to latham, very well respected in its market and a firm more in the nrf range with a smaller presence in its market and I don’t regret choosing the nrf equivalent. Sometimes it’s ok to make a lifestyle decision. That being said it’ll be very easy to go back to Austin after a couple years at latham houston.

There is a good argument for going to a mid-market regional for the lifestyle and partnership prospects. However, all of that presupposes that the mid-market regional is otherwise financially stable. In other words, there is a decent argument to go to Haynes & Boone Dallas for corporate, even if you have a Kirkland offer. What you don't do is go to an NRF, which (if Houston and Dallas is anything to go by) is in a downward spiral and has no offered summers too many times.

Quoted anon. Wasn’t super familiar with NRF’s finances or strong history of no offers. That should definitely factor in. I think the fact that they are in the same state should factor in as well. I just don’t want op to be totally blinded by prestige.

[Hutz_and_Goodman]

I voted NRF because I think there is such a major difference between living in Austin vs Houston but probably I shouldn’t have voted at all due to inadequate information.

[Right2BearArms]

I voted NRF because I think there is such a major difference between living in Austin vs Houston but probably I shouldn’t have voted at all due to inadequate information.

Austin will always be open starting at LW Houston - and several national firms, including KE already have offices there (its not hard to lateral to KE in my experience). Lots of other doors in Austin and elsewhere will also be open starting at a place like LW.

The same cannot be said for starting at NRF. Not hating (I have several good friends at NRF), but the reality of the market is what it is.