What are the "best" corporate practices for "work/life balance"? Forum

[brdlw]

I know that work/life balance does not exist in biglaw, but I am very interested in what specific niches are less miserable. Rephrased slightly - what are the most manageable corporate niches? Is transactional that different from regulatory? Does it matter more for specific subsection like PE vs CapM?

Interested to hear experiences/thoughts. I am small/midlaw gen corp and am pleased with the more "relaxed" lifestyle I currently enjoy of 50-60 hours a week. Always thinking about moving, but merely curious if there is a general consensus on a niche that is more predictable/manageable.

[Anonymous User]

I know that work/life balance does not exist in biglaw, but I am very interested in what specific niches are less miserable. Rephrased slightly - what are the most manageable corporate niches? Is transactional that different from regulatory? Does it matter more for specific subsection like PE vs CapM?

Interested to hear experiences/thoughts. I am small/midlaw gen corp and am pleased with the more "relaxed" lifestyle I currently enjoy of 50-60 hours a week. Always thinking about moving, but merely curious if there is a general consensus on a niche that is more predictable/manageable.

I believe fund formation is easier because the work has longer project timelines and so you don't have as many fire drills.

ECVC is one of the worst in my opinion. You will bill to 10+ matters a day on most days and the clients can be unsophisticated and everything is on demand.

[Anonymous User]

Any practice that has less project management / sheep herding is going to be better work/life balance wise because otherwise everyone else's problem because your problem.

Like if you're in M&A or cap markets, you're chasing auditors or local counsel or yada yada yada so even when you think your docs are in good form you're still stuck working and joining status calls. It really adds up.

The solution is to make sure you're in a specialty practice. You still get pinged at 10pm for comments due at midnight, but once you send them off then you can go to bed instead of integrating them into the broader deal. The cap markets or M&A associate is the one pulling the all nighter.

[brdlw]

Any practice that has less project management / sheep herding is going to be better work/life balance wise because otherwise everyone else's problem because your problem.

Like if you're in M&A or cap markets, you're chasing auditors or local counsel or yada yada yada so even when you think your docs are in good form you're still stuck working and joining status calls. It really adds up.

The solution is to make sure you're in a specialty practice. You still get pinged at 10pm for comments due at midnight, but once you send them off then you can go to bed instead of integrating them into the broader deal. The cap markets or M&A associate is the one pulling the all nighter.

Interesting. So what do you mean by specialty? I am a generalist, so I do not know the nuances.

[Anonymous User]

If you could be a tax, executive comp./benefits, or HSR specialist I think life would be much easier.

[LittleRedCorvette]

Any practice that has less project management / sheep herding is going to be better work/life balance wise because otherwise everyone else's problem because your problem.

Like if you're in M&A or cap markets, you're chasing auditors or local counsel or yada yada yada so even when you think your docs are in good form you're still stuck working and joining status calls. It really adds up.

The solution is to make sure you're in a specialty practice. You still get pinged at 10pm for comments due at midnight, but once you send them off then you can go to bed instead of integrating them into the broader deal. The cap markets or M&A associate is the one pulling the all nighter.

Interesting. So what do you mean by specialty? I am a generalist, so I do not know the nuances.

How can you be a generalist/practicing lawyer and not know what they mean by specialty? Tax, HSR/regulatory, environmental, labor and employment, etc...

[brdlw]

Any practice that has less project management / sheep herding is going to be better work/life balance wise because otherwise everyone else's problem because your problem.

Like if you're in M&A or cap markets, you're chasing auditors or local counsel or yada yada yada so even when you think your docs are in good form you're still stuck working and joining status calls. It really adds up.

The solution is to make sure you're in a specialty practice. You still get pinged at 10pm for comments due at midnight, but once you send them off then you can go to bed instead of integrating them into the broader deal. The cap markets or M&A associate is the one pulling the all nighter.

Interesting. So what do you mean by specialty? I am a generalist, so I do not know the nuances.

How can you be a generalist/practicing lawyer and not know what they mean by specialty? Tax, HSR/regulatory, environmental, labor and employment, etc...

Sorry, poor phrasing - Friday brain. Meant specific specialties under the corporate umbrella - as was my initial question. Some firms divide securities into 5+ categories, whereas others are all under the securities umbrella.

ETA more clarity because I am not phrasing well today: I am just curious about what specific specialties the poster meant, not what a specialty is.