Big law to in-house experience Forum

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Big law to in-house experience

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Feb 15, 2022 1:02 pm

Welcome thoughts/input from those who have worked in biglaw as senior or mid level associates and made the transition in house. Specifically interested in hearing if hours were better; better quality of life/family time; etc. How often do you work weekends? Are vacations respected? I know in house attorney experiences can vary. Feeling very burnout as an associate and cannot imagine being on call for the next 20 years.

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Re: Big law to in-house experience

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Feb 15, 2022 1:13 pm

Switched as a fifth year to a video game company.

I work maybe 40-50 hours/week (depending on what point of the year we're at), with no work on weekends. Any time I work outside 9-5 is flexible and I can do it at whatever point in the night or morning I want. I've only gone above 50 hours/week when two attorneys that handle some of my same work went on maternity/paternity leave at the same time. It's a pay cut, compared to the recent waves of bonuses and salary increases, but I still make 250k/year all-in.

Vacations are respected. The whole company also gets guaranteed time off simultaneously, to the tune of 3 vacation weeks the whole company takes. The company vacation seems to be a tech company thing because my wife's company does one company-wide vacation week per quarter (so 4/year), too.

It's better on the other side.

TUwave

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Re: Big law to in-house experience

Post by TUwave » Tue Feb 15, 2022 1:37 pm

5th year following for stories. I can't seem to pull the trigger to start applying...

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Re: Big law to in-house experience

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Feb 15, 2022 2:53 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Tue Feb 15, 2022 1:13 pm
Switched as a fifth year to a video game company.

I work maybe 40-50 hours/week (depending on what point of the year we're at), with no work on weekends. Any time I work outside 9-5 is flexible and I can do it at whatever point in the night or morning I want. I've only gone above 50 hours/week when two attorneys that handle some of my same work went on maternity/paternity leave at the same time. It's a pay cut, compared to the recent waves of bonuses and salary increases, but I still make 250k/year all-in.

Vacations are respected. The whole company also gets guaranteed time off simultaneously, to the tune of 3 vacation weeks the whole company takes. The company vacation seems to be a tech company thing because my wife's company does one company-wide vacation week per quarter (so 4/year), too.

It's better on the other side.
Almost this entire post applies to me as well (except the industry isn't gaming), but thought I'd say I was also a little surprised by the whole-company "shutdowns" where everyone takes vacation. I was told in an earlier stage of the company's development there were complaints that vacation was hard to get approved or wasn't respected, so this was the response. Makes sense to me.

jhett

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Re: Big law to in-house experience

Post by jhett » Tue Feb 15, 2022 3:21 pm

As you noted, in-house environments vary widely, and some could actually leave you worse off than at a firm (e.g., large pay cut but still with rough hours). So you have to investigate well before taking an offer.

That said, I've in in-house for two different companies and the hours are very good. It's 9-5, no weekends, generous remote work and vacation policies, and no need to work while off the clock. For example, my spouse and I have had the time to home-school our two young kids these past two years, and I definitely would not have been able to at a firm. The pay raises are fairly anemic compared to firms, so you have to negotiate your starting salary well.

mongeese

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Re: Big law to in-house experience

Post by mongeese » Tue Feb 15, 2022 4:41 pm

As others said, in-house varies a lot based on company, practice area, etc. My hours are 9-5 but generally work less than that, don't work on nights or weekends unless I feel like it, etc. Vacations are certainly respected. It's a good work/life balance and the compensation is good but less than the new biglaw scale.

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