Senior Associate Lateral Strategy Forum

[Anonymous User]

Hi everyone. I’m a 6th year associate looking to lateral later this year or early next year depending on how the search goes. As I’m now coming up to the more senior end of the associate spectrum, curious what people’s thoughts are on how to approach discussions with firms about future prospects.

6th year feels a bit early to bring up partnership but if I’m almost a 7th year by the time I start at a new firm, I feel it would be a missed opportunity to not have had some sort of discussions or expectations around partnership consideration.

I might be totally wrong here and there may be no value to a firm to discuss that at this stage of my career, but eager to get thoughts from other especially those who have lateraled around the 6-8 year mark.

Thanks!

[Sackboy]

You should absolutely be discussing a desire for partnership (both non-equity and equity) as a 6th year, if that is what interests you. You should also be asking questions about what it takes to achieve both levels and how the firm and partners in the group will support you in achieving both feats. You have absolutely nothing to gain by hiding the ball on this issue, except a shocked pikachu face when you find out in 2-4 years that the stars did not align for you and it's in large part because you didn't put in the work to make them align. Making partner is realistically a multiyear process, and you want to signal several years ahead of time that it is something you want.

[Monochromatic Oeuvre]

I have the opposite problem of having to pretend I want to make partner at this level because I can't say "I've just got a couple years of this left in me and then I'm going to go open a smoothie stand in Costa Rica."

[hdr]

You should absolutely be discussing a desire for partnership (both non-equity and equity) as a 6th year, if that is what interests you.

Agreed. At your level, whether you're lateralling or not, you shouldn't shy away from partnership discussions if you hope to be promoted. If you lateral as a 6th year you probably will not be promoted when your class year is eligible at year 8, so you ought to determine when you will be eligible and what that path looks like.

[Sad248]

I have the opposite problem of having to pretend I want to make partner at this level because I can't say "I've just got a couple years of this left in me and then I'm going to go open a smoothie stand in Costa Rica."

I think as someone who will have the same strategy, my plan will be to get a lateral in, in my very last year, to get that signing bonus for maximum reward before dipping and opening up my cafe in Malaysia.

On topic, however: yeah, just don't hide the ball. What is the worst thing that can happen? That they tell you there's no room at the top with them, warning you it would be a bad move for your partnership chances, and saving you the trouble of lateraling there?

[Anonymous User]

I have the opposite problem of having to pretend I want to make partner at this level because I can't say "I've just got a couple years of this left in me and then I'm going to go open a smoothie stand in Costa Rica."

Yep.

[Anonymous User]

Whats the road to equity partner look like? A few firms have that BS non-equity partnership promotion, they work you like a horse for 3-4 years then they most likely show you the door. If its anything like that I wouldn’t bother

[Sackboy]

Whats the road to equity partner look like? A few firms have that BS non-equity partnership promotion, they work you like a horse for 3-4 years then they most likely show you the door. If its anything like that I wouldn’t bother

Almost all firms* There are maybe 10 firms in the V100 left that only have equity partnerships.