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I was curious about what happens if you lateral to Kirkland in your 6th/7th/8th year. Since at basically all other firms those are associate years, how does KE treat those laterals since I assume on the KE scale they would be partners already?

Sometimes you come in with the partner title. Other times, they'll make you wait a year.

If you're X years out of school, the firm you're entering treats you as an Xth year attorney. So whether you enter with a partner title depends on whether they'd make their existing attorneys partner at that level of seniority, PLUS whether you'd get an extra 1-3 year look before being offered partnership.

i.e., a 7th year Kirkland NSP isn't going to enter a firm as partner that isn't offering its homegrown associates partnership until 9.

If you're X years out of school, the firm you're entering treats you as an Xth year attorney. So whether you enter with a partner title depends on whether they'd make their existing attorneys partner at that level of seniority, PLUS whether you'd get an extra 1-3 year look before being offered partnership.

i.e., a 7th year Kirkland NSP isn't going to enter a firm as partner that isn't offering its homegrown associates partnership until 9.

Think you all missed that OP was asking Non-KE firm to KE and not the other way around.

Same answer. If they hire you as a 7th year, you're a 1st year NSP. You'll get docked 0-2 years depending on where you're coming in from.