BigLaw alum now GC taking questions Forum

[Gatriel]

That was obviously a figure of speech - don't understand why anyone is having an issue. Am I reading correct that your base salary is sub $200k and you have 9 other lawyers who are willing to make less than that? My mind is a bit blown at the Comp.

Yeah, that does seem extremely low for a company large enough to have a 10-attorney legal department in a major U.S. city. Is OP still in Europe?

Still in Europe. My compensation is exactly 50% mark for my market. I have growth potential upwards - but yes, as a human being that can fog a mirror I also generally agree I am underpaid.

Its nice here. No school shootings on a daily basis. Healthcare is great and "free" at the point of delivery. Housing quality is excellent, summer vacation in Spain, Ski Vacation in the alps - it could be worse.

[Gatriel]

He was looking for a "partner in crime" and "someone I can trust not to tell the government where I bury the bodies"

Good for you, but $180k/year isn't enough for me to go to jail.

Figure of speech.

Pretty strange figure of speech... If the CEO wanted something with discretion, he may have picked the wrong guy.

Given its a figure of speech that is pretty common here I think I'm okay.

I also think you were looking for the word "someone"

[jotarokujo]

Gotcha. So in what ways do grades matter once you're working? When you're lateralling, or even while you're at the firm?

nah mainly for lateraling. They could matter staying at one firm if you want to change groups - sometimes partners want to look at the transcript of someone who wants to move into their group even though they are already at the firm

[Gatriel]

Gotcha. So in what ways do grades matter once you're working? When you're lateralling, or even while you're at the firm?

nah mainly for lateraling. They could matter staying at one firm if you want to change groups - sometimes partners want to look at the transcript of someone who wants to move into their group even though they are already at the firm

The only time I was really asked and pressed on my grades was a potential lateral interview from T to SullCrom. When I went from T to TT the partner didn't ask.

[hangtime813]

That was obviously a figure of speech - don't understand why anyone is having an issue. Am I reading correct that your base salary is sub $200k and you have 9 other lawyers who are willing to make less than that? My mind is a bit blown at the Comp.

Yeah, that does seem extremely low for a company large enough to have a 10-attorney legal department in a major U.S. city. Is OP still in Europe?

Still in Europe. My compensation is exactly 50% mark for my market. I have growth potential upwards - but yes, as a human being that can fog a mirror I also generally agree I am underpaid.

Its nice here. No school shootings on a daily basis. Healthcare is great and "free" at the point of delivery. Housing quality is excellent, summer vacation in Spain, Ski Vacation in the alps - it could be worse.

I think this makes more sense--European salaries from what I've been are a lot lower (especially when compared to lawyers in the US), but the COL of a lot lower in Europe too. Also keep in mind Europe is huge with VHCOL/HCOL cities and LCOL so maybe you are at one of the cheaper places?

[Gatriel]

That was obviously a figure of speech - don't understand why anyone is having an issue. Am I reading correct that your base salary is sub $200k and you have 9 other lawyers who are willing to make less than that? My mind is a bit blown at the Comp.

Yeah, that does seem extremely low for a company large enough to have a 10-attorney legal department in a major U.S. city. Is OP still in Europe?

Still in Europe. My compensation is exactly 50% mark for my market. I have growth potential upwards - but yes, as a human being that can fog a mirror I also generally agree I am underpaid.

Its nice here. No school shootings on a daily basis. Healthcare is great and "free" at the point of delivery. Housing quality is excellent, summer vacation in Spain, Ski Vacation in the alps - it could be worse.

I think this makes more sense--European salaries from what I've been are a lot lower (especially when compared to lawyers in the US), but the COL of a lot lower in Europe too. Also keep in mind Europe is huge with VHCOL/HCOL cities and LCOL so maybe you are at one of the cheaper places?

LCOL is relative I suppose.

Cheaper
- Alcohol
- Healthy/high quality food
- Education
- Health care
- Travel
- Child care
- Transportation (public transportation is good and you don't have to worry about getting stabbed by a meth addict on your way home from the bar)
- Home improvement stuff
- Housing (assuming you want good schools for your kids, AND safe walkable neighborhoods, AND don't need 3 living rooms and a 5 car garage somewhere in a gated HOA)

More Expensive
- Energy costs
- Taxes
- Used/salvage vehicles
- Boats

So yeah - wify and I can put away enough cash every year to not really have to worry about retirement or whatever but simultaneously I do not have the cash and go out and lease a new Aston Martin tomorrow if I wanted.

[Huckleberry_Finn]

Helpful info. Just didn’t really appreciate the use of “the r word.” I haven’t heard any educated person use that anywhere.

Demand was retarded ... e.g. slower than normal.

I am not changing my use of the English language to correspond to someone's feelings. Seesh.

I knew somebody was going to bust your balls for using that word. It made me do a double take and then I kinda lol’d because it makes sense in both the way that hurts feefees and in the technical sense. I think the way that hurts feefees might sometimes mean the opposite, though, i.e. demand was so high that the Black Eyed Peas might sing about it positively.