What is life like as an of counsel lateral to a big law firm? Forum

[Anonymous User]

DOJ litigator thinking of taking an of-counsel position at a mid-size to big law firm.

What should I expect in terms of day-to-day work and what should I expect more broadly?

[Anonymous User]

What is your compensation package?

[Anonymous User]

Without revealing specifics it’s basically the top level associate pay and bonus structure with a small increase on both. There’s an eat-what-you kill provision in there too which is a lesser version of what the partners get where I get a percentage cut of all the hours billed to a matter that I bring in. That will probably be zero though.

[Anonymous User]

Without revealing specifics it’s basically the top level associate pay and bonus structure with a small increase on both. There’s an eat-what-you kill provision in there too which is a lesser version of what the partners get where I get a percentage cut of all the hours billed to a matter that I bring in. That will probably be zero though.

What are hours like?

[Anonymous User]

DOJ litigator thinking of taking an of-counsel position at a mid-size to big law firm.

What should I expect in terms of day-to-day work and what should I expect more broadly?

OP here. Bumping this. Hoping someone can speak to the day to day life and the pressures (if any) of building a book in that first year.

[Anonymous User]

Without revealing specifics it’s basically the top level associate pay and bonus structure with a small increase on both. There’s an eat-what-you kill provision in there too which is a lesser version of what the partners get where I get a percentage cut of all the hours billed to a matter that I bring in. That will probably be zero though.

What are hours like?

Agreed on the comp, except at my firm there's not really an eat what you kill provision - if you really bring in anything significant enough to matter you'll just get promoted to non-equity partner.

I'm not a lateral of counsel, but at my firm counsel have an hours reduction vs. the associate requirement (and partners have a further reduction). My hours were basically the same as counsel as they were when I was an associate.

[Anonymous User]

Without revealing specifics it’s basically the top level associate pay and bonus structure with a small increase on both. There’s an eat-what-you kill provision in there too which is a lesser version of what the partners get where I get a percentage cut of all the hours billed to a matter that I bring in. That will probably be zero though.

What are hours like?

Agreed on the comp, except at my firm there's not really an eat what you kill provision - if you really bring in anything significant enough to matter you'll just get promoted to non-equity partner.

I'm not a lateral of counsel, but at my firm counsel have an hours reduction vs. the associate requirement (and partners have a further reduction). My hours were basically the same as counsel as they were when I was an associate.

Can you share what the reduction was? The recruiter I'm talking to made it sound like I would basically be working senior associate hours and didn't mention anything about reduced hours requirements.