Miami BigLaw Forum
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Miami BigLaw
Hello all.
I am top 3% at UMiami, law review, clinic experience. Should be in a good position for Biglaw (joy of joys). I am aiming to get into a very niche transactional practice in Miami.
There is one partner at Greenberg Traurig who is king of the hill in this practice, and generally well-liked. But, GT's reputation among associates is pretty horrific. Meanwhile, firms like Jones Day or Holland & Knight are quite good at this practice nationally, and have good reputations, but only a tenuous connection to the practice in Miami.
I use this example because it's my personal experience, but I suppose the broader question is: should one focus more on trying to work for an individual lawyer that is top of the game in a field in which they are interested, or go for the best firm available and hope to get tossed some of that work in order to maybe build a practice from scratch down the road?
Thanks in advance to everyone!
I am top 3% at UMiami, law review, clinic experience. Should be in a good position for Biglaw (joy of joys). I am aiming to get into a very niche transactional practice in Miami.
There is one partner at Greenberg Traurig who is king of the hill in this practice, and generally well-liked. But, GT's reputation among associates is pretty horrific. Meanwhile, firms like Jones Day or Holland & Knight are quite good at this practice nationally, and have good reputations, but only a tenuous connection to the practice in Miami.
I use this example because it's my personal experience, but I suppose the broader question is: should one focus more on trying to work for an individual lawyer that is top of the game in a field in which they are interested, or go for the best firm available and hope to get tossed some of that work in order to maybe build a practice from scratch down the road?
Thanks in advance to everyone!
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Re: Miami BigLaw
Congrats on positioning yourself well!
Of course, at this point, if you haven't yet begun the interview process, then it makes sense to mentally treat all three of those firms as though they are the single most important.
If you do get multiple offers in the bag, then I think an important relevant consideration would be your confidence level that you would be able to work with that specific partner if you were to go with GT. For example, did you interview with them and express an interest in / an explicit offer for that particular niche group?
Also, of course, "reputation among associates" is very partner and practice group specific. It may be the case that the partner that you'd like to work for in GT is notoriously good (or bad) with associates. If they're the exception to the rule, then it shouldn't matter too much that GT has a bad reputation in that aspect.
Of course, at this point, if you haven't yet begun the interview process, then it makes sense to mentally treat all three of those firms as though they are the single most important.
If you do get multiple offers in the bag, then I think an important relevant consideration would be your confidence level that you would be able to work with that specific partner if you were to go with GT. For example, did you interview with them and express an interest in / an explicit offer for that particular niche group?
Also, of course, "reputation among associates" is very partner and practice group specific. It may be the case that the partner that you'd like to work for in GT is notoriously good (or bad) with associates. If they're the exception to the rule, then it shouldn't matter too much that GT has a bad reputation in that aspect.
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Re: Miami BigLaw
That's extremely helpful, thanks so much.
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Re: Miami BigLaw
All else equal I’d say go to the firm that actually has the practice area you want, although you are right that GT Miami has a bad reputation wrt associate happiness.
All else isn’t equal though. H&K and JD pay more. So I’d follow the $ unless you want better QOL (and if that’s the case you shouldn’t be considering GT and should instead look at Akerman or Bilzin).
I don’t see a reason to work for GT Miami other than wanting to do latam work, but I’d say you might as well try NYC if you are dead set on that; I think all the big deals go through there instead.
Caveat: I’m a law student/recent grad and this is all anecdata and second hand info I put together while researching Miami firms.
All else isn’t equal though. H&K and JD pay more. So I’d follow the $ unless you want better QOL (and if that’s the case you shouldn’t be considering GT and should instead look at Akerman or Bilzin).
I don’t see a reason to work for GT Miami other than wanting to do latam work, but I’d say you might as well try NYC if you are dead set on that; I think all the big deals go through there instead.
Caveat: I’m a law student/recent grad and this is all anecdata and second hand info I put together while researching Miami firms.
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Re: Miami BigLaw
Thanks! I will say, despite its reputation, the career office says that the partners who fomented that atmosphere have all left. Not sure I believe that, but there it is. All things considered, I think I agree that starting off at huge firm like JD or H&K is probably the right call. If anything, it gives a view of the Miami legal market from 30,000 feet and with either of those names on the resume, I suppose lateraling to GT (or Bilzin, Akerman, Berger Singerman, etc.) would be very feasible if I decide that that's the right move. Lateraling from GT --> JD is probably less likely. Thanks again.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Tue Sep 15, 2020 12:13 amAll else equal I’d say go to the firm that actually has the practice area you want, although you are right that GT Miami has a bad reputation wrt associate happiness.
All else isn’t equal though. H&K and JD pay more. So I’d follow the $ unless you want better QOL (and if that’s the case you shouldn’t be considering GT and should instead look at Akerman or Bilzin).
I don’t see a reason to work for GT Miami other than wanting to do latam work, but I’d say you might as well try NYC if you are dead set on that; I think all the big deals go through there instead.
Caveat: I’m a law student/recent grad and this is all anecdata and second hand info I put together while researching Miami firms.
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Re: Miami BigLaw
There are a number of UM 2020 grads who summered at GT last year and accepted offers. There was also one who summered and then turned down her/his offer. They were all transactional. I’d suggest speaking to them about their experiences since they were in the exact same shoes as you.