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I'm in a junior associate in a major legal market, looking to lateral to NYC. I'm currently doing a mix of securities and M&A at a V50, and I'm not particularly interested in working in the NYC office. I'm trying to figure out how to leave without burning bridges or blind sighting people who feel like they invested a lot in me and who have no idea I'm unhappy in my current city. I'm not very close with anyone in my firm or my practice group, so I'm in a weird place where I'm not close enough to anyone to bring this up in a safe space.

Any tips on steps you took, should have taken, would advise against? Lessons learned? Any sense of the current openings for securities or M&A (particularly public M&A) in NYC? (I've poked around openings, but don't see specific openings, more just "email our recruiters" pages.)

I've polled the few people I know who have tried to transfer offices, and I get the understanding that you have to have a Person of Influence at the office you want to lateral to who will advocate to get you there, but if you try to go through the right steps and talk to staffing, they'll basically road block you from transferring. I don't have such a Person to go to. I also think moving to a shop with more strength in my particular practice area will be better = thus the idea of lateralling rather than just transferring offices.

Line up the job first. Have a good personal reason for leaving. People will care for one second.

I had the same fears when I lateraled. At the end of the day, no matter how angry or upset they are, they will remain cordial because you may still be a client in the future.

Biglaw has a high attrition rate. Most everyone leaves eventually. Nobody will be angry or upset, it’s all in the game.