How much notice to give firm if making lateral move? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Unrelated but anyone know how much time a typical lateral move takes? From submitting resume via associate referral/portal? Or from interview to offer and acceptance?

How much notice is appropriate if you are the only associate in the group (niche practice area and 2.5 busy partners to 1 overworked associate)? I am in a small group and I could raise it earlier with them and we're a close enough team that I feel that would be most appropriate, but feelings could change when that happens..

I'm mostly worried about conflicts checks and how long that takes but wanting to give my current firm enough notice since they will be completely screwed if I leave and they don't have some plan or resources lined up to help.

[Anonymous User]

I submitted my resume through personal connections at firms. I received offers within a few days. I’ve been told that conflicts usually takes 2-3 weeks, but can take a month if it’s messy. Ive also been told that you should put it your notice once you clear conflicts.

I’m going through conflicts now. I haven’t decided how much notice to give once I clear. I’ve decided to keep my head down and not let anyone know. I’m also in a very small group and the partners/senior associates are going to be very surprised when I give notice. It just feels messy to let people know now when I don’t have a realistic timeline of when my last day will be.

[Anonymous User]

I submitted my resume through personal connections at firms. I received offers within a few days. I’ve been told that conflicts usually takes 2-3 weeks, but can take a month if it’s messy. Ive also been told that you should put it your notice once you clear conflicts.

I’m going through conflicts now. I haven’t decided how much notice to give once I clear. I’ve decided to keep my head down and not let anyone know. I’m also in a very small group and the partners/senior associates are going to be very surprised when I give notice. It just feels messy to let people know now when I don’t have a realistic timeline of when my last day will be.

Can I ask which firms you applied for and what your interviews were like? No worries if you want to not share.

I am feeling a lot of guilt for the situation that my team will end up in if I leave. What motivated you to lateral?

[nixy]

Keep in mind that your firm’s decision to staff your group so leanly isn’t your fault and they will deal with it when you leave. You could get covid or hit by a bus and they would have to handle it, so don’t feel too guilty about leaving them in the lurch. It’s just how things work.

[kaiser]

2-3 weeks is standard, and they will usually say take as much time as you need. And then just be diligent about transitioning everything. If people brush you off, then its just going to create problems for them when your work gets dumped on them without the info and context you would have given them.

[Anonymous User]

I submitted my resume through personal connections at firms. I received offers within a few days. I’ve been told that conflicts usually takes 2-3 weeks, but can take a month if it’s messy. Ive also been told that you should put it your notice once you clear conflicts.

I’m going through conflicts now. I haven’t decided how much notice to give once I clear. I’ve decided to keep my head down and not let anyone know. I’m also in a very small group and the partners/senior associates are going to be very surprised when I give notice. It just feels messy to let people know now when I don’t have a realistic timeline of when my last day will be.

Can I ask which firms you applied for and what your interviews were like? No worries if you want to not share.

I am feeling a lot of guilt for the situation that my team will end up in if I leave. What motivated you to lateral?

I applied for regional midlaw firms that specialize in my practice area (trying not to out myself). I only had one round each. One firm had me meet each person on the team for 20 mins each. The other firm had me meet people in pairs from multiple offices for 20 min each. Questions revolves around the types of projects I’ve worked on, level of responsibility, what I’m interested in, etc.

I’m leaving because of the partners in my group. They are exactly what you read about in other threads. I’ve come to the realization that there’s no amount of money that can get rid of the freak out I have every time I see their names come across my phone or computer. Regarding level of guilt, I’m thinking about seeing if I can push out my start date so that I can tie up matters for the people that I like. Honestly, I think the group is going to be screwed if I leave but they should have been nicer. I know that’s petty and some people will say “that’s biglaw,” but I’m done with it.

[Anonymous User]

I wouldn't give notice until I had a signed offer and had cleared conflicts (or any other potential hurdles that might get in the way). i.e. only give notice once it's a sure thing.

I second 2-3 weeks. A month if you're working on really complex matters and your new employer is ok with waiting (just because they say take as long as you need doesn't mean they'll be happy about it). You want to have enough time to ensure a smooth handover - you never know when you'll meet the same people again, so you don't want to burn any bridges.