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Featured Job Survey: Moving Expenses

moving van ATL ATL ATL Above the Law blog.jpgWe received almost 500 responses to last week's ATL / Lateral Link survey on relocation benefits, and it seems like another table-worthy set of results.

As with our running tables on clerkship bonuses, maternity leave, paternity leave, and signing bonuses and bar expenses, the moving-expenses table is a work in progress that will be updated from time to time, based on your greatly appreciated tips.

Is your firm missing? Spot an error? Please let us know.

In the meantime, last week's ATL / Lateral Link survey on whether you might have to pay everything back is still open.

Check out the full table, after the jump.

Relocation Benefits By Firm

Firm Moving Expenses Other Relocation Benefits
Allen & Overy Up to $3,000 reimbursement The firm will cover apartment broker fees.
Alston & Bird Vendor bills firm directly Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
Firm provides storage fees in addition to moving fees.
Arnold & Porter Vendor bills firm directly Arnold and Porter insures most valuables.
Baker Botts Vendor bills firm directly Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters.
Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders.
Firm covers gas mileage if you drive, or plane tickets if you fly out.
Baker Hostetler Up to $5,000 reimbursement
Bracewell & Giuliani Up to $3,000 reimbursement
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft Vendor bills firm directly Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters.
Preferred brokers will offer discounts on closing costs and fees
Choate Hall and Stewart Up to $2,000 reimbursement
Christensen, Glaser, Fink, Jacobs, Weil & Shapiro Up to $3,000 reimbursement Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
Cleary Gottlieb Vendor bills firm directly The firm will cover apartment broker fees.
Clifford Chance Vendor bills firm directly $10,000 stipend
Cooley Godward Kronish Vendor bills firm directly Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
Firm provides 2 months storage and multiple trips to transport your belongings
Covington & Burling Reasonable expenses reimbursed
Cravath, Swaine & Moore Vendor bills firm directly The firm will cover closing costs on a new home.
The firm will cover apartment broker fees.
Cullen and Dykman None.
Davis Polk & Wardwell Vendor bills firm directly Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
The firm will cover apartment broker fees.
The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters.
Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders.
Firm provides storage costs for up to 3 months.
Day Pitney $5,000 stipend
Dechert Vendor bills firm directly
Dewey & LeBoeuf Up to $3,000 reimbursement The firm will cover apartment broker fees.
The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters.
Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders and brokers.
Dorsey & Whitney Vendor bills firm directly Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
Drinker Biddle & Reath $2,000 stipend
Ellenoff Grossman & Schole None.
Finnegan Henderson Vendor bills firm directly Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
The firm will cover closing costs on a new home.
The firm will cover apartment broker fees.
The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters.
The firm will provide temporary furnished housing during search for new home.
Fish & Richardson Vendor bills firm directly Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
Firm covers travel for visit and home search
Foley & Lardner Up to $5,000 reimbursement Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders.
The firm guarantees a down payment loan.
Fried Frank $2,000 stipend
Fulbright & Jaworski Vendor bills firm directly
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher Vendor bills firm directly Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
Goodwin Procter Up to $3,000 reimbursement in Boston
Up to $3,500 reimbursement in New York
Vendor bills firm directly in DC

Hogan & Hartson Up to $5,000 reimbursement in New York
Vendor bills firm directly in DC and Denver
Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
Holland & Knight Up to $3,000 reimbursement Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders.
Hunton & Williams Vendor bills firm directly Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
Firm covers part of closing costs.
Irell & Manella Vendor bills firm directly
Jenner and Block Vendor bills firm directly The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters.
Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders.
Jones Day Vendor bills firm directly
King & Spalding Vendor bills firm directly
Kirkland & Ellis Vendor bills firm directly Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters.
Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders.
The firm will cover apartment broker fees.
The firm covers storage for furniture for up to 6 months.
The firm covers one trip to look for housing.
Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Preston Gates Ellis Up to $5,000 reimbursement The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters.
Latham & Watkins Up to $6,000 reimbursement Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
The firm will provide temporary furnished housing during search for new home.
Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders.
The firm will cover apartment broker fees.
The firm will reimburse airline travel or driving expenses.
Linklaters Vendor bills firm directly Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
The firm will cover apartment broker fees.
The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters.
The firm will provide temporary furnished housing during search for new home.
Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders.
The firm also provides a stipend and salary advance.
Lovells Up to $3,000 reimbursement Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
The firm will provide temporary furnished housing during search for new home.
Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps Vendor bills firm directly
Mayer Brown Up to $3,000 reimbursement Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders.
Firm reimburses expenses incurred in a pre-move visit.
McDermott, Will & Emery Up to $3,000 reimbursement
McGuireWoods Vendor bills firm directly Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
Travel expenses for one house-hunting trip.
McKee Nelson Up to $5,000 reimbursement
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius Vendor bills firm directly Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders.
Reimbursed moving expenses do not include packing costs.
Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell Up to $3,000 reimbursement Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
The firm will cover closing costs on a new home.
The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters.
Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders.
Munger Tolles & Olson Up to $5,000 reimbursement Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters.
O'Melveny & Myers Vendor bills firm directly Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters.
Firm will cover 3 months paid storage.
Firm will cover airfare.
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe Up to $5,000 reimbursement The firm will provide temporary furnished housing during search for new home.
Parker Poe None.
Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler Up to $2,500 reimbursement
Paul Hastings Vendor bills firm directly Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders.
Paul Weiss Vendor bills firm directly
Pillsbury Winthrop Vendor bills firm directly Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
Firm will cover cost of airfare.
Post & Schell, P.C. None.
Powell Goldstein Up to $5,000 reimbursement
Proskauer Up to $3,000 reimbursement The firm will cover apartment broker fees.
Quarles & Brady Vendor bills firm directly The firm will cover closing costs on a new home.
Quinn Emanuel Up to $10,000 reimbursement Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters.
Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders.
Reed Smith Up to $3,000 reimbursement
Ropes & Gray Vendor bills firm directly
Seward & Kissel None.
Shearman & Sterling Vendor bills firm directly Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
The firm will cover closing costs on a new home.
The firm will cover up to $1,500 in apartment broker fees.
The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters.
The firm will provide temporary furnished housing during search for new home.
Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton Vendor bills firm directly
Sidley Austin Up to $3,500 reimbursement in Chicago
Up to $5,000 reimbursement in NY
Up to $2,500 reimbursement in DC
Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters.
Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders.
The firm will represent employees in purchase of new home.
The firm pays for one round trip ticket for both the associate and spouse for house hunting.
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett Vendor bills firm directly Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
The firm will cover closing costs on a new home.
The firm will cover apartment broker fees.
Skadden $3,000 to $4,000 reimbursement Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
The firm will cover apartment broker fees.
The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters.
Firm will cover two nights at a hotel for house-hunting trip.
Steptoe & Johnson Vendor bills firm directly Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth Up to $4,000 reimbursement Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
Sullivan & Cromwell Vendor bills firm directly Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
The firm will cover closing costs on a new home.
The firm will cover apartment broker fees.
The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters.
The firm will provide temporary furnished housing during search for new home.
Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders.
Thompson Hine Up to $5,000 reimbursement Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
Troutman Sanders $1,500 stipend
Vinson & Elkins Vendor bills firm directly Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders.
Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz $1,000 stipend
Weil, Gotshal & Manges Vendor bills firm directly Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders.
Williams & Connolly Reasonable expenses up to a cap.
Willkie Farr & Gallagher Vendor bills firm directly Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
WilmerHale Vendor bills firm directly Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Vendor bills firm directly Relocation benefit includes moving your car.
Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders.
Womble Carlyle Vendor bills firm directly The firm will cover closing costs on a new home.
The firm will provide temporary furnished housing during search for new home.
Comments
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1 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 23, 2008 12:39 PM

Foley does not offer guaranteed loan to laterals. And 5K these days will move you down the street, not across the country.

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2 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 23, 2008 12:41 PM

Kirkland rules.

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3 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 23, 2008 12:41 PM

anyone know if quinn covers brokers fees/moving fees within new york?

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4 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 23, 2008 12:50 PM

How do you find out about benefits and their details if the firm is not listed here?

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5 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 23, 2008 12:59 PM

If the firm is not listed here, you should consider a new firm.

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6 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 23, 2008 1:07 PM

Question: for all the hours that Wachtell lawyers have to work, and given total comp of $320K or so last year (115K over market), how badly do the lack of additional perks start to cut into the difference?

So, $1K stipend versus thousands more for a CSM, S&C or DPW associate. A much less enjoyable summer experience (and less costly for the firm too). Much less free time generally, and possibly fewer additional perks (vacation time?) Anyone tried to add up the difference, particularly vacation time (which, if different could amount to $15K+). Granted the chance of making partner is higher at WLRK, but given who you are competing against (work ethic-wise) maybe that is a bit misleading too. Thoughts?

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7 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 23, 2008 1:17 PM

Does Clifford Chance really offer a $10k stipend as a relocation perk, or is that really a reference to the $10k salary advance (not stipend) offered to all incoming associates?

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8 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 23, 2008 1:20 PM

"Granted the chance of making partner is higher at WLRK. . ."

1:07, what are you soft? who says it's easier to make partner there?

re stipend package, even though WLRK appears to be cheap, the difference from S&C, CSM is not significant (esp. given the much higher total comp at WLRK, as you point out).

bottom line: no person in their right mind should make a decision affecting both their carreer and personal life based on an extra $1K for moving expenses.

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9 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 23, 2008 1:25 PM

Weil offered me $4K. I didn't know that others were getting offered direct billing of all expenses...interesting.

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10 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 23, 2008 1:25 PM

Anyone have information on Schulte's moving/relocation benefits?

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11 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 23, 2008 1:35 PM

why is Skadden being so cheap? No direct bill?

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12 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 23, 2008 1:58 PM

White & Case isn't here.

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13 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 23, 2008 2:22 PM

Please include whether these apply to laterals!

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14 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 23, 2008 2:22 PM

Paul Hastings explicity does not cover the costs of moving your car, which costs at least $1000 if you're moving cross-country. Another fun little moving surprise.

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15 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 23, 2008 2:29 PM

Hmmm, Weil offered me 6...

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16 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 23, 2008 2:32 PM

the obvious thing here is negotiate before you accept.

these days gas is getting crazy expensive. i would guess that moving half way across the country for a normal two-three person household will cost at least 15k.

if the firm wants you that bad, 5k is chump change to them and their multiple hundreds of millions of revenue. and they will squeeze that 5k out of you like an orange in the first couple of months, so no worries.

only thing i would suggest is making sure any repayment claus for early departure is pro-rata.

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17 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 23, 2008 2:51 PM

I emphatically second 2:32 on at least one point: Make damn sure that the repayment clause is pro rata (and not just for moving expenses; for bar leave stipends and bar study expenses, too, if you're a lateral to a new state), or at least negotiate it down to something like 3 or 6 months. This is not unreasonable, but many firms will try to screw you for at least 1 year, which if you're junior trying to get experience (or senior with a limited look for partnership), can be a very significant period of time.

<3, Disgruntled lateral tied to new firm for 1 year who doesn't have $25k to buy his way out.

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18 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 23, 2008 3:38 PM

Do firms pay if you want to change apartments, but actually live within the city you are going to work in?

If they don't, it's a pity, 'cause moving apartments ain't always cheap either....

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19 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 23, 2008 3:39 PM

Do firms for you if you want to change apartments, but actually live within the city you are going to work in?

If they don't, it's a pity, 'cause moving apartments ain't always cheap either....

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20 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 23, 2008 3:41 PM

SA will do direct billing and (I hear) adjusts moving costs with the market.

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21 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 23, 2008 3:49 PM

Cravath covers brokers fees and closing costs up to 3500 (which they pay as a taxable bonus), but not more than that - the chart should perhaps be adjusted to reflect that.

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22 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 23, 2008 3:52 PM

Also Cravath will SPLIT the cost with you of a flight to NY and 2 nights in a hotel to find housing - this is also paid a taxable bonus, so you are bearing the bulk of the cost.

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23 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 23, 2008 3:52 PM

Also Cravath will SPLIT the cost with you of a flight to NY and 2 nights in a hotel to find housing - this is also paid a taxable bonus, so you are bearing the bulk of the cost.

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24 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 23, 2008 3:58 PM

Yes, firms pay if you want to move across town because it's closer to your new job. They also generally pay for a broker fees whenever you change apartments, maximum of once per year. Finally, good places will send mailroom staff to pack and wrap all your stuff. Note that this last one is New York specific, and is because we don't usually have as much stuff.

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25 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 23, 2008 5:23 PM

3:58 is bs, right?

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26 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 23, 2008 7:02 PM

3:58 does sound like bs, but I know that S&C will pay moving expenses even if you have been living in the city before--the only difference is that if you move within the city (defined as less than 50 miles from the office or sg similar), the expenses are taxable compensation, whereas if you move from farther away, it's not.

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27 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 23, 2008 9:10 PM

I don't think the Latham information is correct. The brochure of benefits I received specifically said the firm won't pay for car shipping. It also made no mention of apartment brokers fees (in NY). These survey results may be based on what firms did last year, which could have significantly changed in light of the market.

Can anyone confirm or offer insight on Latham, particularly in NY?

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28 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, April 23, 2008 9:20 PM

FFHSJ gave me a 3k stipend this past fall. Not sure if it's been changed since.

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29 Posted by guest | Permalink Thursday, April 24, 2008 11:16 AM

Skadden does not pay to move your car and will not adjust the reimbursement amount for the location, above $4000.

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