The Aspiring Lateral: Downsizing From Biglaw

If you're thinking of leaving Biglaw, a mid-sized firm might be a good place to land. But how will you be able to tell?

Ed. note: The Aspiring Lateral, a new series from Levenfeld Pearlstein, will analyze a variety of issues surrounding lateral moves, drawing on the firm’s experience in the lateral market as well as the individual experiences of LP attorneys. Today’s post is written by Laura Friedel, a partner in the firm’s Labor & Employment group.

In the legal profession, the view from the top is pretty good. If you’ve been lucky enough to snag a position at one of the 100 or so firms loosely defined as “Biglaw,” you’re probably looking out a window near the top of a shiny skyscraper. You probably have a nice cafeteria down the hall. Who knows: at your glam partner retreats, you may even take chartered boats down the Thames.

The point is, while that view from Biglaw is a good one, it’s not the easiest vantage point to assess your career options. I’ve been there. And when I began to think about alternatives to a Biglaw practice, I admit I did not fully realize that mid-sized firms even existed. In my mind, there were Biglaw firms, boutiques, and that’s about it. I was something like the native New Yorker who is only dimly aware that a mass of states lies between herself and the only other meaningful part of the country, California.

Thankfully, just as flyover states do in fact exist, so too do mid-sized firms that provide sophisticated, full-service capabilities to their clients. For the Biglaw practitioner facing rate pressure from clients, frustrations with the anonymity that goes with mega-firm practice, or perhaps nosebleeds from the trip up the elevator, they are worth considering along with obvious alternatives such as in-house positions.

And as Biglaw lawyers investigate mid-sized firms, they will likely find more misperceptions falling away. I’ll share a few here that opened my eyes further, and that make the mid-sized firm alternative an attractive one…

First, although the temptation is to associate smaller firms with fewer resources, that is not always the case. Sure, if eating your dinners at that cafeteria is an important benefit to you, mid-sized firms can’t compete. However, while each firm is different, the smaller scale of mid-sized firms can give lawyers greater access to the most important resources: the marketing department, IT, accounting, and colleagues in other substantive areas.

Sponsored

Second, the assumption that smaller firms mean smaller paychecks is not always correct. Just because a firm’s PPP doesn’t show up in Am Law doesn’t mean it is smaller than those that do, and a Biglaw attorney only holding off a move due to “golden handcuffs” should put in a little research before chaining himself to that desk.

A final common assumption is that the sophistication of one’s work will decrease at a smaller firm. I was pleasantly surprised at just how wrong I was on this count. One thing I did not appreciate at my former “Biglaw” firm was the extent of interesting work that our rate structure foreclosed. While I still serve the types of clients I was working with in Biglaw, in moving to a mid-sized firm I was happy to discover the opportunity to work with a much wider range of clients, each with complex, interesting legal issues.

Of course, the decision to transition from Biglaw to a mid-sized firm is an individual one — and not right for everyone. Here are three important questions that anyone considering the move should contemplate:

  • What skills do I bring to the table? When Biglaw firms hire attorneys out of law school, they are interested in certain criteria: grade points, journal experience, clerkships. Mid-sized firms hiring laterals are likely to be looking for much more specific qualities. The best way to know if you will fit with any given mid-sized firm is to have a clear idea of the talents that you bring to the table. Are you a great brief writer who will make an excellent service partner for a litigation department? A rainmaker who wants to help build an FDA practice? Figure out what you offer, and the right firm will be interested.
  • Will I have the network I need? Moving to a mid-sized firm has significant advantages in terms of growing your practice. Because you are not viewed as a “threat” by your former colleagues, they are a great source of referral work. Beyond that, however, you do want to be sure that you will have the support network you need at the mid-sized practice you are considering. Will your clients have access to the complementary practices they did at your old firm, for instance? This is an important question to consider before making any final decisions.
  • What am I getting out of Biglaw? Everyone has their own reasons for being in Biglaw. They might have to do with prestige, self-perception, or that great view. Or they may have to do with the fact that a particular practice area is uniquely suited to Biglaw. All of these reasons are valid reasons to stay in Biglaw. But the key is to have the conversation with yourself and make sure that you understand your reasons for staying in Biglaw.

Think about your reasons for staying in Biglaw before you decide to leave, but if you do decide that Biglaw might not be the place for you going forward, it’s worth considering the mid-sized alternative.

Sponsored

Disclosure: This series is sponsored by Levenfeld Pearlstein, which is an ATL advertiser.


Chicago-based Levenfeld Pearlstein (LP) was born of the desire to create a different kind of law firm. While many firms promote a “value proposition” of high quality work, responsiveness, efficiency and reasonable fees, to LP, those are just the basics of doing good work for clients. LP’s focus is building business relationships with clients as trusted strategic advisors who understand their clients’ business and industry inside and out, seeking legal solutions that support the client’s long-term business strategy as well as short-term needs. LP’s top talent and entrepreneurial setting translate into the sophisticated skills and resources of a big law firm in a more manageable environment.