Top Law Schools

Hi all - junior associate at NYC V5. Came across lots of good advice on here when I was in law school, so thought I'd give it a shot again.

Looking to lateral to a firm that lets you do more general corporate work, as opposed to just doing one of M&A, Capital Markets, Finance/Credit or Funds. I want to get experience doing all of that, and I hope I'm still "junior enough" to be able to do that. Firms like Kirkland and Latham immediately come to mind, but I'm also looking for a place with more "humane" hours. I'd like to go in-house after a few more years of biglaw, and I want as much all-around corporate experience as possible. Going in-house isn't the only reason I'd like to make the move though - I know I can do that by staying in my current position for a few years. I also just genuinely want to do other corporate work besides M&A.

Now the ask(s):
(1) Which firms come to mind?
(2) How feasible is it to lateral as a 2nd year and not do just M&A (i.e., will another firm let me do some Cap. Markets/Finance/Funds work)?
(3) Am I just being unrealistic and/or should just stay put for another couple years then go in-house?

Don't care about being in the V10 or V20 or whatever. Do care about being in NYC and getting paid market.

THANKS!

You should look for smaller firms among the V100s. They tend to not have big enough corporate practices that it makes much sense to specialize juniors immediately. Sometimes they'll have juniors play double duty being the "junior associate" on both the finance and M&A portion of the same transaction (so answering to two separate teams of seniors) which is sort of hectic, but also a pretty interesting experience (as interesting as corporate law gets, that is).

Some firms that come to my mind: covington and akin. But if your goal is to go inhouse I’d just sit tight where you are. From my experience, M&A is the best for that purpose.

Stay at the NYC Vault 5 for a few more years. M&A is an expanding practice area currently. Your credibility will soar if you remain at such a prestigious firm for a few more years.
Also, do you have a finance or accounting background ? If so, your lateral options & in house desirability increase in a substantial way.

OP here: thanks for the helpful insight. Sounds like staying put for a few more years is the way to go.

I'm not sure exactly how their corporate group works or what kind of work you'd be exposed to, but I know Paul Weiss's corporate group has been extremely busy and has been hiring junior laterals.

Anonymous User wrote:Some firms that come to my mind: covington and akin. But if your goal is to go inhouse I’d just sit tight where you are. From my experience, M&A is the best for that purpose.

I think it depends on where you want to go in-house. In my experience (in Silicon Valley and Boston), it's harder to go in-house if you are specialized in M&A--there are only a few serial acquirors who want you (in the Valley--Google, Intel, Cisco, etc.) plus the rare M&A position that opens here and there. If you are a corporate generalist, you are more attractive to more in-house positions at private companies (and make no mistake, there are more in-house jobs at private companies that hire juniors or midlevels than public ones).

I would target any of the firms that do a lot of private company venture type work, because then you will do "lifecycle representation"--incorporations, securities offerings/routine financing, M&A and IPOs. You deal with employment and licensing issues too, as they relate to your clients. It'd look at WSGR, Cooley, Goodwin, Gunderson, Mintz, Perkins Coie and the like. GL!