Anyone move from in-house counsel to law firm?

[Anonymous]

A question for private sector lawyers out there: I am an experienced senior in-house counsel. My company recently merged and the controlling company drastically downsized our group, including my position. I would like to find another in-house job, but the market seems pretty tight in this area. (For family/spouse reasons, relocation is not an option.) While I prefer in-house to private practice, I would be open to the latter. Many lawyers make the move from firm life to in-house, but has anyone had a successful experience going the other way? If you have, how did you go about it? While there is some specialization in-house, the development of general, multiple legal skills applicable to the business is highly valued. However, firm practitioners are more and more highly specialized. I would be curious to hear perspectives.

[Anonymous]

To move from in-house to a firm you either need to be able to bring your old company as a client (and a good one) or you need to have such a reputation in your industry that you are a marketing asset to the firm.

Given your description of the situation with your company, odds are the GC has his own preferences for firms.

If you're in a regulated industry, you might have more luck on the government side of things with your regulator (or one similar to it).

[Anonymous]

Specialized skillsets would be marketable

[Anonymous]

Well, since you are more of a generalist, I think that your best bet would be to deliver your former company as a client. If you cannot do that, your best option (and what I did) would be to focus on law firms that have practice groups in the indsutry that your company was in. My example, a practice group that has a significant Financial Services practice may consider a someone from a Financial Services company who is well vesred in the general, multiple legal skills applicable to Financial Services companies. You would have to market yourself in that way to get any looks. It worked for me but I was not "senior" in house (I was AGC level in the pecking order although I was seasoned) and I went to the firm as a senior associate.

[Anonymous]

It's doable but doing it through networking is your best option. I would start with law firms that your company works with who know you and who work with similar companies in similar industries. I would not count on coming in as a partner in this market - counsel or senior counsel is probably the best you can count on.

- BDTD