How much does junior partner at top DC law firm make?

[Anonymous]

I went into academia after 3 years at a top nyc biglaw firm - took a massive salary cut. I’m now about 15 years out of law school. I can’t even count the number of former colleagues who are now biglaw partners who have asked for advice about how to transition into academia (it’s usually too late). The pressure does not disappear once you make partner. It only increases.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But once you are partner its almost impossible to be fired right? That has a lot of value too.

Hahahahaha!

Sigh.

Please explain. That is also what I heard. ALMOST impossible be fired once you are a big law partner, right? Not saying impossible, but ALMOST impossible.

You are thinking about the federal government attorneys. Oh, wait.....

Worked in a big law firm for over 10 years. Never remember a partner being fired. Give an example a big law parter being fired?

There are many ways to push a partner out without technically firing him/her. And it isn’t rare.

Partners get pushed out of top firms on a regular basis, all the time. It's extremely common.

+1

Inadvertently rode the elevator with a senior partner that got pushed out at our firm once. Literally, took his box of stuff and was departing the firm that second. They don't have to give them notice when they do it. It was a long ride. It definitely happens often, and it is definitely done as quietly as possible, for the most part. Also, they are not allowed to take their clients with them, or there are huge law suits that follow. Guess who usually wins? Not the guy who left. So much sh*t goes down at law firms that most employees don't know about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went into academia after 3 years at a top nyc biglaw firm - took a massive salary cut. I’m now about 15 years out of law school. I can’t even count the number of former colleagues who are now biglaw partners who have asked for advice about how to transition into academia (it’s usually too late). The pressure does not disappear once you make partner. It only increases.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But once you are partner its almost impossible to be fired right? That has a lot of value too.

Hahahahaha!

Sigh.

Please explain. That is also what I heard. ALMOST impossible be fired once you are a big law partner, right? Not saying impossible, but ALMOST impossible.

Technically equity partners can only be “expelled” by a vote of the partners in most firms. Usually a supermajority vote. But equity partners can certainly be counseled out or have their pay cut or be deequitized. Non equity/income partners can be fired.

Comp varies widely. Income partners in a real top firm are probably at $450-500k. Of course the top NY firms don’t have income partners and partners start in the $800k+ range. At a more standard big law firm it could be $350-400k.

[Anonymous]

good career advice for all the lawyers on this thread: https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2014/5/29/please-calculate-badly/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But once you are partner its almost impossible to be fired right? That has a lot of value too.

Hahahahaha!

Sigh.

Please explain. That is also what I heard. ALMOST impossible be fired once you are a big law partner, right? Not saying impossible, but ALMOST impossible.

You are thinking about the federal government attorneys. Oh, wait.....

Worked in a big law firm for over 10 years. Never remember a partner being fired. Give an example a big law parter being fired?

There are many ways to push a partner out without technically firing him/her. And it isn’t rare.

Partners get pushed out of top firms on a regular basis, all the time. It's extremely common.

+1

Inadvertently rode the elevator with a senior partner that got pushed out at our firm once. Literally, took his box of stuff and was departing the firm that second. They don't have to give them notice when they do it. It was a long ride. It definitely happens often, and it is definitely done as quietly as possible, for the most part. Also, they are not allowed to take their clients with them, or there are huge law suits that follow. Guess who usually wins? Not the guy who left. So much sh*t goes down at law firms that most employees don't know about.

This senior partner must be fired for cause (e.g. sexual harassment, stealing, etc.). Cannot image a firm let a senior partner go for merely performance reasons (eg not generating enough revenue)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But once you are partner its almost impossible to be fired right? That has a lot of value too.

Hahahahaha!

Sigh.

Please explain. That is also what I heard. ALMOST impossible be fired once you are a big law partner, right? Not saying impossible, but ALMOST impossible.

You are thinking about the federal government attorneys. Oh, wait.....

Worked in a big law firm for over 10 years. Never remember a partner being fired. Give an example a big law parter being fired?

There are many ways to push a partner out without technically firing him/her. And it isn’t rare.

Partners get pushed out of top firms on a regular basis, all the time. It's extremely common.

+1

Inadvertently rode the elevator with a senior partner that got pushed out at our firm once. Literally, took his box of stuff and was departing the firm that second. They don't have to give them notice when they do it. It was a long ride. It definitely happens often, and it is definitely done as quietly as possible, for the most part. Also, they are not allowed to take their clients with them, or there are huge law suits that follow. Guess who usually wins? Not the guy who left. So much sh*t goes down at law firms that most employees don't know about.

This senior partner must be fired for cause (e.g. sexual harassment, stealing, etc.). Cannot image a firm let a senior partner go for merely performance reasons (eg not generating enough revenue)

Are you a 1L or a 2L?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But once you are partner its almost impossible to be fired right? That has a lot of value too.

Hahahahaha!

Sigh.

Please explain. That is also what I heard. ALMOST impossible be fired once you are a big law partner, right? Not saying impossible, but ALMOST impossible.

You are thinking about the federal government attorneys. Oh, wait.....

Worked in a big law firm for over 10 years. Never remember a partner being fired. Give an example a big law parter being fired?

There are many ways to push a partner out without technically firing him/her. And it isn’t rare.

Partners get pushed out of top firms on a regular basis, all the time. It's extremely common.

+1

Inadvertently rode the elevator with a senior partner that got pushed out at our firm once. Literally, took his box of stuff and was departing the firm that second. They don't have to give them notice when they do it. It was a long ride. It definitely happens often, and it is definitely done as quietly as possible, for the most part. Also, they are not allowed to take their clients with them, or there are huge law suits that follow. Guess who usually wins? Not the guy who left. So much sh*t goes down at law firms that most employees don't know about.

This senior partner must be fired for cause (e.g. sexual harassment, stealing, etc.). Cannot image a firm let a senior partner go for merely performance reasons (eg not generating enough revenue)

Lol.

[Anonymous]

At a mid sized firm DH made partner at 32 and equity partner at 34. The year he became equity partner he made 375k. The buy in sucked and some other stuff we had to get used to. Luckily we had a healthy savings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But once you are partner its almost impossible to be fired right? That has a lot of value too.

Hahahahaha!

Sigh.

Please explain. That is also what I heard. ALMOST impossible be fired once you are a big law partner, right? Not saying impossible, but ALMOST impossible.

You are thinking about the federal government attorneys. Oh, wait.....

Worked in a big law firm for over 10 years. Never remember a partner being fired. Give an example a big law parter being fired?

There are many ways to push a partner out without technically firing him/her. And it isn’t rare.

Partners get pushed out of top firms on a regular basis, all the time. It's extremely common.

+1

Inadvertently rode the elevator with a senior partner that got pushed out at our firm once. Literally, took his box of stuff and was departing the firm that second. They don't have to give them notice when they do it. It was a long ride. It definitely happens often, and it is definitely done as quietly as possible, for the most part. Also, they are not allowed to take their clients with them, or there are huge law suits that follow. Guess who usually wins? Not the guy who left. So much sh*t goes down at law firms that most employees don't know about.

This senior partner must be fired for cause (e.g. sexual harassment, stealing, etc.). Cannot image a firm let a senior partner go for merely performance reasons (eg not generating enough revenue)

Meant to say “cannot imagine a senior partner being fired this way (took his box of stuff and departing immediately) for purely economic reasons”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But once you are partner its almost impossible to be fired right? That has a lot of value too.

Hahahahaha!

Sigh.

Please explain. That is also what I heard. ALMOST impossible be fired once you are a big law partner, right? Not saying impossible, but ALMOST impossible.

You are thinking about the federal government attorneys. Oh, wait.....

Worked in a big law firm for over 10 years. Never remember a partner being fired. Give an example a big law parter being fired?

There are many ways to push a partner out without technically firing him/her. And it isn’t rare.

Partners get pushed out of top firms on a regular basis, all the time. It's extremely common.

+1

Inadvertently rode the elevator with a senior partner that got pushed out at our firm once. Literally, took his box of stuff and was departing the firm that second. They don't have to give them notice when they do it. It was a long ride. It definitely happens often, and it is definitely done as quietly as possible, for the most part. Also, they are not allowed to take their clients with them, or there are huge law suits that follow. Guess who usually wins? Not the guy who left. So much sh*t goes down at law firms that most employees don't know about.

This senior partner must be fired for cause (e.g. sexual harassment, stealing, etc.). Cannot image a firm let a senior partner go for merely performance reasons (eg not generating enough revenue)

Lol.

+1 for the LOL. I will add that the numerous examples I have seen are usually because of mean boy/girl behavior more than anything else. As you get to the top of the peak the behavior gets much more intense and competitive. A lot of quiet infighting and behind-the-scenes deal-making. Biglaw definitely eats its own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But once you are partner its almost impossible to be fired right? That has a lot of value too.

Hahahahaha!

Sigh.

Please explain. That is also what I heard. ALMOST impossible be fired once you are a big law partner, right? Not saying impossible, but ALMOST impossible.

Technically equity partners can only be “expelled” by a vote of the partners in most firms. Usually a supermajority vote. But equity partners can certainly be counseled out or have their pay cut or be deequitized. Non equity/income partners can be fired.

Comp varies widely. Income partners in a real top firm are probably at $450-500k. Of course the top NY firms don’t have income partners and partners start in the $800k+ range. At a more standard big law firm it could be $350-400k.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But once you are partner its almost impossible to be fired right? That has a lot of value too.

LOL!!! Spoken like a 1L.

Or someone from 1990 or even 2000. This used to be largely true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But once you are partner its almost impossible to be fired right? That has a lot of value too.

Hahahahaha!

Sigh.

Please explain. That is also what I heard. ALMOST impossible be fired once you are a big law partner, right? Not saying impossible, but ALMOST impossible.

You are thinking about the federal government attorneys. Oh, wait.....

Worked in a big law firm for over 10 years. Never remember a partner being fired. Give an example a big law parter being fired?

There are many ways to push a partner out without technically firing him/her. And it isn’t rare.

Partners get pushed out of top firms on a regular basis, all the time. It's extremely common.

+1

Inadvertently rode the elevator with a senior partner that got pushed out at our firm once. Literally, took his box of stuff and was departing the firm that second. They don't have to give them notice when they do it. It was a long ride. It definitely happens often, and it is definitely done as quietly as possible, for the most part. Also, they are not allowed to take their clients with them, or there are huge law suits that follow. Guess who usually wins? Not the guy who left. So much sh*t goes down at law firms that most employees don't know about.

This senior partner must be fired for cause (e.g. sexual harassment, stealing, etc.). Cannot image a firm let a senior partner go for merely performance reasons (eg not generating enough revenue)

Lol.

+1 for the LOL. I will add that the numerous examples I have seen are usually because of mean boy/girl behavior more than anything else. As you get to the top of the peak the behavior gets much more intense and competitive. A lot of quiet infighting and behind-the-scenes deal-making. Biglaw definitely eats its own.

Are the partners with mean boy/girl behaviors being pushed out? Or mean partners push others (mean or non-mean) out?

[Anonymous]

$300K for junior non-equity partner. And our firm does not grant equity status as the two owners want it all for themselves.