local dm inhouse legal salaries

[Anonymous]

Considering going inhouse or government from corporate biglaw. What is your benefits package (salary, stock options, etc.) and how are your hours? Would you go inhouse or government (SEC)?

[Anonymous]

I hear sec has good stock options.

[Anonymous]

Dm?

[Anonymous]

If you search this forum you will find this question answered many times over.

[Anonymous]

You didn't say how senior you are and what salary ranges are acceptable to you? At the SEC -- there's a huge range of salaries for the same position based on how many yrs you were in biglaw; you seem to get more "credit" for the later yrs in biglaw than the earlier yrs. If you are a senior associate (7 yrs+) or partner, you can easily come in at 150-160k which I think is respectable despite the paycut. OTOH I was a bit surprised to learn that I have colleagues at the SEC who did 2-4 yrs in biglaw and many of them came in under 120k. Personally for me, that wouldn't even be a starting point. Sure raises here are larger than other agencies but they are % based so the higher you come in, the faster comp goes up.

[Anonymous]

six years big law
dm=dmv

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:six years big law
dm=dmv

I'd peg your SEC salary between $145-$150K depending on which of the HR people you get and how they apply the matrix. I'm assuming you have what would be considered "specialized" SEC experience rather than what they consider "relevant" experience.

[Anonymous]

You could get in the 120k range in house with 6 years experience (depending on the size of the company).

[Anonymous]

My inhouse salary is $135k + 20-25% bonus. I went from firm to gov to inhouse. Couldn't tolerate the govt culture of incompetency & the slow pace. I felt like I was becoming brain dead. I love everything about being inhouse except for the pay. I typically work anywhere from 40-50 hrs/week and get 4 weeks vacation.

[Anonymous]

Inhouse in DC area is incredibly competitive because we have so few large companies HQ'd here. The pay sucks compared to firms and even the financial regulators. And it is far more prone to layoffs than even firms. 120-130 is typical inhouse salary in DC area for people 5-7 yrs out of law school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Inhouse in DC area is incredibly competitive because we have so few large companies HQ'd here. The pay sucks compared to firms and even the financial regulators. And it is far more prone to layoffs than even firms. 120-130 is typical inhouse salary in DC area for people 5-7 yrs out of law school.

True, and even harder for litigators because only fairly large companies have much need for in-house litigation people. Flip side is litigators might have better options in gov than someone who did m&a or other transactional work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Inhouse in DC area is incredibly competitive because we have so few large companies HQ'd here. The pay sucks compared to firms and even the financial regulators. And it is far more prone to layoffs than even firms. 120-130 is typical inhouse salary in DC area for people 5-7 yrs out of law school.

True, and even harder for litigators because only fairly large companies have much need for in-house litigation people. Flip side is litigators might have better options in gov than someone who did m&a or other transactional work.

seems low to me but maybe market has changed. when I made the switch 10 years ago, in house was offering around 140K base plus another $50-60 bonus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Inhouse in DC area is incredibly competitive because we have so few large companies HQ'd here. The pay sucks compared to firms and even the financial regulators. And it is far more prone to layoffs than even firms. 120-130 is typical inhouse salary in DC area for people 5-7 yrs out of law school.

True, and even harder for litigators because only fairly large companies have much need for in-house litigation people. Flip side is litigators might have better options in gov than someone who did m&a or other transactional work.

seems low to me but maybe market has changed. when I made the switch 10 years ago, in house was offering around 140K base plus another $50-60 bonus.

In-house pay varies tremendously and is not lockstep like biglaw associate pay. Inhouse pay often has some link to what company pays nonlegal employees. I make 250k plus bonus inhouse at a company that generally pays well. I am a mediocre lawyer and do not work terribly hard. My friend from law school was a federal appellate clerk, works her butt off, and recently took an inhouse job for 150k.

[Anonymous]

In house $160 base $60k bonus potential that has never been paid at less than 75% and long term bonus of 80% of base each year. 15 years out of law school. Been in house entire career. Work 10-6 and telework 2-3 days a week.

[Anonymous]

Base is 80k for rust belt city to 350k for chief counsel. National company.