Big Law and conspicuous shows of wealth

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are from old money can you really say there’s “lots of money” in big law?

Not even sure what old money means in this context.

Met very few biglaw families like this. They tend more to live large but as a family.

Maybe it’s just my circle but I don’t even know many big law attorneys who really live large. I can think of 3: two who are very high up in their firms and one who has a trust fund (the one with a trust fund doesn’t live conspicuously, but she does all the wealthy things, rather than having to pick and choose like most big law attorneys do).

Really. 20 year partners mostly have $2 million plus homes, beach house, possibly another house 1-3 country clubs. Nice expensive cars -- Mercedes, BMW, mostly fly themselves and family first class. Europe and Caribbean every year. If they ski -- then that.

? I've never known a DC-based partner who lives like this and both me and my husband have been in biglaw 10 years

I don't know a non-new partner who does not live like this. Maybe we are thinking of different firms?

Then say the firm you mean. Truly, I know so so so many partners who have been partner a long time and having the FULL list above (not picking and choosing priorities like beach house vs multiple international vacations a year) is unusual for DC-based partners. Especially when they typically have 2-3 kids in private schools or colleges and involved with expensive extracurriculars.

I’ll name some firms: Arnold and Porter, Covington and Burling, Wilmerhale, Latham, Gibson Dunn, Davis Polk…

I agree that many many partners don’t have flashy things (and many are just not car people) but private schools, beach house, expensive vacations, 2M+ house? Yes, for sure, easily.

This. We ALL do. This debate is stupid. What do you think people that make $2 million a year spend their money on.

If is a stupid conversation because people have jumped from big law attorneys to big law partners to big law partners who have been there for 20 years. I was the PP who said that I only know a few big law attorneys who live large and somebody responded with “big law partners who have been there for 20 years do.” Okay, but that wasn’t the question was it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are from old money can you really say there’s “lots of money” in big law?

Not even sure what old money means in this context.

Met very few biglaw families like this. They tend more to live large but as a family.

Maybe it’s just my circle but I don’t even know many big law attorneys who really live large. I can think of 3: two who are very high up in their firms and one who has a trust fund (the one with a trust fund doesn’t live conspicuously, but she does all the wealthy things, rather than having to pick and choose like most big law attorneys do).

Really. 20 year partners mostly have $2 million plus homes, beach house, possibly another house 1-3 country clubs. Nice expensive cars -- Mercedes, BMW, mostly fly themselves and family first class. Europe and Caribbean every year. If they ski -- then that.

? I've never known a DC-based partner who lives like this and both me and my husband have been in biglaw 10 years

I don't know a non-new partner who does not live like this. Maybe we are thinking of different firms?

Then say the firm you mean. Truly, I know so so so many partners who have been partner a long time and having the FULL list above (not picking and choosing priorities like beach house vs multiple international vacations a year) is unusual for DC-based partners. Especially when they typically have 2-3 kids in private schools or colleges and involved with expensive extracurriculars.

I’ll name some firms: Arnold and Porter, Covington and Burling, Wilmerhale, Latham, Gibson Dunn, Davis Polk…

I agree that many many partners don’t have flashy things (and many are just not car people) but private schools, beach house, expensive vacations, 2M+ house? Yes, for sure, easily.

This. We ALL do. This debate is stupid. What do you think people that make $2 million a year spend their money on.

If is a stupid conversation because people have jumped from big law attorneys to big law partners to big law partners who have been there for 20 years. I was the PP who said that I only know a few big law attorneys who live large and somebody responded with “big law partners who have been there for 20 years do.” Okay, but that wasn’t the question was it?

Conversation changed. Need to keep up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are from old money can you really say there’s “lots of money” in big law?

Not even sure what old money means in this context.

Met very few biglaw families like this. They tend more to live large but as a family.

Maybe it’s just my circle but I don’t even know many big law attorneys who really live large. I can think of 3: two who are very high up in their firms and one who has a trust fund (the one with a trust fund doesn’t live conspicuously, but she does all the wealthy things, rather than having to pick and choose like most big law attorneys do).

Really. 20 year partners mostly have $2 million plus homes, beach house, possibly another house 1-3 country clubs. Nice expensive cars -- Mercedes, BMW, mostly fly themselves and family first class. Europe and Caribbean every year. If they ski -- then that.

? I've never known a DC-based partner who lives like this and both me and my husband have been in biglaw 10 years

I don't know a non-new partner who does not live like this. Maybe we are thinking of different firms?

Then say the firm you mean. Truly, I know so so so many partners who have been partner a long time and having the FULL list above (not picking and choosing priorities like beach house vs multiple international vacations a year) is unusual for DC-based partners. Especially when they typically have 2-3 kids in private schools or colleges and involved with expensive extracurriculars.

I’ll name some firms: Arnold and Porter, Covington and Burling, Wilmerhale, Latham, Gibson Dunn, Davis Polk…

I agree that many many partners don’t have flashy things (and many are just not car people) but private schools, beach house, expensive vacations, 2M+ house? Yes, for sure, easily.

This. We ALL do. This debate is stupid. What do you think people that make $2 million a year spend their money on.

If is a stupid conversation because people have jumped from big law attorneys to big law partners to big law partners who have been there for 20 years. I was the PP who said that I only know a few big law attorneys who live large and somebody responded with “big law partners who have been there for 20 years do.” Okay, but that wasn’t the question was it?

Also hate to break it to you but partners at the above firms who are in their late 30s and early 40s are easily making that much and definitely buying all those things. You don't need to have been in big law for 20 years. You just have to make it as a partner (and many of the top firms only have equity partnership...)

They are NOT, however, buying their friends random expensive gifts, so I'm really curious what in the world the OP was talking about!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are from old money can you really say there’s “lots of money” in big law?

Not even sure what old money means in this context.

Met very few biglaw families like this. They tend more to live large but as a family.

Maybe it’s just my circle but I don’t even know many big law attorneys who really live large. I can think of 3: two who are very high up in their firms and one who has a trust fund (the one with a trust fund doesn’t live conspicuously, but she does all the wealthy things, rather than having to pick and choose like most big law attorneys do).

Really. 20 year partners mostly have $2 million plus homes, beach house, possibly another house 1-3 country clubs. Nice expensive cars -- Mercedes, BMW, mostly fly themselves and family first class. Europe and Caribbean every year. If they ski -- then that.

? I've never known a DC-based partner who lives like this and both me and my husband have been in biglaw 10 years

I don't know a non-new partner who does not live like this. Maybe we are thinking of different firms?

Then say the firm you mean. Truly, I know so so so many partners who have been partner a long time and having the FULL list above (not picking and choosing priorities like beach house vs multiple international vacations a year) is unusual for DC-based partners. Especially when they typically have 2-3 kids in private schools or colleges and involved with expensive extracurriculars.

I’ll name some firms: Arnold and Porter, Covington and Burling, Wilmerhale, Latham, Gibson Dunn, Davis Polk…

I agree that many many partners don’t have flashy things (and many are just not car people) but private schools, beach house, expensive vacations, 2M+ house? Yes, for sure, easily.

This. We ALL do. This debate is stupid. What do you think people that make $2 million a year spend their money on.

If is a stupid conversation because people have jumped from big law attorneys to big law partners to big law partners who have been there for 20 years. I was the PP who said that I only know a few big law attorneys who live large and somebody responded with “big law partners who have been there for 20 years do.” Okay, but that wasn’t the question was it?

Also hate to break it to you but partners at the above firms who are in their late 30s and early 40s are easily making that much and definitely buying all those things. You don't need to have been in big law for 20 years. You just have to make it as a partner (and many of the top firms only have equity partnership...)

They are NOT, however, buying their friends random expensive gifts, so I'm really curious what in the world the OP was talking about!

No, partners in their late thirties at those firms are not making 2M a year. I just looked it up and the average big law partner makes 1.3M. Let's say the average partner at more prestigious firms makes 2M, which means that you have to be farther along than late thirties to be making that.

DH is a (brand new this year) partner at a V20 firm. I did just buy my friend some rifle and paper co. dessert plates from Anthropologie. Maybe I'm part of the problem.

[Anonymous]

This is such a silly, meaningless, and inappropriate discussion. Big law partners run a very wide gamut in terms of income. A big time rainmaking partner at a truly elite firm can make over $10 million, but there are lots of rank and file partners who make six figure salaries, even low to mid six figures, which by DC standards are comfortable upper middle class, but nothing more. I know because I used to be one. And here's a news flash, big law partners are human beings, not robots, which means that no two are alike and they all choose to spend and show off (or not) whatever they do earn in their own way. So you can find an example of some partner in some firm to support whatever meaningless point you want to make ("they all have beach houses.") But so what???? The OP started this thread with a really dumb question that I could barely understand, and now everybody is arguing over nothing. And by the way, it has nothing to do with relationships, which is what this forum is supposed to be about. Can we end the discussion please?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is such a silly, meaningless, and inappropriate discussion. Big law partners run a very wide gamut in terms of income. A big time rainmaking partner at a truly elite firm can make over $10 million, but there are lots of rank and file partners who make six figure salaries, even low to mid six figures, which by DC standards are comfortable upper middle class, but nothing more. I know because I used to be one. And here's a news flash, big law partners are human beings, not robots, which means that no two are alike and they all choose to spend and show off (or not) whatever they do earn in their own way. So you can find an example of some partner in some firm to support whatever meaningless point you want to make ("they all have beach houses.") But so what???? The OP started this thread with a really dumb question that I could barely understand, and now everybody is arguing over nothing. And by the way, it has nothing to do with relationships, which is what this forum is supposed to be about. Can we end the discussion please?

Thank you for your contribution. It was enlightening and brought up points no one has ever thought of before. How helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know a lot of BigLaw people, because I am one, and I also come from an old money community. Old money people are super showy, just in very different ways. How about all those horses you have, the boarding school you, your parents, grandparents and great-grandparents all attended, the homes in prime locations that have been in the family "for generations", etc. etc. etc.


And I don't know any BigLaw person who does what you're describing. They don't have time to buy random gifts for their friends because they're always effing working.

Why do all of the supposed BigLaw people on this thread not know how to correctly place the punctuation inside the quotations marks?

It is not a typo, because it occurs over and over again, in this thread, unless it's the same person who cannot get it right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Love these old money people who feel they are better because they are "low key". I know a couple of old money folks (and a lot more that are not really "old money" but aspire to "old money values", and none of these people are as low key as they think they are. In most ways they are very obviously in a big giant bubble of privilege and ignorance.

+1000 and never go to dinner with them. Always split the bill to the penny. Relax.

And again. "low key."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a lot of BigLaw people, because I am one, and I also come from an old money community. Old money people are super showy, just in very different ways. How about all those horses you have, the boarding school you, your parents, grandparents and great-grandparents all attended, the homes in prime locations that have been in the family "for generations", etc. etc. etc.


And I don't know any BigLaw person who does what you're describing. They don't have time to buy random gifts for their friends because they're always effing working.

Why do all of the supposed BigLaw people on this thread not know how to correctly place the punctuation inside the quotations marks?

It is not a typo, because it occurs over and over again, in this thread, unless it's the same person who cannot get it right.

It depends on whether you are using the phrase or mentioning the phrase.

He was, in the words of Abraham Lincoln, a "real jerk."

Abraham Lincoln liked the phrase "real jerk".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are from old money can you really say there’s “lots of money” in big law?

Not even sure what old money means in this context.

Met very few biglaw families like this. They tend more to live large but as a family.

Maybe it’s just my circle but I don’t even know many big law attorneys who really live large. I can think of 3: two who are very high up in their firms and one who has a trust fund (the one with a trust fund doesn’t live conspicuously, but she does all the wealthy things, rather than having to pick and choose like most big law attorneys do).

Really. 20 year partners mostly have $2 million plus homes, beach house, possibly another house 1-3 country clubs. Nice expensive cars -- Mercedes, BMW, mostly fly themselves and family first class. Europe and Caribbean every year. If they ski -- then that.

? I've never known a DC-based partner who lives like this and both me and my husband have been in biglaw 10 years

I don't know a non-new partner who does not live like this. Maybe we are thinking of different firms?

Then say the firm you mean. Truly, I know so so so many partners who have been partner a long time and having the FULL list above (not picking and choosing priorities like beach house vs multiple international vacations a year) is unusual for DC-based partners. Especially when they typically have 2-3 kids in private schools or colleges and involved with expensive extracurriculars.

I’ll name some firms: Arnold and Porter, Covington and Burling, Wilmerhale, Latham, Gibson Dunn, Davis Polk…

I agree that many many partners don’t have flashy things (and many are just not car people) but private schools, beach house, expensive vacations, 2M+ house? Yes, for sure, easily.

This. We ALL do. This debate is stupid. What do you think people that make $2 million a year spend their money on.

If is a stupid conversation because people have jumped from big law attorneys to big law partners to big law partners who have been there for 20 years. I was the PP who said that I only know a few big law attorneys who live large and somebody responded with “big law partners who have been there for 20 years do.” Okay, but that wasn’t the question was it?

Also hate to break it to you but partners at the above firms who are in their late 30s and early 40s are easily making that much and definitely buying all those things. You don't need to have been in big law for 20 years. You just have to make it as a partner (and many of the top firms only have equity partnership...)

They are NOT, however, buying their friends random expensive gifts, so I'm really curious what in the world the OP was talking about!

No, partners in their late thirties at those firms are not making 2M a year. I just looked it up and the average big law partner makes 1.3M. Let's say the average partner at more prestigious firms makes 2M, which means that you have to be farther along than late thirties to be making that.

DH is a (brand new this year) partner at a V20 firm. I did just buy my friend some rifle and paper co. dessert plates from Anthropologie. Maybe I'm part of the problem.

Just FYI the PPP at the firms named is way more than 1.3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a lot of BigLaw people, because I am one, and I also come from an old money community. Old money people are super showy, just in very different ways. How about all those horses you have, the boarding school you, your parents, grandparents and great-grandparents all attended, the homes in prime locations that have been in the family "for generations", etc. etc. etc.


And I don't know any BigLaw person who does what you're describing. They don't have time to buy random gifts for their friends because they're always effing working.

Why do all of the supposed BigLaw people on this thread not know how to correctly place the punctuation inside the quotations marks?

It is not a typo, because it occurs over and over again, in this thread, unless it's the same person who cannot get it right.

Oh dear. How embarrassing for you.

[Anonymous]

Lol, I would like all my Big Law friends to know that they are WELCOME to buy me random expensive gifts for me and my children, invite me to lavish over-the-top parties, and treat me to expensive meals at Michlin starred restaurants. I will not complain, and I definitely will not post anonymous threads on DCUM explaining that it makes me "uncomfortable". I'd be very, very comfortable with this! Go for it! Sounds great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lol, I would like all my Big Law friends to know that they are WELCOME to buy me random expensive gifts for me and my children, invite me to lavish over-the-top parties, and treat me to expensive meals at Michlin starred restaurants. I will not complain, and I definitely will not post anonymous threads on DCUM explaining that it makes me "uncomfortable". I'd be very, very comfortable with this! Go for it! Sounds great.

+1. My toddler would like some $400 mittens, please.

[Anonymous]

You are a lot, OP. A lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a lot of BigLaw people, because I am one, and I also come from an old money community. Old money people are super showy, just in very different ways. How about all those horses you have, the boarding school you, your parents, grandparents and great-grandparents all attended, the homes in prime locations that have been in the family "for generations", etc. etc. etc.


And I don't know any BigLaw person who does what you're describing. They don't have time to buy random gifts for their friends because they're always effing working.

Why do all of the supposed BigLaw people on this thread not know how to correctly place the punctuation inside the quotations marks?

It is not a typo, because it occurs over and over again, in this thread, unless it's the same person who cannot get it right.

It depends on whether you are using the phrase or mentioning the phrase.

He was, in the words of Abraham Lincoln, a "real jerk."

Abraham Lincoln liked the phrase "real jerk".

Incorrect. Benjamin Dreyer, copy chief at Random House and author of Dreyer’s English, says that in America, a comma or period always goes inside the quotation marks. In the UK it is more complicated.