Biglaw - twelfth-year associate??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I posted earlier asking about the 6th year associate lawyer's practice area or specialty.

I am familiar with major accounting firm billings in a specialty (non-audit/non-assurance) area and a first year manager is billing at various rates (depending upon the client & the specific task performed) up to $900 per hour. Very common to give a 30% discount off the $900 hourly rate.

I’m in IP but rates are similar across the firm’s different practice groups. Roughly a third of my hours are discounted by 10-15% for major clients, which comes out to a 4-5% rounding error. The billable total is north of 2000 hr, which goes down to about 1800 hr after discounts and write offs.

Worth noting that 30 firms have $1.2M+ revenues per lawyer. Counsel billing rates are $1200+ and partners bill up to $2000. So plenty of others bringing in much more revenue.

I’m interested in IP. Would you mind sharing your billing rate?

[Anonymous]

They should make you show your biglaw partner decoder ring to post on this thread. So much misinformation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I posted earlier asking about the 6th year associate lawyer's practice area or specialty.

I am familiar with major accounting firm billings in a specialty (non-audit/non-assurance) area and a first year manager is billing at various rates (depending upon the client & the specific task performed) up to $900 per hour. Very common to give a 30% discount off the $900 hourly rate.

I’m in IP but rates are similar across the firm’s different practice groups. Roughly a third of my hours are discounted by 10-15% for major clients, which comes out to a 4-5% rounding error. The billable total is north of 2000 hr, which goes down to about 1800 hr after discounts and write offs.

Worth noting that 30 firms have $1.2M+ revenues per lawyer. Counsel billing rates are $1200+ and partners bill up to $2000. So plenty of others bringing in much more revenue.

I’m interested in IP. Would you mind sharing your billing rate?

$1000/hr

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Early retired Biglaw partner here. My abbreviated story: I was counsel for several years before being made partner. I wasn’t promoted because the firm decided after so many years that I was actually a brilliant writer and highly skilled practitioner who billed lots of hours and they just hadn’t notice. Nope. They promoted me only because - more out of dumb luck than anything else - a big client fell into my lap.

That’s how Biglaw works.

Reminds me of a Star Trek episode called "Tapestry". Some of the dialog was "Throughout your career you've had lofty goals, but you've never been willing to do what's necessary to attain them." and "If you want to get ahead, you have to take chances, stand out in a crowd, get noticed."

Sounds like the PP needs to do more to get noticed. Self-promotion is the only sort of promotion that is on the horizon. There are plenty of opportunities to get noticed in law. Speaking at conferences is an easy way. Find some conferences that might be of interest to your in-house counsel clients and ask them if they want to go in on a speaker proposal (it will help promote them as well, which is a good thing - but offer to do all of the work on the slides yourself). Speak at 4-5 conferences a year, put pre- and post-speaking announcements on your LinkedIn page, send an email to some of the partners in your firm about your recent speaking opportunity. etc.... Wash, rinse, repeat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Early retired Biglaw partner here. My abbreviated story: I was counsel for several years before being made partner. I wasn’t promoted because the firm decided after so many years that I was actually a brilliant writer and highly skilled practitioner who billed lots of hours and they just hadn’t notice. Nope. They promoted me only because - more out of dumb luck than anything else - a big client fell into my lap.

That’s how Biglaw works.

Reminds me of a Star Trek episode called "Tapestry". Some of the dialog was "Throughout your career you've had lofty goals, but you've never been willing to do what's necessary to attain them." and "If you want to get ahead, you have to take chances, stand out in a crowd, get noticed."

Sounds like the PP needs to do more to get noticed. Self-promotion is the only sort of promotion that is on the horizon. There are plenty of opportunities to get noticed in law. Speaking at conferences is an easy way. Find some conferences that might be of interest to your in-house counsel clients and ask them if they want to go in on a speaker proposal (it will help promote them as well, which is a good thing - but offer to do all of the work on the slides yourself). Speak at 4-5 conferences a year, put pre- and post-speaking announcements on your LinkedIn page, send an email to some of the partners in your firm about your recent speaking opportunity. etc.... Wash, rinse, repeat.

I see people do this, it makes perfect sense, I know I should, too, but still ... I don't. It's my own fault, of course. I'm a generalist, which doesn't translate naturally to that, imo. The firm isn't wrong to think that I won't be a big originator, though I also see others make partner who also don't seem much better at it individually but rather are just in a practice group or attached to a senior partner that can provide them with a steadier stream.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Early retired Biglaw partner here. My abbreviated story: I was counsel for several years before being made partner. I wasn’t promoted because the firm decided after so many years that I was actually a brilliant writer and highly skilled practitioner who billed lots of hours and they just hadn’t notice. Nope. They promoted me only because - more out of dumb luck than anything else - a big client fell into my lap.

That’s how Biglaw works.

Reminds me of a Star Trek episode called "Tapestry". Some of the dialog was "Throughout your career you've had lofty goals, but you've never been willing to do what's necessary to attain them." and "If you want to get ahead, you have to take chances, stand out in a crowd, get noticed."

Sounds like the PP needs to do more to get noticed. Self-promotion is the only sort of promotion that is on the horizon. There are plenty of opportunities to get noticed in law. Speaking at conferences is an easy way. Find some conferences that might be of interest to your in-house counsel clients and ask them if they want to go in on a speaker proposal (it will help promote them as well, which is a good thing - but offer to do all of the work on the slides yourself). Speak at 4-5 conferences a year, put pre- and post-speaking announcements on your LinkedIn page, send an email to some of the partners in your firm about your recent speaking opportunity. etc.... Wash, rinse, repeat.

I see people do this, it makes perfect sense, I know I should, too, but still ... I don't. It's my own fault, of course. I'm a generalist, which doesn't translate naturally to that, imo. The firm isn't wrong to think that I won't be a big originator, though I also see others make partner who also don't seem much better at it individually but rather are just in a practice group or attached to a senior partner that can provide them with a steadier stream.

Well, the bolded text is not where you are, so stop looking through the fence at how green the grass is on the other side. Neither is it likely that you'll have a big client drop into your lap like the PP. Accept the fact that you're in the dirt and it's up to you to grow something. Choosing to do nothing - like you are now - isn't an option. Furthermore, you're not really a generalist, so don't use that as an excuse. You have a specialty, even if you don't see it that way. In fact, the partners in your BIGLAW firm see it and they're paying you for it. But to them, that skill isn't enough to make you a partner. Rather, they're keeping you around because you make them money, and more importantly, do the work for their clients they don't want to do (but which needs to be done).

To be brutally honest, you seem to want to be a partner without doing what's necessary to achieve it. Either do the work, or forget about being a partner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Early retired Biglaw partner here. My abbreviated story: I was counsel for several years before being made partner. I wasn’t promoted because the firm decided after so many years that I was actually a brilliant writer and highly skilled practitioner who billed lots of hours and they just hadn’t notice. Nope. They promoted me only because - more out of dumb luck than anything else - a big client fell into my lap.

That’s how Biglaw works.

Reminds me of a Star Trek episode called "Tapestry". Some of the dialog was "Throughout your career you've had lofty goals, but you've never been willing to do what's necessary to attain them." and "If you want to get ahead, you have to take chances, stand out in a crowd, get noticed."

Sounds like the PP needs to do more to get noticed. Self-promotion is the only sort of promotion that is on the horizon. There are plenty of opportunities to get noticed in law. Speaking at conferences is an easy way. Find some conferences that might be of interest to your in-house counsel clients and ask them if they want to go in on a speaker proposal (it will help promote them as well, which is a good thing - but offer to do all of the work on the slides yourself). Speak at 4-5 conferences a year, put pre- and post-speaking announcements on your LinkedIn page, send an email to some of the partners in your firm about your recent speaking opportunity. etc.... Wash, rinse, repeat.

I see people do this, it makes perfect sense, I know I should, too, but still ... I don't. It's my own fault, of course. I'm a generalist, which doesn't translate naturally to that, imo. The firm isn't wrong to think that I won't be a big originator, though I also see others make partner who also don't seem much better at it individually but rather are just in a practice group or attached to a senior partner that can provide them with a steadier stream.

Well, the bolded text is not where you are, so stop looking through the fence at how green the grass is on the other side. Neither is it likely that you'll have a big client drop into your lap like the PP. Accept the fact that you're in the dirt and it's up to you to grow something. Choosing to do nothing - like you are now - isn't an option. Furthermore, you're not really a generalist, so don't use that as an excuse. You have a specialty, even if you don't see it that way. In fact, the partners in your BIGLAW firm see it and they're paying you for it. But to them, that skill isn't enough to make you a partner. Rather, they're keeping you around because you make them money, and more importantly, do the work for their clients they don't want to do (but which needs to be done).

To be brutally honest, you seem to want to be a partner without doing what's necessary to achieve it. Either do the work, or forget about being a partner.

Ha, as soon as I posted that, I knew you (or someone) would pounce on the bold language. Anyway, I don't disagree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Early retired Biglaw partner here. My abbreviated story: I was counsel for several years before being made partner. I wasn’t promoted because the firm decided after so many years that I was actually a brilliant writer and highly skilled practitioner who billed lots of hours and they just hadn’t notice. Nope. They promoted me only because - more out of dumb luck than anything else - a big client fell into my lap.

That’s how Biglaw works.

Reminds me of a Star Trek episode called "Tapestry". Some of the dialog was "Throughout your career you've had lofty goals, but you've never been willing to do what's necessary to attain them." and "If you want to get ahead, you have to take chances, stand out in a crowd, get noticed."

Sounds like the PP needs to do more to get noticed. Self-promotion is the only sort of promotion that is on the horizon. There are plenty of opportunities to get noticed in law. Speaking at conferences is an easy way. Find some conferences that might be of interest to your in-house counsel clients and ask them if they want to go in on a speaker proposal (it will help promote them as well, which is a good thing - but offer to do all of the work on the slides yourself). Speak at 4-5 conferences a year, put pre- and post-speaking announcements on your LinkedIn page, send an email to some of the partners in your firm about your recent speaking opportunity. etc.... Wash, rinse, repeat.

And if you do all that and still don’t build a book - they still won’t promote you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Early retired Biglaw partner here. My abbreviated story: I was counsel for several years before being made partner. I wasn’t promoted because the firm decided after so many years that I was actually a brilliant writer and highly skilled practitioner who billed lots of hours and they just hadn’t notice. Nope. They promoted me only because - more out of dumb luck than anything else - a big client fell into my lap.

That’s how Biglaw works.

Reminds me of a Star Trek episode called "Tapestry". Some of the dialog was "Throughout your career you've had lofty goals, but you've never been willing to do what's necessary to attain them." and "If you want to get ahead, you have to take chances, stand out in a crowd, get noticed."

Sounds like the PP needs to do more to get noticed. Self-promotion is the only sort of promotion that is on the horizon. There are plenty of opportunities to get noticed in law. Speaking at conferences is an easy way. Find some conferences that might be of interest to your in-house counsel clients and ask them if they want to go in on a speaker proposal (it will help promote them as well, which is a good thing - but offer to do all of the work on the slides yourself). Speak at 4-5 conferences a year, put pre- and post-speaking announcements on your LinkedIn page, send an email to some of the partners in your firm about your recent speaking opportunity. etc.... Wash, rinse, repeat.

And if you do all that and still don’t build a book - they still won’t promote you.

No, they won't - not just doing that. But if you don't do it, not only will they not promote you, they won't think about keeping you either. The worst thing that will happen if you self-promote is that you build a reputation outside of the firm. This is the biggest mistake that I see in-house counsel and law firm associates make. They think that doing good work is enough. It isn't and never was. Doing good work is table stakes, as that's what got you in the door.

[Anonymous]

I’m an Associate that is about 12 years out. I’m newish at a boutique firm that is well regarded in my practice area. Before that I was in government for a while. So in my case, I’m way behind in the firm game than others that came up in the system, but I knew that going in. I left gov for a pay bump now, and chance to increase. To be determined if it is worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m an Associate that is about 12 years out. I’m newish at a boutique firm that is well regarded in my practice area. Before that I was in government for a while. So in my case, I’m way behind in the firm game than others that came up in the system, but I knew that going in. I left gov for a pay bump now, and chance to increase. To be determined if it is worth it.

You made the right decision, but you're not typical of a law firm associate. That said, your government experience is a net positive, as it makes you marketable t9 your firm's clients. But you're at a boutique, not BIGLAW, so your longevity is more determined by "fit" than finance. Boutiques don't take on as many associates, and your chances are higher at making partner, particularly with a likely lower business generation requirement.