Could Someone Give me Advice on Transitioning from a Regional Firm to a Corporate Law Firm?

[Elizashahh]

Hello there,

I am an associate at a well regarded regional law firm; where I have been practicing corporate law for about three years. While I have gained solid experience in mergers and acquisitions; commercial contracts, and corporate governance; I have been considering making the leap to a larger, top-tier corporate law firm to further develop my career and work on higher profile; more complex transactions.

I have been exploring firms in the Magic Circle and other leading international firms but am concerned about how my regional experience will be perceived. I also want to ensure that I am fully prepared for the demands and expectations at these larger firms.

How can I best position my regional experience when applying to larger firms? Should I emphasize the broad exposure I have had at my current firm, or should I focus on any particular niche skills that might align with the work at top-tier firms?

Also, I have gone through this post; https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/career-progression-at-regional-mlops-law-firms.8980/ which definitely helped me out a lot.

What should I expect in terms of cultural and operational differences between a regional firm and a large international firm? I have heard that the workload and hours can be significantly more intense; but are there other aspects of the transition I should be mindful of?

Thanks in advance for your help and assistance.

 

[Amma Usman]

Hello there,

I am an associate at a well regarded regional law firm; where I have been practicing corporate law for about three years. While I have gained solid experience in mergers and acquisitions; commercial contracts, and corporate governance; I have been considering making the leap to a larger, top-tier corporate law firm to further develop my career and work on higher profile; more complex transactions.

I have been exploring firms in the Magic Circle and other leading international firms but am concerned about how my regional experience will be perceived. I also want to ensure that I am fully prepared for the demands and expectations at these larger firms.

How can I best position my regional experience when applying to larger firms? Should I emphasize the broad exposure I have had at my current firm, or should I focus on any particular niche skills that might align with the work at top-tier firms?

Also, I have gone through this post; https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/career-progression-at-regional-mlops-law-firms.8980/ which definitely helped me out a lot.

What should I expect in terms of cultural and operational differences between a regional firm and a large international firm? I have heard that the workload and hours can be significantly more intense; but are there other aspects of the transition I should be mindful of?

Thanks in advance for your help and assistance.

Hey @Elizashahh, thanks for your great question! I believe you are in a very good position to apply to international firms. You have gained a lot of transferable skills through working as an associate for three years, as areas such as M&A and corporate governance are common practices/work within larger law firms as well. You are right in saying that the question of balancing the increased demand may crop up in interviews, so it’s worth preparing answers to this beforehand. In relation to the second part of your question, I would recommend making the most of putting out the broad exposure you have had at your present firm. Leveraging all your experiences would be a great first step. If there are any niche skills that also apply to a particular firm you are applying to, its worth including them as well.

Lastly, you are right in suggesting that the workload and hours are more intense. However, with the right mindset and approach, I‘m sure you’ll do a great job. We’re rooting for you!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Your ability to move from a regional to MC firm will depend on the work you have done to date. By this, I mean the type of clients you have worked for and the size/complexity of the matters you have been involved in.

If your experience is mainly with domestic matters worth tens of millions (or less), it will be more challenging to move to a role in a law firm where you will need to handle billion-dollar, cross-jurisdictional matters.

There are exceptions to this general rule though. I have seen people with deep expertise in particular sectors, such as oil (Aberdeen) and Aerospace (Bristol), then find it easier to move to an MC firm in London because their subject expertise regarding particular types of clients is in particular demand.

It is more likely that to move from a regional firm to an MC firm would take 2–3 moves across firms. For instance, regional firm to national firm, national firm to international firm, international firm to MC firm.