If you're a BigLaw associate working in California, New York or Boston, you may have notice a popular trend recently: new local offices of national BigLaw firms. In a crowded market for legal services, firms are focusing more on strategic plans that leverage existing strengths and underserved market opportunities. As a result, BigLaw firms are opening in new markets that have the client bases that match these strategic plans. A new office by a BigLaw firm is done a few different ways:
Acquiring a local office of another firm and putting it under the BigLaw firm's name (as Hogan Lovells did with Collara, a Boston-only litigation boutique);
Acquiring an attorney group from a particular practice group of an existing BigLaw firm in the market (as Willkie Farr did with a group of Paul Hastings corporate attorneys in Palo Alto to set up their own Silicon Valley office)
Moving existing attorneys at the firm from other office (as Fenwick & West did just last month when setting up it's new Santa Monica (i.e., "Silicon Beach") office)
When BigLaw firms open up a new office, this presents a unique opportunity for junior or midlevel associates considering a possible move.
Here are some reasons why junior and midlevel associates might consider a move to a new office of a BigLaw firm:
You will know your co-workers really really well. New offices of BigLaw firms are almost always very small, with 10-15 attorneys at the most. If one of your concerns with your current BigLaw firm is that it feels like a big place where people don't know each other very well, then this kind of move might make sense.
The opportunity for business development is very real. BigLaw firms are getting better and better at offering associates opportunities for business development, whether it be through developing client pitches or otherwise. But, at the end of the day, the existing billable work is always the first priority for associates. With a BigLaw new office, business development is essential. These offices have set up a "foothold" in a particular market and/or practice and the objective is to use that foothold to grow, and grow quickly.
Partnership prospects might be stronger. Given points #1 and #2 above, it might be easier to identify a clear path towards partnership in a new office of a big firm. People will know and rely on your business generation skills and as the office scales up, they will need attorneys that have been there from the beginning and are in it for the long-haul.
You can help shape the long-term vision of the office. One of the biggest advantages of moving to a new office of a BigLaw firm is that you have the opportunity to shape the long-term vision for the office. Lots of new offices are being set up to take advantage of new and emerging legal practice areas like cybersecurity, data privacy and blockchain/cryptocurrency practice. Firms rely on junior attorneys to learn and understand these new and complicated practices, as these attorneys are more likely to be "tech-savvy" with an ear to the ground
New offices of BigLaw firms aren't for everyone. There is some risk associated with working at them as an associate - what if the firm does not generate enough work for you to make your billable hours? But for many BigLaw associates, new offices can provide a lot general excitement and entrepreneurial opportunity.