Myth busting: 5 common misconceptions about US Law Firms in London

As legal headhunters, we are in touch with plenty of associates at top UK and International firms who are tempted by many aspects of US firms (such as responsibility, client contact, business development opportunities, compensation) but decide not to pursue these opportunities on the basis of the bad press such outfits sometimes receive.

Whilst there is some veracity to some of these stories, the differences between US and UK firms are often exaggerated and just as with UK firms, there are a huge range of US firms, all with their own identity, strengths and capabilities. Speaking with a good recruiter can help you to wade through the misinformation and identify which opportunities may be worth pursuing or steering clear of.

Much Worse Hours

We often speak with lawyers from Magic and Silver Circle firms who tell us they do see the attraction of having higher levels of responsibility in smaller US Firm teams but ultimately wouldn’t want to work too many more hours than they do currently. The next question tends to be what their billable hours look like in a typical year and the response is often something like 1900, 2000, 2100+!

True, moving to a top US Firm may not be a work-life balance option but the difference in hours expectations between top US and top UK firms tends to be exaggerated. Those already billing around 2000 hours are unlikely to find themselves suddenly putting in far greater hours than they already are and there are also plenty of good US firms which may pay slightly less than full ‘Cravath scale’ but where hours expectations are well below 2000.

Lack of Support/Training/ Infrastructure

At some very small US firms in London there is validity to the argument that the levels of support and infrastructure are not quite the same as in the Magic and Silver Circle. At the bigger and more established US firms however lawyers are unlikely to notice too much difference in things like document production, precedents and paralegal support.

Most of the lawyers at these firms are ex Magic/Silver Circle after all and the constant stream of lawyers moving towards US firms would not continue if lack of infrastructure were a big issue for those who had made a move.

Training is an important aspect in any role, especially at the junior level, but US firms have the same commercial rationale for investing in this aspect of their lawyers’ development as UK firms.

At the bigger US firms there will be similar formal training programmes to those at UK firms so associates will not notice much difference. At some of the smaller US Firms, the difference will be that training is more ‘on the job’ but there is an argument that working closely with partners who take a keen interest in their associates development can be far more valuable.

Unfriendly Culture

Cultural fit is as important as any other factors when considering a move and does require some serious consideration. Ultimately what can look like the perfect position on paper is unlikely to work out in the long term if one doesn't ‘get on’ with their colleagues.

Cultural fit is also one of the hardest aspects of a firm to be able to assess from the outside looking in. Even though many lawyers have friends at different firms around the city it is unwise to rely solely on this sort of anecdotal evidence given that different teams within firms will all have their own ways of operating which mean it is unwise to make assumptions about other areas of the firm.

Culture is also an extremely subjective matter and what seems like a nice and friendly environment to one person may feel staid and unexciting to another. Our advice is always to trust yourself to form your own opinion on whether a practice is likely to be a good fit for you and your own way of working.

Poorer Work Quality

It’s true that the elite UK firms still attract some of the highest quality transactional and disputes work, but the top US firms often offer work of a similar quality and due to the smaller team sizes, there is the opportunity to play a bigger role in working on high profile matters. The US firms have gained huge ground against the Magic/Silver Circle over recent years and with a raft of partners joining US firms, the argument that the UK firms maintain a monopoly on the complex work now falls flat.

Worse Progression Prospects

We are no doubt stating the obvious here; getting made up to partner can be incredibly difficult at any moderately profitable UK, US or International firm. Usually some combination of excellent legal and business development skills is a pre-requisite that must be combined with finding oneself in the right place at the right time.

It's certainly true that the track at US firms can be difficult. It is also a fact that the odds of being made up in the magic circle are extremely slim for most and so it is a stretch to say that partnership is more likely at these firms than at US counterparts, many of which do now have strong track records of internal promotion in London.

Indeed, the level of responsibility and client contact attained at many US firms is actually likely to help associates develop the relationship building and client care skills required to make partner. There also tends to be much greater encouragement for associates at US firms to get involved in business development at an earlier stage (including specific courses at many firms) which can be invaluable when thinking about a putting together a business case as a senior associate.

Different partnership structures at some US firms also mean that making (salaried) partner can be much more attainable than at U.K. equivalents and the partner title itself can be invaluable when it comes to pitching for work.

Ultimately, there is no one size fits all advice when it comes to US Firms. For some, these moves will not be the best route but for many who have a mental block when it comes to US Firms, there are likely to be good opportunities which are worth exploring.