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My Next Move: What issues do I need to consider when working for a US firm in London?
This week's My Next Move question focuses on what candidates need to consider when approached for a role with a US firm in London. Our expert, Samantha Cowling is a director at Marsden Legal…
Lawyers Weekly
This week's My Next Move question focuses on what candidates need to consider when approached for a role with a US firm in London. Our expert, Samantha Cowling is a director at Marsden Legal Search and Recruitment, and shares her insider tips on the life of a lawyer overseas:
Salaries: Most of the White Shoe New York firms, including Skadden Arps, Cleary Gottlieb and Weil Gotshal, pay NY rates - the highest salary range available in London. The majority of the other US firms pay mid-Atlantic rates, which are still higher than the top-tier UK firms.
Billable hours: Most US firms usually require between 1600 and 2000 billable hours per year, compared with 1500 to 1700 in top-tier UK firms. If you want to join a top-tier firm, it's worth finding out about the reality of your workload.
Qualifications: Generally, it's the larger, multidisciplinary practices (White & Case, Skadden Arps, Dewey Le Boeuf, Shearman & Sterling and Latham & Watkins) that recruit Australian lawyers. Most of the law practised in US law firms in London is English law. While you don't need to be US- or UK-qualified, you do need excellent academics, top-tier experience and a well regarded firm on your CV.
