Legally Speaking - Legal Recruiter Blog

Job #5082-MH1054

Job Title: Junior Employee Benefits Associate

Location: Washington, DC

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Junior Employee Benefits Associate

Tax Department of full-service international firm seeks an associate with 1-3 years of employee benefits practice experience for its Washington, DC office.  The ideal candidate will have experience designing, negotiating, drafting, implementing and administering executive compensation arrangements and employee benefit plans and arrangements. 

Job #5085-MH1054

Job Title: Health Care Associate

Location: Washington, DC

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Health Care Associate

Prestigious law firm seeks an associate with a minimum of 2 years health care experience.  The ideal candidate has experience with health care regulatory and CMS reimbursement laws as well as with fraud and abuse laws. Regulatory health care transaction experience is also strongly desired.

Job #5080-MH1054
Job Title: Investment Associate
Location: New York, NY

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Investment Associate – All Levels

Firm seeks associates with strong private equity, hedge fund and/or Investment Company Act/Investment Advisors Act experience.  Stellar academics and top law firm experience required.

Job #5031-MH1054
Job Title: Health Care Litigation
Location: Voorhees, NJ

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Junior to Mid Level Health Care Litigation  Associate

Health Care Group provides hospitals, nursing homes, retirement communities, health systems, surgical centers, physician practice groups, medical schools, and pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies with well-rounded representation in both traditional and innovative business transactions, litigation, and health care regulatory issues.

While firms in many other cities are laying off lawyers, large law firms in Chicago are facing a talent shortage.

From The National Law Journal:

“National law firms have rushed into Chicago during the past decade, especially in the past three years, but many are finding now that their collective arrival is fueling intense competition to fill those offices with lawyers.”

Since the 1980s about 75 national firms have opened offices in Chicago, all looking for lawyers with $1 million plus in portable business.  Thirty to fifty lawyers are considered necessary to justify the cost of the office and most firms aim for offices of at least 100 lawyers. 

Firms that have been in Chicago for years are still eager to grab up experienced lawyers and new firms with their own hiring needs keep moving in.

“Leaders at many of the firms that have been in the city for years say they are still eager to snap up experienced lawyers or groups of attorneys to build the Chicago offices to their optimal size. Meanwhile, more firms keep flowing in, including the arrival earlier this year of Boston’s Ropes & Gray, New York’s Proskauer Rose and Indianapolis’ Baker & Daniels.”

Dewey & LeBoeuf opened its Chicago office in 2005 with five attorneys and is now at about 25.  Paul Hastings’ Chicago office, opened in November 2006 with two partners, is at about 38 lawyers now.  Steptoe opened its Chicago office in January 2007 with nine lawyers and now has 13.  Nixon Peabody, which entered the Chicago market in March 2007, now has 19 lawyers.

If you think layoffs are just for factory workers you haven’t been reading the legal news lately.  Firms large and small are laying off associates left and right, and it’s not just under producing associates.  If your firm has gone through a round of layoffs, or if you think they are headed in that direction, maybe it’s time for a change.

It is not disloyal to leave a firm in trouble.  Your first duty is to yourself and to your family.  If you think your firm will stick by you no matter how bad things get, you’re fooling yourself.  Give the senior partners a choice between selling their beach houses or laying you off and you’re gone.

Maybe you’re staying because, while not your ideal position, it’s comfortable.  Being in your comfort zone is the sign of a stalled career.  No one ever advanced in life by staying in their comfort zone.  Think about your most satisfying personal and professional accomplishments.  There were many times of fear and uncertainty leading up to those accomplishments weren’t there?

Look ahead two to three years.  What’s in your future if you stay where you are?  What could be in your future if you move?

The complete 2009 rankings are available. In addition to the prestige and “best to work for” rankings, they include the diversity and partner prestige rankings.

You can access all the rankings through this gateway page, or by clicking on the links below. Enjoy!

Top 100 Law Firms: 2009 Rankings (portal page) [Vault]
Top 100 Law Firm Prestige rankings [Vault]
The Best 20 Law Firms to Work For [Vault]
The Best 20 Law Firms for Diversity [Vault]
Partner Prestige Rankings [Vault]