News

A recent article in American Lawyer highlighted the growing trend of Big Law associates seeking the greener pastures of smaller law firms.  This is where well connected and knowledgeable local legal recruiters can really add value. Midsized and boutique law firms tend not to broadly advertise their open positions and instead rely on a few local legal recruiters with whom they’ve established strong, longstanding working relationships.  In 2021, 62% of our attorney placements were at law boutiques and law firms outside the Am Law 200.  In one instance, a relocating Debevoise corporate attorney, who fully intended on lateralling to a similar sized firm, chose the 35 attorney, full-service commercial law boutique firm we introduced to her over the three other Am Law 25 offers she received through our representation.  Currently we are working with a relocating litigation associate whose New York law recruiter was unable to place him in the flow of Chicago’s busy legal job market.  Through us he has an offer and is interviewing at two other firms.  When it comes to your job search, local knowledge and local relationships matter.

CHICAGO – Neal Gerber Eisenberg (NGE) is pleased to announce the election of four new partners to the firm’s partnership effective January 1, 2022: Andrea Stein Fuelleman of the Intellectual Property group, Eric M. McLimore of the Taxation group, David C. Presser of the Corporate & Securities group and Collette A. Woghiren of the Litigation group.

In 2021, we witnessed a frenzied Chicago legal placement market with legal hiring occurring every month of the year. In total, we placed twenty-two attorneys who received $5,221,500 in cumulative compensation. Thirty-eight percent of our law placements were at large law firms (Am Law 200 and larger) with the remaining sixty-two percent of our attorneys going to full-service commercial law and litigation boutiques.

This is a welcomed and much-needed positive development.  And this news comes as the current administration is poised to double the number of Black women ever confirmed to federal appellate courts.  For 2021, 23% of our legal placements were attorneys of color including a Hispanic woman litigation partner and an African American intellectual property litigation counsel.

Good news for Am Law 100 and top law boutique associates.  Milbank and others raises pay scale to $215,000 for first year associates.

Read full article on Above The Law. 

September was a busy month in the Chicago Legal Recruiting market. We had two federal law clerks start employment as associates with their respective law firms, a highly acclaimed litigation boutique and a very successful and growing Am Law 200 full-service firm. Both attorneys received salary bumps from their original offers due to the new associate pay scale that went into effect for many firms on September 1st. While most Am Law 100 law firms won’t accept federal clerk submissions from legal recruiters, we work with several exceptional law firms that do.

On an almost daily basis, there are articles on whether large law firms will require attorneys to return to the office in September. Remote work ameliorates the perceived ills of working at large law firms, dampening lateral movement and contributing to the current tightly constrained legal job market. “Return to work” policies will open the flood gates in associate movement. Much like when law firms recently raised associates’ salaries to retain and attract legal talent, law firms will now be forced to offer a variety of remote work benefits to compete for associates. Short term.

Congratulations to Goodsmith Gregg & Unruth partner Brian Borchard, Massey & Gail partner Rachel Morse and MoloLamken partner Michelle Parthum on their inclusion to the highly prestigious Benchmark Litigation’s 40 & Under Hot List.

In reaction to a positive economic outlook and an extremely tight legal associate job market, top Am Law firms have raised their associate pay scales.  Effective July 1^st, the class of 2021 will earn $202,500 (up from $190,000) and the class of 2013 will earn $365,000.  Firms are also instituting or increasing mid-year “special bonuses” which can range from $12,000 to $64,000.

Goldman Ismail is pleased to announce that Sarah Reynolds has joined as managing partner. Ms. Reynolds joins from Mayer Brown LLP’s International Arbitration Practice. She received her JD from the University of Chicago. She represents technology and pharma companies before domestic and international arbitral bodies. Sarah is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and has completed the Center for Conflict Resolution’s Mediation Training Program.