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Off topic: I am stuck in a service based company for last 4 years in a shitty project. The work I do can be done by a 12th grader. Now i want to move out by learning something new & changing my domain. But the thing is I am not able to study because I am stuck in a comfort zone and learning new thing gives me bad anxiety. It feels like I will never learn & be forever stuck here. Pls help on how to come out of comfort zone, learn things and apply for the job. Tata Consultancy Infosys Wipro
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Find a lower tier firm desperate for the resume you’ve built and willing to retrain. Retraining is less difficult than you might think.
I made a similar move a long time ago. Not going to lie, it’s hard, and when you finally make the move, they’re always going to have unrealistic expectations for you regarding efficiency (since your M&A class rank won’t match your law school class rank). Your real estate experience isn’t going to be substantively helpful, but you are learning some practical lawyering skills in real estate that will translate a bit.
If you REALLY want to do M&A, do it. If you’re casually interested, don’t. And honestly, I think real estate is a safer career. Less volatile.
Right now is a very bad time to move to M&A. Nationwide. Lots of firms laying off. But if you choose to proceed, I think it’s going to be easier to make the move within your firm. Try speaking with partners or senior associates in the M&A group and tell them you’re interested. This might backfire and get you fired … but it’s the easiest way to do it. 🤷♂️
I made the practice move from one small CRE firm to a mid sized corporate firm. When you make the move, you should ask to be billed and paid as a first year. If you don’t, you’re going to get yourself fired on the basis of efficiency.
Alternatively, wait for the next M&A hiring spree, at which point you’ll be more likely to make the move and get the best possible job. Wait for private equity to pick up before starting to apply for M&A jobs. It’s dead right now because interest rates have been rising and there’s uncertainty surrounding interest rates, but there is a lot of pressure for PE firms to start selling their investments, which they’ve been holding longer than usual in the hopes that interest rates will come down.
Monitor the private equity and interest rate markets to inform when you should start applying for M&A jobs.
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A pivot at that point will really set back and add risk to your track to partnership, since it will take years before you can convince the firm you can sustain a partner-level M&A practice including having built credibility and relationships to generate new work.
But if you are okay with that, it can be done and has been done.
They talking to trusted partners at your current firm. If you have a good relationship your current firm may be more willing to take a risk than a firm that doesn’t know you.
A smaller biglaw firm where you can have a lower more flexible rate to help you gain experience may be better than a top-tier lockstep biglaw firm that will need to bill you out at a rate that won’t be justified by your skilll set.
Faegre Drinker is hiring M&A associates in Colorado (Boulder and Denver) and also has strong real estate practices there, and they are nimble enough to perhaps figure something out that works.