Related Posts
Hello Fishes,
Need some advice for my cousin.
She has done MBA in Finance ,(2018 passout) after BCOM.
Worked in HDFC bank for 2 years (till 2020).
Due to personal reason left job at end of 2020.
Trained in SAP FICO, now trying for certification.
How could she get into IT company(fresher).Capgemini IBM Tata Consultancy
More Posts
Do you prefer high base comp or RSU?
Which health insurance your company providing?
Any trust and estate attorney openings in Texas?
We are so close. Final stretch. Let’s go 🔥
Additional Posts in Corporate Transactional Law
Does anyone want to be my M&A coach? Will pay.
New to Fishbowl?
Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
Lol. You are smarter than them and you should be mindful of their insecurities.
I recommend you confirm that others and not just this guy feel this way. If they all do either make them comfortable or leave. Personanally i would lateral to a smarter more confident grp
Thanks, that’s what my gut feeling said, too. One guy’s opinion is just that—one guy’s opinion. I will wait to hear what the other partners collectively “officially” think during my review.
The partner is probably being gentle by saying “others may see you as” when more likely he has received multiple direct complaints that he agrees is a problem. You are a first year and should do the job that you are hired to do. If you’re really as brilliant as you think you are this will sort itself out in a few years without you tooting your own horn so much.
Thanks. FWIW, though, didn’t toot my own horn but genuinely just asked for feedback because I’ve done hundreds of hours of work for his clients and wanted a status check. I’ll just keep working and lay low until I hear from all the other partners during my review.
Not sure but might be coming across as arrogant or something
I’m in similar position (except for your illustrious resume). I guess someone said something to the partner giving the feedback which they can’t really convey to you.
It’s a tough spot to be. At the end of the day, some insecure supervising lawyers like to be looked upto as ‘mentors’ but when they don’t have that pedestal, they feel threatened and their insecurity show.
Please be yourself and don’t dim your light for these people. You’ve earned your place and your confidence should be regarded, not wet-blanketed. As long as you are not a jerk and a genuine person, you can always change environment as you progress.
Good luck to you and keep being awesome.
It means check your ego bro — you’re acting too big for your britches and people are starting to talk (and not in a good way). Even if you’re more qualified, even the most entrepreneurial law firms are extremely hierarchical places. Later on in your career you’ll have the chance to really leverage that experience and provide real value (ie, you will be a 3rd year staffed as a senior associate with juniors to support), but even the best 1st year won’t get asked to supervise other 1st years/2nd years (that would not end well for anyone), so right now they just need you to master the basics and show deference to those above you who already have.
Very insightful – thank you! I think it’s the last one (not being deferential enough), although I still don’t know how to change that if I am receiving assignments, following directions, and completing the assignments before they are due. I literally leave everyone alone and do the work, e-mail it back with a “feel free to reach out anytime if you have any further instructions.”
Does “Let me know if you have any questions” after a due diligence summary sound presumptuous? If so, I’ll just axe that going forward. Fuck it, I am not out to make enemies. Quite the opposite, actually and literally.
I will folllow up with him with those great questions! Thanks again!!
Younger partners are definitely going to be extremely threatened by you if your background is what you say it is.
Why are you in big law with that kind of exp?
Plus they are obvi going to make partner. Somewhere. This is actually quite smart if they dont get bored. And are ok being told (prob incorrectly sometimed) what to do by insecure people w low intelligence
I think that you don’t know what you don’t know. Step it back a bit.
I read through a few of your responses below and the most telling is the one where you say “hierarchy doesn’t matter to me at all”. If you want to be successful within a law firm, you need to be at least mindful of pecking order and hierarchy. Duh 😂
If a Jr is leading a Sr, it's probably time for the Sr to find another job or another team lol. That has awkward resentment written all over it for both sides of the equation
You're too good to be a threat to those less qualified. Just be what you are and maybe modest. 👍
You were the CEO of two pubcos? Or am I reading that wrong?
If so, that’s amazing experience. If everyone knows that I could see some sour apples.
I’m guessing that you’ve sometimes corrected junior partners or made suggestions on doing something differently and it ruffled some
Insecure kids feathers.
I wouldn’t change your practice but try working on communicating in a way that lets the juniors still feel superior to you.
Okay. I don’t mind any of that because hierarchy doesn’t matter to me at all, but I recognize that it matters to others.
I will reread my draft emails but in general they may read like “Please let me know if you have any comments on the attached or if you are signed off as is. Thanks.”
Everyone is really busy and no one likes fluff (or at least I thought).
Just want to say that this is all so specific that you’re 100% doxxing yourself to someone at your firm. It’s not me but I’d be a bit paranoid about that.
You were the CEO of two public companies? Can you elaborate? Were these listed on a national stock exchange?
You should post your question in the Big Law bowl OP, assuming that you work at a Big Law firm. It’s more active and the feedback would be more relevant.
CEO of two public companies. You are already a winner 🏆
Along with the other comments here, you should also assume no one knows anything about your background.
No offense, but you could have been a great CEO or a terrible CEO, it doesn’t really mean much to me. Practicing law is also very different than being in an executive role in a business. I have an MBA and I’m in M&A as well but a few of the best M&A attorneys I’ve met have no business background prior to their firm experience.
You have several years ahead of you to partner anyway so it’s great that you’re getting some drafting experience but you definitely don’t know everything just because you ran a business prior to law school.
Otherwise, don’t take it personally and humble yourself a bit. I think the partner is trying to tell you to check your ego at the door because ultimately you still need to be able to play well with others in big law.
Practically, just soak in that you are ahead of your peers for now and continue to try to learn more, but realize that you’re still not a partner and can still learn from others that have way more experience than 6 months of practice.
OP, two thoughts come to mind:
(1) if you’re not at a V10 firm, you need to move there. I was at a V100 before moving to a V5 and constantly got crap for being too ‘arrogant’ - I don’t have your background but I think fundamentally people might feel inferior and take it out on you. A lot of the senior people from V100’s have a chip on their shoulder (successful but not at the same level as top tier firms and might have been forced out).
(2) Be more aware of the internal dynamics. You might be correct but if you’re confrontational, it can be a disaster. DM me if you want more advice. I like to win and some people feel threatened by that/want to beat it out of me.
Going back to my earlier comment I second this. Don’t change your personality to fit in somewhere. It either does or it doesn’t work and if people are talking shit then move!
As a first year you probably shouldn’t be “thoughtfully” completing work. Just do the work assigned. It can be annoying when very junior associates add unsolicited commentary to straightforward assignments
Are the people you suspect that this sentiment is coming from low intelligence? If so, that is why. This would infuriate me.
If you are fine w it play the game and (i) dont interact w them or (ii) pretend that they are making good pts or they came up with the idea. You do need to find people that are not going to be intimidated tho (prob the smart ones) bc you need to be appreciated and you need people to like you to stick around unless you have the clients.