Has anyone made a move from a boutique firm to Big Law, regretted it, stuck it out, and found success? I am in the ‘regretted it’ phase, but it may be culture shock. I started as a legal assistant for a solo practitioner 11 years ago and am now an IP Paralegal. I’ve never had keep track of billable time, and I think that’s one of the biggest adjustments.

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I worked a long time in a small firm where I did everything and was pretty indispensable. I then went on to work in big law where my billable requirement and task list was insane. I felt like I was drowning and never had support despite having a team of over 30 people. The extent of my job duties were extremely specific, basically mostly litigation work and it was very overwhelming. The burnout led to my firing and I regret leaving my boutique firm for big law that chewed me up and spit me out. Their big name also made it hard to find another job in a comparable firm. I settled for a mid-size firm but I don’t have the perks that I once had and my caseload is still a bit heavy. I’m hoping I can establish myself in the field again and then move back up to big law. I do miss the perks so far and I’m embarrassed to downgrade but I hope it gives me the necessary experience to try big law again.

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I understand the shift. I went from big, to bigger law and now I am back to mid size law. However, I wouldn't trade the peace of mind that came with this change, even with a pay cut. It was worth it..Burnout is real and it is life changing. Sometimes a burnout takes years to recover from. Instead of chasing the prestige that comes with big law or the money, think about your mental health, and your day to day happiness and fulfillment, pursue that....my thoughts with love and light 🧡

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I was at a boutique IP firm and am now in amlaw50 as a patent paralegal, and didn’t have a hard time, but we did bill time at the boutique firm. How long have you been at your new firm? Billing time was a new concept for me when I began in IP and did take a few months to become efficient at :)

It’s only been three weeks. I know that’s not a lot, but I think I’ll be ok. I was pretty taken aback at how much it was drilled into me that billing is how I show the firm my worth.

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