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Boston friends - what’s the thoughts on CTP?
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Several associates did this in my firm, though the opposite, moving away from HQ to regional offices. They all had major life events as reasons for the move, such as getting married, etc.
There are several factors that will influence how they are going to react. For example, are you barred in that jurisdiction? Do you expect to continue working with the same attorneys in your regional office? What’s your group’s office attendance policy (if mostly hybrid, might care less)? What’s your practice? Might be more difficult to ask to move as a lit associate as opposed to a transactional associate (new rules of procedure). Are you moving because of a major life event (marriage, opportunities for your children, moving closer to family, etc). All of that will influence how you should approach it. You will need to make your case no matter what
I am currently in discussions to move for a third time within the firm, and in my experience, what would be beneficial to your "pitch" is usually (1) a business reason, and (2) rapport with and/or having had past working relationship with the partners at the office you want to move to. The business reason is two-fold: why the move would be better for your career and how it would benefit the firm. Although all this can be boiled down to one single reason on the part of the firm approving a move which my supervising partner explains it as "the firm rather accede to your request than lose you to a rival firm in that city".
Well put. If they they think you will have options with other firms in your desired location you have some leverage. However, that might make them feel that much more bitter about the move.
Don't worry about upsetting them, do what is best for you in your career and life because they will cut you loose as soon as it benefits them to do so in most cases. It's just business. They'll probably be glad you want to stay at the firm and won't lose the value of their training efforts by having you move to another.
I’ve seen this happen in my firm a few times (including a first year, and tbh, I’ve thought about doing it, too). From what I’ve observed, it’s very office dependent (and even varies within the office depending on you who talk to). Going off the people I’ve seen successfully move offices early in their career, they made it work because they actively built relationships with people in the new office before moving and retained the relationship with the original office by continuing to work for those teams remotely for a while after moving. Having some change in circumstances definitely helps but not all firms require it. I have a friend who moved offices just because he realized he hated the city he moved to and the offices didn’t care if he moved as long as he would keep working with them remotely. But I know someone else in the same firm who had a significant life change who tried to move offices and the office leadership refused to allow it because that office just had a really negative connotation with people moving around, so a lot of it is luck of the draw.