Make the in-house move at the right time.
Going in-house changes what your day looks like and what your career can be. Most first moves happen between years three and eight of firm practice, and the right seat depends on your practice area and what the company needs a lawyer to own. We'll tell you where you stand on both.
- Roles at companies that want your practice, from a first counsel seat through general counsel.
- A read on whether the timing is right for your class year, before you move.
- What the company wants from the seat, answered before you take the call.
- Confidential from the first message, and no cost to you. The hiring company pays our fee.
Most attorneys ask whether to go in-house at all before anything else. The answer depends on what you want your work to look like. Most first moves happen between years three and eight of firm practice, and the range companies ask for most often is roughly years four to seven. That's when you've run enough matters to start without a long ramp, and you're still early enough that a department can shape the seat around you.
Companies screen for a practice that matches the work coming across their desk, and for judgment they can rely on when the facts are messy. Being able to give an answer instead of a memo counts for more than most firm lawyers expect, and so does comfort with questions outside your specialty, because a small department will hand you those. Hours are usually steadier than firm life and the work is broader.
Titles run counsel, senior counsel, associate general counsel, deputy GC, and general counsel, though what each one carries varies by the size of the department. This is a market we work alongside our law firm practice, so we place attorneys with corporate legal departments as well as with firms, and we can tell you how a given department is built before you take a call. Most of our searches close in about five to six weeks. For some attorneys the better move is another firm seat, and we'll tell you if that's you.
What to sort out before you move in-house
What companies screen for
Practice fit comes first. They want a lawyer who has already done the work that lands on their desk, whether that's commercial contracts, employment, privacy, or regulatory. After that it's judgment under commercial pressure, and whether you can hand a business partner an answer instead of a memo.
When to make the move
Most first moves happen between years three and eight of firm practice, and the band companies ask for most often is roughly four to seven. Earlier than that and you're competing against people who have run matters on their own. Later and the seats get narrower, though senior moves happen all the time.
How the money is structured
In-house pay is usually a lower base than Big Law, with a bonus on top and often equity, so the total picture is broader than the base suggests. How much broader depends heavily on company size and stage. We'll give you a specific read for the role and the market before you decide.
Why the first seat matters most
Going back to a firm gets harder after a few years in-house, so the first company you join shapes what comes next more than a lateral firm move would. Look at what you'll own, who you report to, and whether the department is built to grow.
Real recruiters who know the legal market.
You work with one person who specializes in your practice and keeps your search confidential.
When is the best time to go in-house?
Most first moves happen between years three and eight of firm practice, and the range companies ask for most often is roughly four to seven. By year four you've run enough matters that a department can put you on live work without much of a ramp. Past year eight the seats are fewer and more senior, so they take longer to find. There's no single right year, but timing does change what's open to you.
Do in-house lawyers make less than law firm lawyers?
Base salary is usually lower than Big Law, yes. The full picture is wider than that, because most in-house roles pay a bonus and many include equity, and the gap narrows as you move up toward general counsel. How the pieces are weighted depends on the size and stage of the company, so a growth-stage private company and a large public one can look nothing alike. We'll give you a specific read for the role and market.
What do companies look for in in-house counsel?
A practice that matches the work they have, first. Then judgment: they want a lawyer who can weigh a commercial risk and say what they would do, rather than write it up both ways. Comfort with ambiguity matters, and so does a willingness to take questions outside your specialty, since a small department covers a lot of ground. Firm training carries weight, and companies will tell you that directly.
Can I go back to a law firm after going in-house?
It happens, and it gets harder the longer you're gone. In the first year or two a return is fairly straightforward. After three or four years, firms look at whether you kept a billable-style practice and whether you'd bring work with you. Plan the move as though it runs one way, and pick the first seat accordingly. That's the main reason we spend time on which company rather than which title.
Do I need a recruiter to go in-house?
No, and plenty of attorneys get there on their own. What we add is access to roles that never get posted, and a read on what a department is like before you spend time on it. We'll also tell you when a role isn't a fit for you. If you'd rather apply directly somewhere, we'll still share what we know about the company.
What's the difference between counsel, senior counsel, and associate general counsel?
Roughly, seniority and scope. Counsel handles matters in a defined area and reports up. Senior counsel does the same with more autonomy, and often owns a business unit or a practice outright. Associate general counsel usually carries a team or a whole function and sits close to the GC. Titles aren't standardized across companies, so a senior counsel seat at one place can be an AGC seat at another. Ask what you'll own.
How long does an in-house search take?
Most of ours close in about five to six weeks from the first conversation. Company processes vary more than firm processes do, since you're often meeting the GC and a business leader on separate tracks, sometimes with HR in between. A general counsel search runs longer because the board or the CEO gets involved. We'll tell you what the timeline looks like for a specific role rather than guessing at it.
Is there any cost to me, and is it confidential?
There's no cost to you at any stage, because the hiring company pays our fee. Every search is confidential. Nothing about you is shared without your explicit permission, and we present you to a company only once you've approved it. Your current firm never hears from us. That holds whether you're at a firm now or already sitting in a legal department.