Truth Behind Horror Stories in Big Law?

sallyawp
Tue, 28 May 2013 14:21:24 +0000

I do primarily corporate transactional work, with some day-to-day counseling of clients thrown in for good measure. My work includes mergers and acquisitions, securities and private equity (with securities thrown in for good measure) in a wide range of industries, though my most recent work has focused primarily on the health care and industrial/chemicals segments. I have worked in other areas of law and for other industries, and the work is fairly uniformly challenging, exciting, exhausting, stressful and capable of completely shutting down any work/life balance you ever hoped to achieve.

I did work in house for a few years as lead counsel to a several billion dollar business unit of a large public company, and I actually worked more hours and was a slave to many more masters then. I left and went back to a law firm. At least I get paid well for my time and work there.

I worked at least 8 and as many as 15 hours a day this past holiday weekend, and I did not sleep at all last night. I will likely not get to sleep until after midnight tonight. Undoubtedly, I will be back at work by 9 a.m. tomorrow morning.