BigLaw to Investment Banking and am I too Old?
Hi All
By way of background, I am 27 years old soon to turn 28. I am an M&A / Private Equity lawyer 5 years in at a major US firm in London (think Kirkland & Ellis / Skadden / Latham & Watkins). I have enough experience that I can ‘run’ a lot of the transactions we do, deal with the C-Suite regularly and am used to painful hours and hair-pulling stress. Im interested in going into IB, as though I do enjoy a lot of the intellectual side of deal-making and transaction structuring that comes with being on the legal side of these things, at the end of the day you really do feel like your just there to do the paper-work.
Is 28 years old too late for someone to flip from BigLaw to IB? I’m happy to come in at any level, even as an analyst. For me it’s about the experience not the title and developing a broader skill set/ seeing the other side of the coin.
I know that there are no express age limits but what are the effective age brackets for BB Analysts and Associates? I have taken financial modelling courses over the last 2 years (fitting these in when I have the time) so will that mitigate my age?
Former lawyer here. Are you American/licensed in an American state? Asking because you would’ve started practicing at age 22, whereas 25 is usually the youngest you hear of.
You have the right practice group (M&A), motivation (more deal exposure that is not legal compliance/more commercial driven), and you are not too old. You have been in law a bit more than non-legal exits would prefer because you’d be taking a large seniority cut. That said, network a ton and give it a go for awhile. If it does not pan out, you are not too old for an MBA. I know going back to school is awful and a big investment of time and money, but if you’re set on IB it may be the easiest route.
Thanks very much for the response and it’s exciting to hear from a lawyer that has made the jump over. I’m not US qualified - I’m admitted to practice in the UK and Australia (I started University a year early due to a weird situation with my birthday being at the end of the year so had the benefit of being admitted to practice a few weeks before I turned 22). I am definitely thinking of hitting my rolodex in a polite and discreet way to get a coffee and put out feelers out. I’ve been contemplating an MBA as a fall-back option if this doesn’t pan out so it’s very encouraging to know that I shouldn’t stop bothering due to my age alone!
Could I ask more generally how you found the process switching over? Did you reach out to your more junior connections at your law firm’s clients or did you approach this another way? Do you regret the switch? And what has been the biggest learning curves, the surprising similarities and most useful skills you use in IB that you picked up in law? Is this where you see yourself long term is IB another stepping stone? I feel like lawyers are always thinking about what’s next before they’ve fully sunk into what’s in front of them (or perhaps the legal industry naturally makes them that way). Apologies to take this of course, it’s very interesting to get an actual ex-lawyers perspective but perhaps I should ventilate this in another thread!
I did not switch over into investment banking. A handful of my former colleagues, law classmates, and other contacts did. I do not know if other countries perceive lawyers in a similar light and make it difficult to switch into other roles. I am currently involved in business, and would not recommend a licensed profession to almost anyone.
Definitely not too late. Have seen first-hand examples of big law associates (from firms you’ve mentioned) leaving to join as analysts / associates in IB. Given your background, as long as you can model (likely for a case study in an interview) and walk through a transaction process, you should have no issues making the transition. Happy to chat offline if that would be helpful.
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