Moving from IP Law to PE

Hi all. This is a bit of a niche question. I’m considering whether to make a move to PE from biglaw, and I’m wondering if anyone has any insight. I’m in intellecutal property law at a pretty reputable firm in NYC. While I enjoy what I do now, which is primarily litigation, some of the more interesting work I’ve done has been on the M&A side of IP. Also - to be candid - part of why I’m considering a move is that biglaw salaries usually max out at a smaller amount than PE does (assuming you make partner in a biglaw firm, which is difficult). Furthermore, a lot of people go in-house after a few years, where salaries are less or about the same as what I currently make.

Here’s a bit more background - I’m an associate right now and graduated from a solid law school with pretty good grades (top 30 school, top 15% grades). Though I’m a patent litigator, I’ve done quite a lot of M&A work as it relates to IP issues. I’ve worked with a pretty wide berth of tech companies, and have knowledge on quite a few industries ranging from medical devices to consumer electronics to chemical manufacturing. I also have a general chemistry degree. I do not have any formal education in finance, though I’m familiar with many key concepts either from law school (where we learn about securitization, debt, bakruptcy, liens, etc.) or work.

Also, am I almost definitely bound to start as an analyst if I get an offer? Or are lawyers viewed more favorably among PE firms than those fresh out of college?

Thanks in advance for the help!