Big Law to Ibanking

Graduate School Law School
1

<p>I read on these boards that Goldman and top Ibanks are recruting from top 5 law schools for associate possitions. But after actually working in Big Law for a few years how about transitioning to Banks or PE firms?</p>

<p>How common is the transition from doing M & A law at a big NYC firm that has the BB Ibanking firms as client (Skadden, Davis Polk, Sullivan and Cromwell) to either a bulge bracket ibank or a top PE type of firm?</p>

<p>I know that it is doable (Robert Rubin, Bruce Wassterstein) but how common is it? Also, on the alumni websites of firms such as Cravath and Davis Polk it says that they have alumni working as MDs at Goldman and Morgan Stanley? What would that career path be like?</p>

2

<p>I had one law school classmate who went from Skadden to an i-bank after a year at the law firm. I haven't heard of anyone else doing it.</p>

3

<p>I know a guy whose brother graduated from Michigan Law, clerked for a judge for a year, and then jumped to JPMorgan doing Ibanking in Hong Kong. Of course the fact that he's a Chinese-American who can speak decent Mandarin and Cantonese had something to do with it.</p>