Law firm Tiers

Sala

Where do the law firm tiers come from? I know the top 5 are obviously 1st tier firms, but is there a full list? I presumed it was based on turnover + staff numbers but the "Finding your training contract" Seminar slide lists the following:
Tier 1 - Top 5 commercial firms (400+)
Tier 2 - 10 firms (80 to 200)
Tier 3 - 40 firms (25 to 100)
Tier 4 - 100 firms (10 to 25)
Tier 5 - (up to 10) - 84% of the profession

I presume the number in brackets refers to staff numbers?

benway

I wouldn't get too caught up on tiers if I were you - I'd concentrate more on the work you want to be doing.

Sure, "Tier 1" firms will pay reasonsbly well during your traineeship, but it's a competitive environment, plus you will end up manning the photocopiers until 3 in the morning on occasion, and be expected back in at 8.

I worked as a legal exec with a top 5 firm a few years back, was a great place to work in a lot of ways, great people and they treated their staff very well. But, the work .... I found it very difficult to motivate myself to help large corporations minimize their tax exposure or to crush planning objections by residents' groups. I got into law to hold the powers that be to account, not to facilitate them. Guess I'm just a hippy like that.

That's a personal thing, but a more fundamental problem is that a traineeship in tiers 1-3 will leave you totally unprepared work for a smaller, private client firm. If you want or need to move, it'll have to be within the corporate pool, or London.

Making the transition from a "lower" tier firm to top 5 is much easier - I've a couple of friends that've done it. The consensus among my friends is that you get a more rounded, involved traineeship in smaller firms, having to deal with a bit of everything. From where I see it "Tier 4", taking in many of the larger country firms, offers an ideal balance. Anyway, point is that "Tier 1" does not necessarily mean better.

Getting back on topic, not sure that any such list exists, would try figuring it out from the law directory if you can get your hands on a copy, or even better try to talk through what you're looking for with an experienced solicitor and see what pointers they give you.

chopser

Are there really as many tier 2 and tier 3 firms as that in Ireland?

Outside of the top 5, I can't believe there are another 10 firms with excess of 80 and up to 200 solicitors.

And then tier 3, another 40 firms with 25 to 100 solicitors, doesn't sound right to me.

Am I wrong in this belief?

Jev/N

Don't get bogged down in Tier stats. Employee numbers are far from the only thing that matters.

Firms are generally ranked by tier within practice areas, so a tier 1 M&A firm, could be a tier 2 IP firm, and a tier 3 commercial litigation firm.

benway

Would say it's employees rather than solicitors.

Jev/N

chopser wrote: »

Are there really as many tier 2 and tier 3 firms as that in Ireland?

Outside of the top 5, I can't believe there are another 10 firms with excess of 80 and up to 200 solicitors.

And then tier 3, another 40 firms with 25 to 100 solicitors, doesn't sound right to me.

Am I wrong in this belief?

That's employee numbers, not lawyers - big difference

colonel1

Sala wrote: »

Where do the law firm tiers come from? I know the top 5 are obviously 1st tier firms, but is there a full list? I presumed it was based on turnover + staff numbers but the "Finding your training contract" Seminar slide lists the following:
Tier 1 - Top 5 commercial firms (400+)
Tier 2 - 10 firms (80 to 200)
Tier 3 - 40 firms (25 to 100)
Tier 4 - 100 firms (10 to 25)
Tier 5 - (up to 10) - 84% of the profession

I presume the number in brackets refers to staff numbers?

Hi Sala,

I wasn't able to attend the seminar due to a bereavement. What was the seminar like? Was the CV review section any good? Did attendees get any handouts or a copy of the Law Directory? I am interested in tier 1 and 2 firms [pity the slide didn't name a few] as I like company law.

Jev/N

benway wrote: »

Would say it's employees rather than solicitors.

Snap!

Sorry I was obviously still posting when you had said the above :pac:

Sala

Thanks for the replies. I am not getting caught upon tiers at all benway, I was just curious when I saw that slide - I thought there was only 3 tiers.
Then I googled it and saw some firms describe themselves as 3rd tier etc, and I was wondering how do they know?! Plus, I'd be curious to know that when we talk about the top 5, who are numbers 6,7,8, and are they 1st or 2nd tier?

Colonel1- I didn't go to the seminar. I got the slide from the website and it's not new, it was definitely there last year, although possible the same ones were used this year.

NoQuarter

Check out the legal 500. http://www.legal500.com/c/ireland

colonel1

Sala wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. I am not getting caught upon tiers at all benway, I was just curious when I saw that slide - I thought there was only 3 tiers.
Then I googled it and saw some firms describe themselves as 3rd tier etc, and I was wondering how do they know?! Plus, I'd be curious to know that when we talk about the top 5, who are numbers 6,7,8, and are they 1st or 2nd tier?

Colonel1- I didn't go to the seminar. I got the slide from the website and it's not new, it was definitely there last year, although possible the same ones were used this year.

http://www.thelawyer.com/stuck-in-the-middle/1009144.article