Lawyer Salary

What's the point? DRD clearly a sunset firmm

Originally Posted by Unregistered

PAY SECRECY

Does your law firm force you to keep your pay secret?

In the West there's PAY SECRECY LAWS prohibiting companies from punishing workers who disclose their pay.

Obviously SG does not have this* D'Rodyk was able to punish lawyer.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

What's the point? DRD clearly a sunset firmm

Why sunset?? Rodyk's sun ish rising hokays. Our liti, corp, IP is growing even stronger. I'm sure we will replace D&N as a big 4 firm soon!!!

Liddat means recruiter can sabo DRD CVs yah
Make DRD lawyer tell their pay, then sabo them to DRD HR. DRD lawyers u all dun go switch frms kk, diam diam say where u r for whole lifetime thx

Originally Posted by Unregistered

But if pay have to be secret, why hiring companies and law firms still can ask for last drawn pay?
Say if I am fr DRD, if I give my new firm this info, will I be punished?

the reverse ques should be - does DRD ask about salary when they hire? faceslap

Any idea about the pay at Morgan Lewis Stamford? Are they paying local B4 rates?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

how easy is it for sg qualified lawyers to find work overseas?

Ignore the troll. I’m a SG qualified junior lawyer and was relocated to London by a US firm as the same PQE I was in SG. I wouldn’t say it was easy but your chances increase if (a) your practice area is in banking/M&A/funds/cap markets (b) you’re in a B4/international firm in SG and (c) you’ve a FCH or its equivalent from a SG university or you’re from Oxbridge.

As you’ll have to compete against other English qualified lawyers in the UK market who cost less to hire (if they do not require visa sponsorship), you need to think about your strengths and what you can bring to the table (eg mandarin speaking skills, high level of deal exposure).

You’ll be questioned on your motivations for moving abroad. Also be prepared to be grilled on your technicals during interviews as the partners need to assess your level of familiarity of the European market.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Ignore the troll. I’m a SG qualified junior lawyer and was relocated to London by a US firm as the same PQE I was in SG. I wouldn’t say it was easy but your chances increase if (a) your practice area is in banking/M&A/funds/cap markets (b) you’re in a B4/international firm in SG and (c) you’ve a FCH or its equivalent from a SG university or you’re from Oxbridge.

As you’ll have to compete against other English qualified lawyers in the UK market who cost less to hire (if they do not require visa sponsorship), you need to think about your strengths and what you can bring to the table (eg mandarin speaking skills, high level of deal exposure).

You’ll be questioned on your motivations for moving abroad. Also be prepared to be grilled on your technicals during interviews as the partners need to assess your level of familiarity of the European market.

This story is very common nowadays so I won't call BS except for one part - "as the same PQE I was in SG". Talk to any recruiter and they will start laughing in your face if you say you want to get this. To put this another wat, you're basically saying you're a SG lawyer who got a 1.5 PQE promotion at the point of hiring. This doesn't happen. PQE cuts happen for a reason - because it's fair.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

This story is very common nowadays so I won't call BS except for one part - "as the same PQE I was in SG". Talk to any recruiter and they will start laughing in your face if you say you want to get this. To put this another wat, you're basically saying you're a SG lawyer who got a 1.5 PQE promotion at the point of hiring. This doesn't happen. PQE cuts happen for a reason - because it's fair.

He said a US firm not a UK firm though. UK 2 years tc but US got meh? If he junior i.e. 1st or 2nd year and they take him, confirm matched pqe right?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

He said a US firm not a UK firm though. UK 2 years tc but US got meh? If he junior i.e. 1st or 2nd year and they take him, confirm matched pqe right?

I’m the OP. English qualified US firm associates in the UK have to do a 2 year TC. I was a 1Y associate in SG, and I was a 1Y associate in my firm in London. In a way, it wasn’t possible to cut my PQE because I’m 1Y. You may get a PQE cut if you move as a 2Y from SG but I can’t say with certainty as I don’t know anyone personally.

I know of someone who was a NQ (only with RLT + TC) in SG, and immediately taken as a 1Y associate with a US firm in the UK. That person got a PQE jump in a way, as other 1Y associates in the firm would have 2 years of training under their belt, while they had 1 year.

It’s also possible for you to be a 1Y in SG, and ask to be pegged as a 2Y for an associate role in a US firm. My recruiter was the one who suggested it but I wasn’t keen because for marginally more pay, there are higher expectations placed on you as a 2Y. I think it’s more important to look at the deals you’ve been placed on, and your levels of involvement on each deal instead of solely focusing on PQE. Someone may have 1 year more experience than you but they could’ve worked on less deals than you during their training or only really handled administrative tasks as opposed to drafting/project management. Don’t sell yourself short! I’ve found that firms in the UK are a lot more flexible with PQE but I’m aware that similar US firms in SG are not the same and would not take you as a 1Y in SG.

Is DRD a sunset firm propping itself up by combining with the Dentons to bolster the impression of its international capabilities? What is the gulf between DRD and the traditional B4?