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Quote by Stephanie Friese on “Associate Pay In Atlanta Hits NYC Levels As Demand Heats Up”
In an article that published in Law360 on December 3, 2021, Atlanta office Co-managing Shareholder Stephanie Friese discusses the high demand for associate talent tied to corporate transaction work and the competition to obtain them amongst Georgia firms.
Friese explains that there has been a lot of movement between firms by associates recently, partly due to the pandemic, which may have motivated some people to look for new opportunities, as well as a cultural shift among young lawyers.
“There is a sense that associates often think the grass is greener elsewhere,” explains Friese. "There's this disgruntledness and also lack of loyalty. There doesn't seem to be such a connection with associates and their mentors as there used to be. There's just not as much of an emphasis on loyalty and longevity."
Friese further explained that it's not always best for an associate to take top dollar, depending on how much work they have to do as a trade-off, and whether that hinders their ability to develop their own book of business. She also shared that law firms need to be more flexible with employees in order to be competitive.
"I think for law firms to really retain people, they have to shift more to making the position rewarding," Friese said. "I actually don't think it's all about money."
To view the full article, subscribers may click here.