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So L&L is splitting and apparently my entire time is shifting to the new firm. I’m a 2020 grad and it hasn’t been a full year. I can’t decide if I should move. How should I make this decision?
Choose whoever is giving you more money. As is pretty obvious by now, they don't care much about you. So please stop doing drama here & in your head & go where the money is.
But will they even let us know how much they will pay us before we have to make the decision?
This is very sound advice. You're just 1 year into the profession. If you don't like whichever firm you decide to move/ stay, you can switch after a year. Even if you leave Luthra for MS, Luthra might be happy to take you back after a year, if you're good.Just go with more pay.
If you are happy with your team, they mentor you well, generally hit targets, and their is scope for growth, go wherever the team goes. While there is something to be said about firm culture, what is more important is team culture.
I sort of want to move/stay based on where I’ll still get some time to myself. I’m worried that the new firm would be too harsh on us and make us work round the clock and break our backs.
As the mail also tried to glorify round the clock work. This is not something which should be glorified. You lose efficiency that way. And a burnout follows. Then people crib why associates are leaving the firms so soon.
both firms will equally have the "we must win" attitude, so that pressure will exist in both.
Stay with the brand- notwithstanding the beating, it has immense recall value (something that may be difficult for you to understand at this stage but it's the reality!). SLO, while it promises to be anything but slow, in reality it will actually take 5 years in gaining the trust of the market and establishing itself.

The partners on either sides are good and most carry their weight but it's the brand that's going to be the biggest distinguishing factor initially.

Speak to partners in teams that are staying back, and it should be easy thereafter!
So, we don’t know who are staying back and I joined remotely so I’ve never spoken to anyone outside of my team. In the event that I choose to stay, will they just allot me randomly to another team?
I don’t even plan on doing a law firm job beyond me hitting the two year mark.

But will I be ostracised if I stay back with the firm and will I even be allowed to stay back? Seeing as my entire team will move? How will they allot me then.
Feel free to speak RKL. He is always available to speak. Very very approachable.
Can you explain to me, another fresher what exactly is the recall value? Thanks.
There are 4-5 big daddy "branded" firms with a stellar record of top-quality work over past 2 decades

AMSS, AZB, L&L, KCo, JSA, Trilegal
(and each has had its share of hiccups, but the "brand" lives on)

These brands are ingrained in the minds of India Inc.

Promoters of these firms are deeply connected, on boards of the biggest corporations & senior managements of the biggest companies have crossed paths or shared boardroom space with promoters/ top lawyers from these branded firms

L&L fell behind in the last few years. IMO this is a great opportunity for it to clean the dust off.

To put it in another way -

(1) L&L still has a very strong brand recall value
It starts off far ahead of Tier 2 firms, but needs to find a spot amongst the Tier 1s

(2) SLO would start with a good team of lawyers
But it would need to beat out Tier 4/3 and then Tier 2 firms to emerge as a contender
Yes but herein lies the problem. The entire team is moving. I have no way to speaking to the other side without antagonising my team prior to making my decision. Like some form of communication in terms of what would happen for people not going with the team is important right?
If you like your team folks, stay with them for a year or two. Once you gain some decent exposure to 3-4 deals, move to another biglaw
AMSS as brand is now only in memory, and CAM SAM don't match the AMSS brand.AZB brand has picked up like crazy last year amongst investors just look at their last year deal line up.Trilegal last year has done a hiring spree and jumped up 10 notches.What did L&L do last year? Mudsling.Brands live long if the top guys can keep it sane and not get power crazy,their mistakes bring everyone to downfall.Many at L&L looking to just get out.
This is a serious concern after MS’ email mentioned β€˜working round the clock’. He could have at least lied a little and paid some lip service to work-life balance.
All these internal email exchanges (like the 'work round the clock') in RLvMS...please keep sharing with the larger audience. Good gossip stuff
Sorry, but your decision doesn't matter. Or put in a glass half-full way, there is no wrong answer.

You've been working for a few months, and whether you put the next few in with your team or your firm, you will be 2 year PQE at a tier 1/2 firm by April 22. if you at that time think you made the wrong decision, you can switch to the other, or to any of the several firms out there who are always looking for 2-4 year PQE peeps as they are cheap, trained resources.
This is not a split, many partners leave, one more, the Firm, the Founder continues as is, only a partner who joined as an A0 has left.
Get out of the place at the earliest available opportunity. People don't change & that specially applies to both RKL and MS. They suddenly won't start caring for Associates or the Firm brand overall. They've always just cared about themselves & will continue doing so. In the Tier 1s, try for the non-lala ones like Trilegal & JSA. You always the option of the lala ones like CAM or SAM. AZB is somewhere in the middle as they are neither totally non-lala or totally lala. If you don't get through these, try aiming for the ones that will be Tier 1 soon like Indus, S&R or NDA. If you don't like large firms, try for the smaller ones who are doing excellent work like Talwar Thakore, Touchstone, Argus, DSK, Samvad, Spice Route, Veritas.

Bottom line is get out of that place & 'brand' as fast as you can. Its on a downward spiral & they don't care enough for you to care enough to stick around. I'm trying my best to do it for the last few months. You'll see a lot of positive comments about the L&L brand in the next few months on sites such as these but they are mostly from people inside & don't have too many options outside.
Kinda unrelated to the question though, while what's happening, in terms of this split was inevitable. Good for the job seekers as instead one option - now there will be two (RKL and MS). When AMSS split there was a hiring frenzy, and I expect that to happen here as well (make be the momentum may be less). So quality lawyers, especially with relevant experience here is another opportunity, if you are looking to move from your existing law firm, and I am fairly confident, who will be in position to negotiate as well.