Well, my question is the title basically. Could some of you share how much you make in an in house counsel role and the years of experience you have under your belt or if anyone of you are aware of what the pay is generally like sharing it would be appreciated. I would also like to know how the work life balance compares to a law firm. i think that there is this impression that in house roles are less demanding but I also hear otherwise.

I’ve worked at a tech MNC and at a tier 1 law firm. The learning curve at the law firm was comparatively steep for sure (strictly in terms of legal skills acquired on the job). At a junior level, if you’re at the right company, you can get a lot of exposure and get hands on experience quite early on. You learn a lot of how to manage people, speak to internal folks without all the legalese while still getting your point across, and just soft skills in general which are equally if not more important as you grow in the profession.

Hours wise - really depends. I was working as an M&A lawyer inhouse and had to clock in US hours and do india hours too when a deal was in full swing. But my team was supportive and the work environment was far from toxic. I wanted to work to get things done seamlessly. I cannot say that about my experience at the tier 1. The hours were brutal as expected but the culture made the hours 10x worse. I resented every minute of it.

Take your pick and choose wisely! If you find a team at a law firm that’s even a little bit empathetic, hold on tight and for the love of god don’t jump ship for “marquee deal partners” or a few extra lakhs in your bank account.