Not really. In big4, it's merit which decides who's where and not educational qualification. Not saying about personal biases, which would be everywhere. So a good lawyer may be above a decent CA and vice versa.
Coming to litigation, yes, there's a lot of pre-litigation work, like stratagising etc , which determine the course of litigations. The inputs of external counsel are taken when the amounts are big and / or the issue is so complex that it's bound to end up before courts. But big 4s handle the disputes in departments and generally clients insist for lawyers for tribunal and above, though tribunal can be handled by big 4. Even in courts, it's not uncommon to see basic drafts made by the big 4s, which are then settled by the advocate who's going to argue the matter.
You could try reaching out to the compliance practice. It has gained a lot of prominence these days and is interesting as well. Can't compare actually with a law firm, but honestly someone in tier 1 law firm i know knows a lot lot less than someone with 3-4 years of experience in the compliance domain of a B4. Salary is not comparable, but so is WLB. One is better, one is worse. You choose.
Coming to litigation, yes, there's a lot of pre-litigation work, like stratagising etc , which determine the course of litigations. The inputs of external counsel are taken when the amounts are big and / or the issue is so complex that it's bound to end up before courts. But big 4s handle the disputes in departments and generally clients insist for lawyers for tribunal and above, though tribunal can be handled by big 4. Even in courts, it's not uncommon to see basic drafts made by the big 4s, which are then settled by the advocate who's going to argue the matter.
Hope this clarifies.