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1) Bigger teams vs smaller teams?
2) Niche areas or something like M&A and Disputes?
3) Corporate vs Dsiputes?
Would love to know your perspectives.
Certain older firms will never properly let you build a book or build relationships with existing clients and certain newer firms expect you to bring in clients as soon as you are able to.
Certain practices have only a handful of big mandates in a year and you will forever be a partner in name only as the big names dominate the field, and in others you are one in hundreds and will have to really fight to get clients.
Generally, most lawyers who have been in firms for 8+ years will have no issues doing the work in front of them, but very few can bring in clients (especially big mandates) on their own.
It would be really, really inadvisable to pick a practice on the ease of becoming partner. You need to survive for at least 8 years, and then be able to get work from your senior partners or new clients. You cannot do the latter without either being very passionate and knowledgeable about your practice or just being the charismatic enough to overcome a lack of passion / knowledge (which 99.999% of people are not).