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- Once you get out of law school, you may envision yourself working in a large lavish downtown office building that overlooks the city.
- You can achieve this, but have you thought of achieving it in another country?
- If not, you should.
In recent years, we have noticed that a good number of American attorneys are moving overseas to practice law abroad. These relocations have been principally to London and Hong Kong. While many American attorneys may not consider moving to another country when they get out of law school, it is worthwhile to note that a legal career overseas may be a viable option for many American attorneys. Because BCG Attorney Search has American attorneys interviewing on an ongoing basis in London and Hong Kong, we believe that the international demand for American attorneys merits discussion.
Click Here to Find International Attorney Jobs on BCG Attorney Search
In this article, readers will learn about the opportunities for American attorneys to practice overseas with certain major firms, especially those with offices in London and Hong Kong. The opening up of China has also led to more opportunities for US attorneys with specialized skills and knowledge.
- See Also: Why Every Attorney Should Look at Multiple Legal Markets When Doing a Job Search
In November 2000, theAmerican Lawyerreported that "at least 20 American law firms have more than 10 percent of their lawyers stationed in overseas offices." Attorneys with experience in international transactions are often highly in demand and very marketable to firms in London and Hong Kong. While there are thousands of competent transactional attorneys, there are only a handful of attorneys with international experience. Experience with another culture can also be quite helpful for those looking to market themselves overseas.
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| Harrison Barnes |
This article discusses the market for American attorneys who are moving to different companies and settling in London and Hong Kong. While there are certainly many peripheral markets where American attorneys may have success in securing positions (the markets in Germany, Poland, China, Singapore, India, and Italy are quite strong now), the majority of activity we pursue is confined to London and Hong Kong because these are the leading international financial centers of their respective continents.
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Harrison Barnes does a weekly free webinar with live Q&A for attorneys and law students each Wednesday at 10:00 am PST. You can attend anonymously and ask questions about your career, this article, or any other legal career-related topics. You can sign up for the weekly webinar here: Register on Zoom
Harrison also does a weekly free webinar with live Q&A for law firms, companies, and others who hire attorneys each Wednesday at 10:00 am PST. You can sign up for the weekly webinar here: Register on Zoom
You can browse a list of past webinars here: Webinar Replays
You can also listen to Harrison Barnes Podcasts here: Attorney Career Advice Podcasts
You can also read Harrison Barnes' articles and books here: Harrison's Perspectives
Harrison Barnes is the legal profession's mentor and may be the only person in your legal career who will tell you why you are not reaching your full potential and what you really need to do to grow as an attorney--regardless of how much it hurts. If you prefer truth to stagnation, growth to comfort, and actionable ideas instead of fluffy concepts, you and Harrison will get along just fine. If, however, you want to stay where you are, talk about your past successes, and feel comfortable, Harrison is not for you.
Truly great mentors are like parents, doctors, therapists, spiritual figures, and others because in order to help you they need to expose you to pain and expose your weaknesses. But suppose you act on the advice and pain created by a mentor. In that case, you will become better: a better attorney, better employees, a better boss, know where you are going, and appreciate where you have been--you will hopefully also become a happier and better person. As you learn from Harrison, he hopes he will become your mentor.
To read more career and life advice articles visit Harrison's personal blog.
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