The lawyers who left coveted high-tech jobs and returned to offices

Several years ago, law firms reported a trend of employees leaving for other companies, for the position of “in-house” lawyers in those companies or for non-legal positions. It was mainly high-tech companies, but also commercial companies.

However, in the last year it seems that the trend has waned, and that there are lawyers who are doing the opposite: leaving commercial companies and returning to practicing law from the big firms. The offices, for their part, are happy to re-adopt those who have gained experience within a company. Three lawyers who made the switch recently tell Globes about their decision.

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Yaniv Aharonovitch joined Epstein Rosenblum from the ERM base two weeks ago from accessiBe, an Israeli company that developed technology that enables people with disabilities to access websites. He served there as legal vice president for four years and managed two law firms.

Today he is a partner in the high-tech and venture capital team at the law firm. He explains that the move was due to a desire to diversify. “I missed seeing the high-tech world from 30,000 feet, seeing different types of companies. Today I have clients of all kinds – fintech, artificial intelligence, cyber. The potential of the fields is endless.

“The advantage of being in a law firm is that you see the market from above, many types of clients. I missed seeing the breadth of the canvas. In the end when you work for a company, it’s one company. I think today I bring the mindset and temperament of a start-up.”

“In society you are one of those who make the decisions”

This month, Aharonovich completed 20 years as a lawyer. He is married and has three daughters. He started his career as an intern and a young lawyer in the office of the late Adv. Yaakov Weinroth. He continued to the office of Adv. As part of his work, he took care of the executive who was after the first recruitment round, and offered him to work in-house.

“I was 15 years at the Tadmor office, an excellent office, but I felt there was an opportunity to move to a company where we know each other for better or for worse.” About working at the company, he says, “Seeing a company from the inside is eye-opening. We are used to being in an environment where everyone is a lawyer, and suddenly you are in a company that has development, product, marketing, finance people. As an external consultant, you give advice and go home. In the company, you are part of those who make the decisions. It develops business sense and the ability to manage risks. I leave four years as a lawyer much better than when I entered.”

Attorney Tami Piron, managing partner at the Piron firm, says that in recent times “we often see legal advisors from companies come to be interviewed by us. Just recently we met three different companies that were looking into moving back to the office. It is natural to see a cyclical movement of lawyers who move to companies, gain business experience, and after a few years return to the office market.”

“This is very non-trivial,” says attorney Miki Barnea, who heads the Barnea Jaffe Landa office. “This office is an organization of service providers, and those who were part of a company disconnect from the mentality. Those who come from a senior position in the company will also want to join the office in a senior position – this is the minimum to be a partner. Being an equity partner is difficult for those who come from a consulting system. The transition from legal advice in companies exists where there is expertise that is created as part of the work, and then such transitions are possible.”

Attorney Gil Veit, the managing partner of the Herzog firm, adds that the transition from in-house positions to law firms stems from a desire for employment stability alongside the diversity of cases in law firms, certainly in the large firms. “The volatility in the markets has made it clear that job security in established firms is a significant consideration for many lawyers. In a large firm, the lawyer is exposed to a wide range of clients, sectors and legal issues.”

“Professional extraction and encountering a glass ceiling”

As for the reasons, Piron says that one of the main factors is “a sense of professional exhaustion and encountering a glass ceiling when the path to the chief legal advisor is long or blocked.” Another reason is related to the nature of the work. “The work within a company can be very focused, you deal with the same field, the same activity and the same challenges. There are consultants who want to be re-exposed to a wide variety of companies, transactions and fields, and to return to a broader perspective of the market.”

Efrat Cohen, a lawyer for 22 years, joined Barnea Jaffe Landa as a senior partner in the regulatory department last year from a senior position at Bank Leumi. She served as head of the regulatory division in the legal division and managed ten lawyers, but chose to return to a law firm.

“After being almost out of the office for eight years, the diversity that a law firm gives you is unique only to the world of law firms,” ​​says Cohen. “I now work with a variety of companies. In the company, you are in one content world, and work on very specific topics. For the clients, my experience is an added value.”

Cohen also previously served as the CEO of Pharma Israel, and her path in the legal world was at the office of Dodi Tadmor, where she advanced to the director of the regulatory department and a partner. Before that, she was a reporter for economic affairs at Gali IDF. About the choice to move from a law firm to a company, she says: “I wanted to experience the other side of the barricade. Get to know the business sector and experience work that is not legal, which has managerial aspects, decision making and budget management. Experience the conduct of a large organization.

“It gives you a different point of view than a lawyer who has been in the office all his life. In the office you are an external consultant, advising in decision-making processes. But many times you are not part of the entire process. There is a set of considerations that you do not necessarily share.” Attorney Aharonovitz adds: “I have the view of someone who worked from the inside.” A completely different point of view.”

Attorney Shani Weiss, today a partner in the litigation department at the Gornicki firm, specialized in the firm, remained as a lawyer and became a partner. In the boom of high-tech, in 2021, against the background of her military experience in unit 8200, she left to be part of the founding team of Curies ai, a start-up in the field of biomedicine, in the position of Vice President of Strategy. She dealt with business strategies, recruiting investors and the legal side. “I was intrigued to broaden my horizons and get more tools. I wanted the customer’s perspective and today I know that it gave me good tools to provide good service to the customer.”

As they progress, the wage differences balance out

After a year, Weiss received an offer to return to Gornicki and accepted it. “I missed the legal work and Gornicki’s office was a home for me. I realized that first and foremost I am a lawyer, and that litigation runs through my veins. There was an element of coming home to my family and friends that I love. Those who have the litigation jock, which is the most extreme of law, cannot live without it. After seeing what happens from the inside, I know the conduct, the interests and the ecosystem. I know how to offer solutions from the world of law and the litigation to respond to conflicts and crises in a variety of companies.”

And what about the salary? The lawyers say that it is very individual. Young lawyers will be able to obtain higher salaries in firms, but the more senior you are and become a partner – the differences balance out. According to Piron, in the long term, law firms offer a higher earning potential, especially for those who advance to partnership positions.

“The combination of business experience from within the company and working in the office makes those lawyers a significant asset. Those who return to the office after being ‘in-house’ bring with them a deep understanding of the client’s needs, the pressures and the decision-making, and this is a value that offices know how to appreciate.”