Female Expats on Why They Left Paul Weiss, Hogan, Paul Hastings

You can’t blame female associates for dropping out of Big Law. Not only is it a long, painful haul to partnership but the odds are against them. Plus, who wants to deal with all that bro-culture stuff?

But here’s what I find baffling: Some younger female partners—those who stuck it out, defied the odds, and won the Big Law lotto—are also bailing. At a time when they should be ascending the partnership ranks and accruing more power, they’re quitting Big Law cold turkey.

That describes three women who recently abandoned prestigious perches to launch their own firms—Jennifer ...