Handing counsel out - discuss with seniors on next step?

Question

I’m currently working at an MBB firm and facing a potential counsel-out situation. I would appreciate some advice on how to handle this — specifically, whether I should disclose it to senior colleagues and discuss possible next steps.

I’m considering reaching out to a few seniors (Project Leader or Principal level) whom I’ve worked with before and have a closer personal connection with. My thought is to seek their advice on my next steps and potentially ask for referrals to roles at other firms.

My main concern is that doing so might lead to the reason for my departure being circulated more broadly.

Would you recommend reaching out in this situation? And if I’m asked about the reason for leaving before I’ve secured my next role, how would you suggest handling that? Thank you!

Answer 1

Hi,

Thanks for sharing this; it’s a difficult moment but also a fairly common situation in MBB firms. I spent about 10 years in MBB and saw this happen many times.

If an associate I had a good personal relationship with (or even a friendship) approached me with this kind of request when I was a Principal, I would typically try my best to help and I would treat the information as strictly confidential. That said, I would only suggest doing this with people you truly trust and have a personal connection with, not simply Project Leaders or Principals you happened to work with on a case.

One point to keep in mind is that once you disclose that you are being counseled out, there is essentially no way back. Speaking honestly, if I knew someone was already in an outplacement situation, even if I wanted to help them, I would probably avoid staffing them on my projects, mainly because I would worry about motivation or continuity.

So my advice would be:

Speak only with a very small number of trusted seniors
Treat those conversations as career advice and networking for next steps
Be mindful that sharing the information changes how people may view staffing decisions

If you’d like to discuss the situation more privately, feel free to reach out.

Best,
Franco

Answer 2

Sorry to hear about this situation.

Indeed, if you feel it would be helpful to discuss with others and seek their advice, then definitely do it. Start with those who are closest to you and whom you trust the most.

See how that goes and take it from there.

Best,

Cristian