Another Exit from Big Law: Another Star (Ines Pinheiro) is Born, As Other Leavers' Twinklers (Karen Dunn) Blaze More and More Brightly

Exiting Big Law, if accompanied with the right amount of fanfare, can open the door to stardom. The latest example is Ines Pinheiro who departed DLA Piper in the UK. 

In addition, it can increase the wattage of those already stars such as Karen Dunn who left Paul, Weiss. Incidentally some of that wattage could have been dimmed pre-exit. That's because Dunn had coached Dem loser Kamala Harris and was closely associated with that party driven into political nowhereville.

Well, on LinkedIn, with almost 6,000 followers (relative peanuts if you are chasing being an influencer), Pinheiro posts: 

“I have taken the important decision to resign from my position as a trainee solicitor at DLA Piper”

That was after two weeks with the law firm. She goes on to tell us that she needs to continue to recover from the burnout of overachievement. So, at age 29, she will start over again.

If that starting over is in the career path of influencer she had already laid the foundation for that. Even before this latest, she had been on social media lambasting overachievement in large law firms. That did get her attention on both sides of the Atlantic. 

Putting the knock on Big Law is the platform for establishing the infrastructure to build a presence as an influencer. Even before exiting Skadden Rachel Cohen seemed to be learning the ropes of that game. To the delight of those critical of large law firms Cohen's baiting of Skadden leadership gave her a brandname in what is labeled the "resistance." Were head Jeremy London and CMO Luke Ferrandino scrambling?

There are growing things to resist these days. How about capitalism, which is giving Zohran Mamdani the edge in the NYC mayor's race.

But there's more to Pinheiro's exit saga. Brit legal tabloid RollonFriday reports:

"A few days later [after the first bit of noise about overachievement] the trainee, who revealed that she had failed Part 2 of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam "by 0.03%", announced that she had quit."

Perhaps Pinheiro wasn't quite the overachiever that she claimed she was. Maybe she got it that it would require effort she was unwilling or unable to invest to make it in a large law firm. 

Meanwhile, Cohen continues to thrive. 

Another leaver, this one pushed out of Davis Polk, is finding his way to what he hasn't designated yet. That's Ryan Powers. 

In politics in which she could have tumbled into the abyss, Dunn has evolved into Saint Karen. Legacy media can't get enough of how she established a litigation boutique to fight the good fight.

Typically, adversity triggers the embrace of this peculiar kind of fame. After 9/11, my industry collapsed, along with my nest egg. I read an article in The New York Times Magazine about Gawker political influencer Ana Marie Cox. "I can do that," I said to myself and had eight good earning years in two influencer categories: legal and executive communications. 

Now I toil in the lower profile niches of intuitive coaching/tarot reading. Overall, a career as influencer is unsustainable. Cohen, Pinheiro and more have to prepare for that. If Dunn's firm Dunn Isaacson Rhee takes on the "wrong case" will the current advantage go poof?

In coaching/tarot reading the first question I ask is: What else could you do to earn a good living?

Thrown off your game, maybe the first time since you started working? You made all the right moves and then the world moved in another direction.

Intuitive Coaching. Special expertise with transitions, reskilling and aging. Psychic/tarot readings, upon request. Complimentary consultation with Jane Genova (Text 203-468-8579, janegenova374@gmail.com). Yes, test out the chemistry. There’s no risk.