Living and Working in the Bay Area: We Have It All!

BCG Attorney Search's Palo Alto office is situated in the hometown of Stanford University and the heart of Silicon Valley. The Silicon Valley region includes the greater San Jose metropolitan area and the lower half of "the peninsula." The peninsula is a sixty-mile-long arm of land originating in South Jose and culminating in San Francisco at its northernmost tip and bordered by the San Francisco Bay on the east and the Pacific Ocean on the west. The Coast Mountains form the north-south spine of the peninsula. Most of the area's development is on the bay side of the mountains. Silicon Valley wasn't always Silicon Valley. I grew up in the Santa Clara Valley, its predecessor, a region of world-renowned orchards and lush truck farms. I knew more about prunes, apricots, and horses than I did about start-ups at the time. The valley was primarily agricultural and served as a playground and summer-home locale for wealthy San Francisco families. The area's hills and hidden glens are still dotted with amazing estates and mansions built in the first half of the 20th century.

We all know the story. Santa Clara Valley metamorphosed into Silicon Valley with the invention of "the chip." The economy boomed. Simultaneously, the agricultural land gave way to suburban development in response to a burgeoning demand for housing in the area. The rest is history. Now we can boast of a former winery atop a hill with an incredible view of the bay that serves as a magical venue for world-class performers. A former Greco-Italian estate belonging to a state politician hosts intimate performances, including incredible regional music festivals, and invites world-class artists-in-residence to create and teach. World-renowned universities, including Stanford and the University of California at Santa Cruz, attract amazingly fertile minds and provide every opportunity imaginable to expand one's intellect and pursue one's passions.


So where do the lawyers congregate in this region? Silicon Valley is home to scores of international, national, and regional law firms. The big-name firms tend to be located in Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Redwood City, Redwood Shores, Mountain View, Cupertino, and San Jose. San Jose, a long-established city with historic roots in the Spanish mission system, has developed into a vibrant urban center over the last 20 years. World-class venues for sporting events and entertainment draw people from all over the Bay Area. Neighboring Santana Row is a very hip model community featuring European planning that blends commercial and residential development. Cupertino is on the outskirts of San Jose and is a major location for companies in the high-tech industry, including Apple Computer. A few very high-quality "split-off" law firms have also put down roots here. Moving up the peninsula, Mountain View has become an attractive address for other intellectual property-oriented firms. It offers a great combination of easy access, convenient parking, a vibrant, interesting neighborhood with fantastic restaurants and shopping, and cutting-edge office architecture.

Further north, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and Redwood City are the most common locations for big-name firms in Silicon Valley. Historically, the growth of the high-tech sector has centered on the Stanford office park, land surrounding the university that was designated as an incubator for new industry. The law firms that serviced these growing clients became neighbors, and Stanford University served as a central hub. The office buildings in this area tend to be no more than four to five stories high, although there are a few taller exceptions. The grounds are expansive and feature attractive landscaping and walking and eating areas, as well as convenient parking. Most offices are easily accessible via the major freeways. However, walking access to shopping and restaurants is the exception rather than the rule in many locations, except for in downtown Palo Alto. A newer, upscale "lawyer neighborhood" with very elegant high-rise office buildings and a Four Seasons hotel is now established in East Palo Alto. A number of firms have moved from older buildings to this expensive location. Redwood Shores is another more recent development of elegant modern office buildings on bay front property a few miles north of Palo Alto.

The lawyers working in Silicon Valley live all over the Bay Area. Upscale communities within 20 minutes of San Jose include Saratoga, Los Gatos, Cupertino, Almaden, and several unincorporated areas in the hills. The entire valley surrounding San Jose offers a plethora of attractive suburban choices for families seeking good schools, attractive housing, and safe neighborhoods. Many ocean lovers live "over the hill" in Santa Cruz or other beach communities and make the 30- to 45-minute commute into San Jose—or even commute into Palo Alto. A number of lawyers commute from the East Bay, where you can get better value for your housing dollar. The trade-off is that you'll have to deal with bridge traffic and East Bay freeways, which can back up. Many San Francisco city dwellers make the daily commute southward to work in Silicon Valley firms. The development of rapid transit into San Jose and the lower peninsula has lagged; the area lacks access to BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit). However, the Caltrain light rail system and sophisticated bus and vanpool systems have helped fill the gap. (And the city keeps promising us that BART is coming to San Jose at some point!) Attorneys working in Silicon Valley usually live no further north than San Francisco or Berkeley, no further south than Gilroy, no further east than the easternmost destinations of the BART system (which connect to other transit systems), and no further west than the shores of the Pacific Ocean...although a few attorneys have taken up residence on sailboats!

San Francisco is home to many law firms with more general scopes. The financial district, Market Street, the Ferry Building, and the trendy South of Market area are major law firm enclaves in "the city." (Please don't say "Frisco.") If you love the energy and the buzz of cutting-edge offerings in terms of food, entertainment, fashion, culture, architecture, and high-profile personalities, San Francisco has it all. Most of the major law firms are housed in modern high-rise buildings. If you work here, you and your colleagues will wrangle over who gets a view of the bridges and who gets a view of the city. You will be within walking distance of scores of interesting restaurants, sporting events, theatres, the symphony, the ballet, and the opera. For commuters, the challenges are traffic and parking. For those living in the East Bay area or on the peninsula, BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) and Caltrain provide efficient alternatives that usually keep the commute under an hour. For those in the North Bay area who need to cross the Golden Gate Bridge, automobiles, carpools, vanpools, and buses are the usual modes of transit. "Lawyer's hours" may preclude some forms of shared transit. Some commuters find the ferry system on the bay to be a delightful solution if its schedule meshes with their work lives. The attorneys who live and work in the city usually rely on buses, streetcars, or cable cars, depending on the neighborhoods in which they live. Most attorneys who work in San Francisco live no further north than Marin County, no further south than San Jose, and no further east than the last stops on the BART system.

Oakland, San Francisco's urban counterpoint on the eastern side of the bay, is home to more regional and niche law firms. Offices tend to be located in high-rise buildings or more modest commercial buildings. Like every place in the Bay Area, Oakland and the East Bay offer tremendous diversity. Additionally, the benefits of easy access to the University of California at Berkeley and Boalt Law School cannot be overlooked. The Greek Theater, the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and the East Bay Regional Park District are all world class. Housing choices in the more suburban East Bay areas and inland valley areas offer great variety, as well as the best values. Many attorneys enjoy living on Alameda Island, a historic community surrounded by water but minutes from Berkeley, Oakland, BART, and the Bay Bridge.

This quick overview describes just a fraction of what you can experience working and living in the Bay Area. Other local options include exploring Sausalito, a trendy, artsy bay-front boating community in the North Bay, living in a unique houseboat community, "going rural" in the open spaces south and east of the Bay Area, and choosing from among a variety of affordable, trendy, bay-side young-adult condo communities. Some brave commuters even combine home lives or work lives in Sacramento with home lives or work lives in the Bay Area. The region's sophisticated rail-commuter service has made this possible. With weather that has often been described as "perfect," it is no wonder that so many people set their sights on the Bay Area and all that it encompasses.

As someone who worked in the Silicon Valley office of a major international law firm, I can help you locate the perfect opportunity to develop your career. As a native of Saratoga and the Bay Area, I can help you locate the perfect niche for your lifestyle. And as an alumnus of the University of California at Davis who commuted to the University of California at Berkeley, I can help you appreciate the work/lifestyle possibilities that lie within the greater Northern California region. As Managing Director of BCG's Palo Alto office, I look forward to speaking with you.


About Harrison Barnes

No legal recruiter in the United States has placed more attorneys at top law firms across every practice area than Harrison Barnes. His unmatched expertise, industry connections, and proven placement strategies have made him the most influential legal career advisor for attorneys seeking success in Big Law, elite boutiques, mid-sized firms, small firms, firms in the largest and smallest markets, and in over 350 separate practice areas.

A Reach Unlike Any Other Legal Recruiter

Most legal recruiters focus only on placing attorneys in large markets or specific practice areas, but Harrison places attorneys at all levels, in all practice areas, and in all locations-from the most prestigious firms in New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., to small and mid-sized firms in rural markets. Every week, he successfully places attorneys not only in high-demand practice areas like corporate and litigation but also in niche and less commonly recruited areas such as:

• Immigration Law
• Workers Compensation
• Insurance
• Family Law
• Trust and Estate
• Municipal law
• And many more...

This breadth of placements is unheard of in the legal recruiting industry and is a testament to his extraordinary ability to connect attorneys with the right firms, regardless of market size or practice area.

Proven Success at All Levels

With over 25 years of experience, Harrison has successfully placed attorneys at over 1,000 law firms, including:

• Top Am Law 100 firms such including Sullivan and Cromwell, and almost every AmLaw 100 and AmLaw 200 law firm.
• Elite boutique firms with specialized practices
• Mid-sized firms looking to expand their practice areas
• Growing firms in small and rural markets

He has also placed hundreds of law firm partners and has worked on firm and practice area mergers, helping law firms strategically grow their teams.

Unmatched Commitment to Attorney Success - The Story of BCG Attorney Search

Harrison Barnes is not just the most effective legal recruiter in the country, he is also the founder of BCG Attorney Search, a recruiting powerhouse that has helped thousands of attorneys transform their careers. His vision for BCG goes beyond just job placement; it is built on a mission to provide attorneys with opportunities they would never have access to otherwise. Unlike traditional recruiting firms, BCG Attorney Search operates as a career partner, not just a placement service. The firm's unparalleled resources, including a team of over 150 employees, enable it to offer customized job searches, direct outreach to firms, and market intelligence that no other legal recruiting service provides. Attorneys working with Harrison and BCG gain access to hidden opportunities, real-time insights on firm hiring trends, and guidance from a team that truly understands the legal market. You can read more about how BCG Attorney Search revolutionizes legal recruiting here: The Story of BCG Attorney Search and What We Do for You.

The Most Trusted Career Advisor for Attorneys

Harrison's legal career insights are the most widely followed in the profession.

• His articles on BCG Search alone are read by over 150,000 attorneys per month, making his guidance the most sought-after in the legal field. Read his latest insights here.
• He has conducted hundreds of hours of career development webinars, available here: Harrison Barnes Webinar Replays.
• His placement success is unmatched-see examples here: Harrison Barnes' Attorney Placements.
• He has created numerous comprehensive career development courses, including BigLaw Breakthrough, designed to help attorneys land positions at elite law firms.

Submit Your Resume to Work with Harrison Barnes

If you are serious about advancing your legal career and want access to the most sought-after law firm opportunities, Harrison Barnes is the most powerful recruiter to have on your side.

Submit your resume today to start working with him: Submit Resume Here

With an unmatched track record of success, a vast team of over 150 dedicated employees, and a reach into every market and practice area, Harrison Barnes is the recruiter who makes career transformations happen and has the talent and resources behind him to make this happen.

A Relentless Commitment to Attorney Success

Unlike most recruiters who work with only a narrow subset of attorneys, Harrison Barnes works with lawyers at all stages of their careers, from junior associates to senior partners, in every practice area imaginable. His placements are not limited to only those with "elite" credentials-he has helped thousands of attorneys, including those who thought it was impossible to move firms, find their next great opportunity.

Harrison's work is backed by a team of over 150 professionals who work around the clock to uncover hidden job opportunities at law firms across the country. His team:

• Finds and creates job openings that aren't publicly listed, giving attorneys access to exclusive opportunities.
• Works closely with candidates to ensure their resumes and applications stand out.
• Provides ongoing guidance and career coaching to help attorneys navigate interviews, negotiations, and transitions successfully.

This level of dedicated support is unmatched in the legal recruiting industry.

A Legal Recruiter Who Changes Lives

Harrison believes that every attorney-no matter their background, law school, or previous experience-has the potential to find success in the right law firm environment. Many attorneys come to him feeling stuck in their careers, underpaid, or unsure of their next steps. Through his unique ability to identify the right opportunities, he helps attorneys transform their careers in ways they never thought possible.

He has worked with:

• Attorneys making below-market salaries who went on to double or triple their earnings at new firms.
• Senior attorneys who believed they were "too experienced" to make a move and found better roles with firms eager for their expertise.
• Attorneys in small or remote markets who assumed they had no options-only to be placed at strong firms they never knew existed.
• Partners looking for a better platform or more autonomy who successfully transitioned to firms where they could grow their practice.

For attorneys who think their options are limited, Harrison Barnes has proven time and time again that opportunities exist-often in places they never expected.

Submit Your Resume Today - Start Your Career Transformation

If you want to explore new career opportunities, Harrison Barnes and BCG Attorney Search are your best resources. Whether you are looking for a BigLaw position, a boutique firm, or a move to a better work environment, Harrison's expertise will help you take control of your future.

Submit Your Resume Here to get started with Harrison Barnes today.

Harrison's reach, experience, and proven results make him the best legal recruiter in the industry. Don't settle for an average recruiter-work with the one who has changed the careers of thousands of attorneys and can do the same for you.

About BCG Attorney Search

BCG Attorney Search matches attorneys and law firms with unparalleled expertise and drive, while achieving results. Known globally for its success in locating and placing attorneys in law firms of all sizes, BCG Attorney Search has placed thousands of attorneys in law firms in thousands of different law firms around the country. Unlike other legal placement firms, BCG Attorney Search brings massive resources of over 150 employees to its placement efforts locating positions and opportunities its competitors simply cannot. Every legal recruiter at BCG Attorney Search is a former successful attorney who attended a top law school, worked in top law firms and brought massive drive and commitment to their work. BCG Attorney Search legal recruiters take your legal career seriously and understand attorneys. For more information, please visit www.BCGSearch.com.