Do junior lawyers care too much about money?

It’s not a word so hard to find a definition but Cambridge dictionary says “talk down to someone” means “to talk to someone as if they are less intelligent than you or not important”. I don’t think relative wealth comes into it unless he is placing importance on wealth, which seems to be the opposite of what he’s saying.

In any event, I think everyone is pretty harsh on Alan. He worked at A&O until 2012 when PEP was significantly lower than today (even if adjusted for inflation). The market was also significantly different – Alan worked at the same firm for 27 years which in 2012 would be considered unremarkable. Sponsor designation was in its infancy and not the norm for corporate finance.

Contrast this with today where partners move for guaranteed payouts like footballers, the approach on designated work is essentially to avoid raising comments unless you will be found negligent, where junior lawyers earn more than bankers etc.

Sure, no one chooses law without thinking “I might get paid quite well”, similar to how doctors used to think (when they got paid quite well…). That does not mean your focus should be weighted to earning money as opposed to your professional obligations. There’s a reason people look askance at ambulance chasers – why should the unease with their ethics change when the solicitor is in the square mile?