Specialise hard into one premium practice area (regulated industries, complex tax, FinTech / crypto regulatory, AI-policy work) and become the named associate the partners staff for it — generalist 5th-years are interchangeable; named-specialty 5th-years get retention bonuses and inbound in-house GC offers.

Build an external client-facing brand now (publish 4-6 substantive client alerts or speak at one bar-section panel per year) — partner-track economics turn on origination potential, and origination starts with being a known name in your specialty.

Plan the exit-to-in-house lateral move at the senior-associate / counsel point as a deliberate jump to a fast-growing pre-IPO company with equity — this is the highest-EV career move available at this rung and converts hourly billing into transferable economic stake.