My experience at this firm is practice-group dependent. That is not a small distinction. Before accepting an offer, ask whether the position is genuine growth or a backfill. Ask how many associates have joined and left that specific team within the past year. If the answers are vague, deflective, or framed as “normal attrition,” pay attention. Patterns reveal themselves.
Certain groups hire repeatedly. That should prompt questions, not assumptions about expansion.
This is not an environment I would recommend for brand new attorneys, despite the fact that newer attorneys are frequently hired. The culture is largely sink-or-swim. That model benefits some and burns out others. If it does not work for you, that is not a reflection of your intelligence or capability. It is structural. Be realistic about the training and mentorship you require at this stage. Law school, bar admission, and early practice represent significant investment. Choose an environment that supports development rather than assuming it will eventually evolve into one. A common, longstanding complaint, reflected in older reviews and echoed by former senior associates, is that attorneys who joined as juniors and left at the mid to senior level often had little to no meaningful courtroom or deposition experience. This can, in effect, lock you into the firm and limit your ability to lateral successfully.
The firm, as an institution, has existed for a long time. Longevity, however, is not the same as stability. Its most consistent features are the preservation of internal norms and the persistent inability to retain high-quality talent. The attrition rate is not incidental. It is structural and it is beginning to affect long-term viability.
The compensation model is not competitive and has not been for some time. Staff PTO has been reduced despite already heavy workloads, while associates have been quietly moved to an “unlimited” PTO model that is not uniformly communicated. Benefits are expensive and the coverage network is limited. When you factor in the billable requirement, which should not be confused with the actual hours worked, especially where time may be aggressively cut, the salary does not justify the demand. It is also worth noting that, unsurprisingly, the firm “suffers” from salary compression. I use “suffers” loosely because salary compression, by nature, means looking at your employees, including top performers and long-tenured associates, shrugging, and bringing in someone less experienced at a similar salary. All positions from 0 to 2 years of experience fall within the same $110k/$115k base salary range. So yes, you could start here with less than one year of experience, stay for a couple of years, reach $115k/$120k, and still see someone brought into the same position at essentially the same salary.
Viewed in context, the cost of being there is not limited to compensation. It is financial, mental, and professional. For example, branded materials are offered for purchase. It should go without saying, but apparently it does not: do not pay your employer to advertise for them.
If you are terminated and presented with a standard separation agreement, do not sign anything immediately. Use the full review period. Consult counsel. Maintain copies of key communications throughout your employment. Keep independent records of the matters you work on. Transitions can occur quickly. Protect yourself accordingly.
Most staff members are professional and collegial. That said, loyalty to individual partners or groups runs deep. Exercise discretion. Do not assume conversations are informal simply because they feel that way. They are not.
There is no formal, structured performance review system. If you want documented feedback, you must request it. Periodically obtain your personnel file while still employed. Do not assume everything material will be proactively shared.
Regarding the remote flexibility that the firm mentions almost everywhere, do not assume that flexibility applies evenly. Expectations vary by partner. Even if the partner you work under is primarily remote, that does not give you the “green light” to do the same. Visibility matters, and absences are noticed.
The firm has the potential to provide a platform if you are disciplined, deliberate, and proactive about your development. However, culture and management vary meaningfully across departments. Be strategic about where you invest your time and political capital. Know what you are walking into, as the lack of transparency with benefits, salary, and work expectations also extends to what is effectively the firm’s “marketing budget.” The firm generally does not reimburse you for lunches with junior associates or law clerks, which reflects a lack of meaningful investment in mentorship. “Associate happy hours,” when they occur, are rare, held at the same location, and limited to appetizers only, with no coverage for drinks, including beer and wine. It is striking how consistently the firm manages to stifle opportunities to build morale or camaraderie. You are empowered and even encouraged to make things more engaging, but it will be at your own expense. If you have heard of the concept of golden handcuffs, think of a version where the handcuffs are more like brass or plated rhodium since you are not compensated enough for the real thing. It is expensive to be unhappy, and even more so when the environment you invest so much time and energy into feels intentionally limiting.
And I will end with this warning. There are some “personalities” that are known to be problematic. Their behaviors are directly associated with the high attrition rates. If you report any of these individuals or behaviors, do not accept statements, explicit or implied, that management or leadership was unaware. They are aware. Leadership has, on numerous occasions, failed to minimize objectively obvious legal and operational risk. Management’s day-to-day decisions reflect a persistent inability to understand or mitigate foreseeable risk, raising serious questions about whether these decisions are driven by hubris or by flawed decision-making that resists meaningful correction.