Tell me about Jones Day NY Forum

[Anonymous User]

Hey guys, I was wondering how good Jones Day NY is based on a couple of main criteria. Basically I'm kind of confused as while I really liked the people I met there, I've heard varying things about the work life and strength of practice groups for Jones Day NY.

If anybody could comment on these issues and how Jones Day NY stacks up against firms like White & Case, Shearman, Fried Frank, etc. it would be awesome!

1) I've heard varying things about the amount of work/ billable reqs at Jones Day NY... Anywhere from people work a ton (Even in comparison to other NY firms) to people work less than most NY firms (based on the One Firm Worldwide culture). Any anecdotes?

2) How strong is Jones Day NY for M&A type work? I know its quite well known for M&A generally as a firm, but its NY vault/chamber rankings don't seem to be as high.

3) How are the people there generally? I've actually quite liked the people I've met and talked to from several Jones Day offices (including NY). Anybody have NY specific knowledge?

[Anonymous User]

i think i heard it called "jones days, nights, and weekends" and i dont think without cause.

i'm surprised you like the people. i was not too fond of them during my callback. one senior associate was trying to be frank with me and told me the hours are long (which i expected) but then added in "i like being able to call my junior associates at 6:30pm and find them still in the office." it was a little off putting to hear that after coming from other firms that praise their no face time policy and how it's so easy to work from home. maybe he was trying to be frank with me, but i think it was too excessive. maybe i just got a bad apple - i admit it would be unfair to judge the whole firm based on one encounter with an associate, but as interviewees that's really all we've got.

also what kind of respectable business would be located off of second ave.

[Anonymous User]

i just accepted an offer there, and it ultimately came down to the vibe i got. they all seemed down to earth and i definitely see how people might say they still have a midwestern influence in terms of culture. i met with 3 partners and 2 associates (and i've also spoken to 3Ls from my school that summered there), and they were all really nice and easy to talk to. i didn't get the impression that the work/life balance was any worse than any other nyc law firm, and in fact gave a bit more wiggle room--being able to work in other offices, no face time (granted sticking around might make you "look better," but it's nice to have more leeway in comparison to strict face time firms), being understanding of emergencies, etc. in terms of practice areas, it's strong enough in corporate/m&a in new york (band 1 chambers), which is pretty much the only thing i was paying attention to (but obviously there are better nyc choices, if that's your only concern). i have to say, though, if i were shooting to stay in biglaw for the long haul, i actually might have chosen differently because the partner track is insanely long and the ppp is pretty low and i'm not sure how similarly ranked firms view jd in terms of looking at potential laterals, but now my primary concern is being in an environment i can stand with people i can stand. i'm not crazy competitive or prestige-obsessed...my guess if that if you are, jd probably isn't the best choice.

[Anonymous User]

Most of my interviewers spent the entire time on their blackberries and bragging about how many hours they work and how they are so hardcore for coming in on Christmas Day. One of them bragged that JD is more hardcore than Cravath (lolwut?). I got a terrible, terrible vibe from there.

But...... on the other hand, if you are kind of a socially awkward fratty dude who wants to prove how badass they are via constant work and competitive billables (hey man, NO judgment), then JD seems perfect.

[Anonymous User]

i just accepted an offer there, and it ultimately came down to the vibe i got. they all seemed down to earth and i definitely see how people might say they still have a midwestern influence in terms of culture. i met with 3 partners and 2 associates (and i've also spoken to 3Ls from my school that summered there), and they were all really nice and easy to talk to. i didn't get the impression that the work/life balance was any worse than any other nyc law firm, and in fact gave a bit more wiggle room--being able to work in other offices, no face time (granted sticking around might make you "look better," but it's nice to have more leeway in comparison to strict face time firms), being understanding of emergencies, etc. in terms of practice areas, it's strong enough in corporate/m&a in new york (band 1 chambers), which is pretty much the only thing i was paying attention to (but obviously there are better nyc choices, if that's your only concern). i have to say, though, if i were shooting to stay in biglaw for the long haul, i actually might have chosen differently because the partner track is insanely long and the ppp is pretty low and i'm not sure how similarly ranked firms view jd in terms of looking at potential laterals, but now my primary concern is being in an environment i can stand with people i can stand. i'm not crazy competitive or prestige-obsessed...my guess if that if you are, jd probably isn't the best choice.

Just be sure to acknowledge the distinction between Band 1 - "The Elite" and Band 1 - "Highly Regarded". The latter is kind of a "best of the rest" metric, which JD falls into; so in essence, JD is Band 6 in New York M&A. I say this not to nitpick but because there are other, similarly ranked firms that have better (re: Elite) NY M&A practices.

[Anonymous User]

i just accepted an offer there, and it ultimately came down to the vibe i got. they all seemed down to earth and i definitely see how people might say they still have a midwestern influence in terms of culture. i met with 3 partners and 2 associates (and i've also spoken to 3Ls from my school that summered there), and they were all really nice and easy to talk to. i didn't get the impression that the work/life balance was any worse than any other nyc law firm, and in fact gave a bit more wiggle room--being able to work in other offices, no face time (granted sticking around might make you "look better," but it's nice to have more leeway in comparison to strict face time firms), being understanding of emergencies, etc. in terms of practice areas, it's strong enough in corporate/m&a in new york (band 1 chambers), which is pretty much the only thing i was paying attention to (but obviously there are better nyc choices, if that's your only concern). i have to say, though, if i were shooting to stay in biglaw for the long haul, i actually might have chosen differently because the partner track is insanely long and the ppp is pretty low and i'm not sure how similarly ranked firms view jd in terms of looking at potential laterals, but now my primary concern is being in an environment i can stand with people i can stand. i'm not crazy competitive or prestige-obsessed...my guess if that if you are, jd probably isn't the best choice.

Where else were you choosing among?

[Anonymous User]

Just be sure to acknowledge the distinction between Band 1 - "The Elite" and Band 1 - "Highly Regarded". The latter is kind of a "best of the rest" metric, which JD falls into; so in essence, JD is Band 6 in New York M&A. I say this not to nitpick but because there are other, similarly ranked firms that have better (re: Elite) NY M&A practices.

First of all, I don't work or plan to work in Jones Day. That said, you cannot discredit JD's m&a dept as "band 6." The reason why Chamber divides up the m&a ranking into "Elite" and "Highly Regarded" is because different firms meet different market needs. There are hundreds of m&a deals that are valued less than $1 billion, let alone $5 billion and many of those deals are better handled by non elite NY firms such as Skadden or Cravath. For example in 2011 1st & 2nd Q, Jones Day completed 187 m&a deals (#1 firm based on # of deals & #8 based on the value of the deals). Yes, not many of them were "blockbuster" deals, but some of the most difficult and complex deals could arise from these mid-market deals. I think it's just unfair for Jones Day to be branded as "band 6" m&a firm when it is, in fact, a m&a powerhouse by any metrics.

Chambers & Partners is a great source indeed. But sometimes, it's good to check other sources (eg. WSJ / FT / Deals Intelligence) to learn more about the firm. The simple categorization of C&P may miss many nuances regarding a firm's strengths or weaknesses.

[Anonymous User]

Just be sure to acknowledge the distinction between Band 1 - "The Elite" and Band 1 - "Highly Regarded". The latter is kind of a "best of the rest" metric, which JD falls into; so in essence, JD is Band 6 in New York M&A. I say this not to nitpick but because there are other, similarly ranked firms that have better (re: Elite) NY M&A practices.

First of all, I don't work or plan to work in Jones Day. That said, you cannot discredit JD's m&a dept as "band 6." The reason why Chamber divides up the m&a ranking into "Elite" and "Highly Regarded" is because different firms meet different market needs. There are hundreds of m&a deals that are valued less than $1 billion, let alone $5 billion and many of those deals are better handled by non elite NY firms such as Skadden or Cravath. For example in 2011 1st & 2nd Q, Jones Day completed 187 m&a deals (#1 firm based on # of deals & #8 based on the value of the deals). Yes, not many of them were "blockbuster" deals, but some of the most difficult and complex deals could arise from these mid-market deals. I think it's just unfair for Jones Day to be branded as "band 6" m&a firm when it is, in fact, a m&a powerhouse by any metrics.

Chambers & Partners is a great source indeed. But sometimes, it's good to check other sources (eg. WSJ / FT / Deals Intelligence) to learn more about the firm. The simple categorization of C&P may miss many nuances regarding a firm's strengths or weaknesses.

There's a marked difference between Band 1 Elite and Band 1 Highly Regarded; that's all I was pointing out.

[Anonymous User]

So if you were considering M&A heavily then would it be better to take Fried Frank or Shearman over Jones Day NY?

[Anonymous User]

I'm interested in Jones Day since I'm looking to go into labor and employment law. Very few of the large firms have any real focus on L&E. Sure, many firms will list it under their practices, but it is often just an afterthought. At Jones Day, it seemed like a pretty big group with some top-notch experts. So I'm certainly interested in the firm for this reason.