Bingham McCutchen - going down or worth bidding? Forum

[Anonymous User]

http://abovethelaw.com/2014/02/whats-go ... s#comments

I really like Bingham from the research I've done, but these recent developments trouble me. Do you think it's worth dinging the firm all together or should i put it low on my bidlist? Their offer rate of 34/39 is already disconcerting despite what I like about them.

[Anonymous User]

I bid Bingham pretty low and I'm looking for a firm that would fit nicely in their slot.

[OneMoreLawHopeful]

It's stupid to "ding" any firm until you have an offer in hand.

Both Winston and Weil looked like they were in similarly bad shape at various points over the past 2 years, and yet both went on to make 95%+ offers to subsequent summer associate classes.

If you get through OCI with multiple offers, sure, go to a firm with better financials. But before you hold off on applying altogether, ask yourself "Am I better going to Bingham, or nowhere at all?" Every year a few people with great grades at great schools strike out during OCI. Your best bet at avoiding that fate is to apply as broadly as possible until you have an offer in hand.

[Anonymous User]

I summered there last year and wish I'd gone somewhere else. A couple of my friends were no-offered (neither were the type you'd expect that to happen to). I also know a couple of people who got offers, but aren't going back - they either found something through 3L OCI or are clerking and looking elsewhere after. Many partners have left recently, the firm lost a lot of money last year, there didn't seem to be enough work to go around (at least in litigation), and the culture seemed a bit negative/tense/uptight. So I'd advise against it...

[oblig.lawl.ref]

It's stupid to "ding" any firm until you have an offer in hand.

Both Winston and Weil looked like they were in similarly bad shape at various points over the past 2 years, and yet both went on to make 95%+ offers to subsequent summer associate classes.

If you get through OCI with multiple offers, sure, go to a firm with better financials. But before you hold off on applying altogether, ask yourself "Am I better going to Bingham, or nowhere at all?" Every year a few people with great grades at great schools strike out during OCI. Your best bet at avoiding that fate is to apply as broadly as possible until you have an offer in hand.

Pretty much exactly this. I struck out at OCI w/ good grades from a good school and actually knew several others that did as well. It's a million times better (IMO) to be in a shaky big law SA then to be in no SA at all.

[patrickd139]

It's stupid to "ding" any firm until you have an offer in hand.

Both Winston and Weil looked like they were in similarly bad shape at various points over the past 2 years, and yet both went on to make 95%+ offers to subsequent summer associate classes.

If you get through OCI with multiple offers, sure, go to a firm with better financials. But before you hold off on applying altogether, ask yourself "Am I better going to Bingham, or nowhere at all?" Every year a few people with great grades at great schools strike out during OCI. Your best bet at avoiding that fate is to apply as broadly as possible until you have an offer in hand.

Winston I'll give you. But Weil? Lol

Anecdotal: associate friend of mine says the ship is sinking at Bingham and has since bailed for greener pastures. I agree with people who say that Bingham > no offer, and if you've got a slot to fill on your bidlist and no other realistic options, of course put them at the bottom. But if it comes down to Bingham v. nondescript biglaw not named Bingham, I'd personally go with the latter.

[Anonymous User]

Original anon here. Ok I see. Thanks for the replies. My bidlist is very tight so it looks like they'll make the chopping block. imo a 145k job w/ security is better than 160k with a weak one, and I have a few nice 145s i just can't let go. I'll think about it though.

[OneMoreLawHopeful]

It's stupid to "ding" any firm until you have an offer in hand.

Both Winston and Weil looked like they were in similarly bad shape at various points over the past 2 years, and yet both went on to make 95%+ offers to subsequent summer associate classes.

If you get through OCI with multiple offers, sure, go to a firm with better financials. But before you hold off on applying altogether, ask yourself "Am I better going to Bingham, or nowhere at all?" Every year a few people with great grades at great schools strike out during OCI. Your best bet at avoiding that fate is to apply as broadly as possible until you have an offer in hand.

Winston I'll give you. But Weil? Lol

Anecdotal: associate friend of mine says the ship is sinking at Bingham and has since bailed for greener pastures. I agree with people who say that Bingham > no offer, and if you've got a slot to fill on your bidlist and no other realistic options, of course put them at the bottom. But if it comes down to Bingham v. nondescript biglaw not named Bingham, I'd personally go with the latter.

Wat.

Did you just not see these stories?
http://abovethelaw.com/2013/06/nationwi ... l-gotshal/
http://abovethelaw.com/2014/03/as-the-w ... it-tumble/

Weil fired 60 attorneys, including 2 entire litigation departments (Houston and Boston), and then had essentially an entire office worth of partners defect to Sidley Austin (the Dallas office of Weil).

It's easy, with 20/20 hindsight today, after seeing the Am Law financials, to say "Oh, Weil isn't in trouble," but in 2013, when we didn't have financials yet, 5 dozen attorneys had been laid off (including whole practice groups), and partners were leaving left-and-right, yeah, it looked a lot like Bingham does today. The point isn't that Weil was "going under" (clearly it wasn't) the point is that law firm financials are opaque, and it's easy to read about partner defections and forget that.

[Anonymous User]

Uhhh I don't know how much Weil associates were freaking out when that was going on (I didn't hear of much) but I know of several Bingham associates who have lateraled out within the past year that say they're so glad they're not at Bingham anymore because shit is going down hard. I say it's pretty different from what happened at Weil last year.