Law Firms' Amenities Forum

[dixiecupdrinking]

TBH I could go for some hot dogs in the office.

[5ky]

The dinner thing is probably because tech clients are the cheapest motherfucker clients in the world. I bet none of their clients are paying for associate dinners, so they make you eat at their shitty cafeteria.

I didn't even realize that most firms had cafeterias. My office doesn't have one. I gotta foodtruck it up.

If you're on a matter that doesnt let you bill dinners to it, the firm probably just eats it. we have a matter number to use on seamless for overtime meals if you arent billing it to one specific matter

Yea, but if none of your clients are willing to pay for it, then the firm sees this huge seamless bill and figures, hey, lets make them eat here.

oh yeah, maybe. my firm doesn't serve dinner so they sort of have to

[RedGiant]

Do you think the strong WSGR distaste is partly due to the fact that silicon valley perks are among the best of any industry? If I compared my firms' offerings (described in this thread as top notch) with what I've seen at Google or Linkedin . . .

I'd say no to that. The reason I say that is that I was at WSGR as a paralegal after having worked for many years, literally all over the world--London, NY, Colorado...in law and elsewhere. Sure, at WSGR, we knew that all but our seed-stage clients had pretty bomb pantries and cafeterias. That's not it. I've worked places that had free soda, or (limited) free snacks. Places where expensing a team lunch was not like pulling teeth. WSGR is cheap. It just is. There's a culture of frugality that permeates it in a way that is not so with firms I've worked at elsewhere (Latham, Cravath, certain investment banks).

WSGR goes out of its way to be cheap...it's not just a food thing. They are always trying to wring efficiencies, like removing printers so that employees print less. (NEWS FLASH--those documents we are working on are pretty darn important, and if a partner wants a printed copy, dammit, he's getting a printed copy, even if it'll take 15 mins and I'll bill a .3 waiting for it to come off the one, slow color printer at the end of our pod!).

Also, genuinely, the cafeteria is really good during the day. I have had sole petrale, Niman Ranch steak salads loaded with local goat cheese and avocado (both for under $10 each), but at night, they belt-tighten like mad and serve things like sloppy joe's, hamburgers, hot dogs...it's just cheap crap. It got so bad that only a few of the attys in my whole pod would even bother going down--most would just starve or eat stuff they brought from home (or make a huge plate of the three salads!).

I will say that we go free Ipods for WSGR's 35th anniversary, and that was one of the times the firm surprised me. And the holiday parties are not cheap--they're just geared to employees with kids. That's all.

[hous]

A lot of firms 401(k) match for staff, but I have rarely heard of a firm that matches for associates.

However, all firms allow you to put your own money in, right?

[Dafaq]

Every morning there are always goodies, usually from the Panera bakery or Dunkin’. In the afternoon it is hit or miss, usually pizza, although today they had a large bucket of wings from Hooters (messy but very tasty).

[Anonymous User]

Bump for Gibson Dunn NY

[Anonymous User]

Do you think the strong WSGR distaste is partly due to the fact that silicon valley perks are among the best of any industry? If I compared my firms' offerings (described in this thread as top notch) with what I've seen at Google or Linkedin . . .

I'd say no to that. The reason I say that is that I was at WSGR as a paralegal after having worked for many years, literally all over the world--London, NY, Colorado...in law and elsewhere. Sure, at WSGR, we knew that all but our seed-stage clients had pretty bomb pantries and cafeterias. That's not it. I've worked places that had free soda, or (limited) free snacks. Places where expensing a team lunch was not like pulling teeth. WSGR is cheap. It just is. There's a culture of frugality that permeates it in a way that is not so with firms I've worked at elsewhere (Latham, Cravath, certain investment banks).

WSGR goes out of its way to be cheap...it's not just a food thing. They are always trying to wring efficiencies, like removing printers so that employees print less. (NEWS FLASH--those documents we are working on are pretty darn important, and if a partner wants a printed copy, dammit, he's getting a printed copy, even if it'll take 15 mins and I'll bill a .3 waiting for it to come off the one, slow color printer at the end of our pod!).

Also, genuinely, the cafeteria is really good during the day. I have had sole petrale, Niman Ranch steak salads loaded with local goat cheese and avocado (both for under $10 each), but at night, they belt-tighten like mad and serve things like sloppy joe's, hamburgers, hot dogs...it's just cheap crap. It got so bad that only a few of the attys in my whole pod would even bother going down--most would just starve or eat stuff they brought from home (or make a huge plate of the three salads!).

I will say that we go free Ipods for WSGR's 35th anniversary, and that was one of the times the firm surprised me. And the holiday parties are not cheap--they're just geared to employees with kids. That's all.

seems pretty par for the course/better than average for the few firms I know the details on in Palo Alto

[Anonymous User]

Bump for Kirkland Chi

[Anonymous User]

Kirkland chi --> Cafe 300 is legit

[Anonymous User]

seems pretty par for the course/better than average for the few firms I know the details on in Palo Alto

Can anon elaborate on the details of the few other Palo Alto firms? Cafeteria, meal reimbursement, gym, etc.

Much appreciated!

[Anonymous User]

A lot of firms 401(k) match for staff, but I have rarely heard of a firm that matches for associates.

However, all firms allow you to put your own money in, right?

Carlton Fields matches after the first year

[instride91]

It seems pretty ridiculous that many firms don't match. If you make $160k and Firm A matches 5% while Firm B doesn't match, isn't that an $8k difference in pay?

[Anonymous User]

Boston firm - Choate, Hall

Location: Financial district. Boston is small. Most big firms are within a 15 minute walk from this area.
Cafeteria: It's mediocre. Not expensive but not delicious and I think worse than comparable big firms in the area. There are good food options in the financial district so unless youre super swamped you go grab something outside.
Gym: theres one in the building. Firm subsidizes $20. Other gyms are also nearby.
Insurance Info: Expensive health insurance actually. 2 HMOs and a PPO Saver, whatever that means.
401k match: No
Cab home: after 7pm, not sure about weekends.
Free meals: $35 if work pass 7pm, no need to wait till 7pm to order though
Other: $50/mo for using your cell phone

[Winter is Coming]

It seems pretty ridiculous that many firms don't match. If you make $160k and Firm A matches 5% while Firm B doesn't match, isn't that an $8k difference in pay?

Yeah haha but the issue is that almost no firms match, so its usually not a choice.

[BigZuck]

How much are big lawyers paying out of pocket for insurance every month (just asking generally, doesn't have to be a specific firm)

[Anonymous User]

I pay some minuscule amount (10 bucks or something) a month for vision. Everything else is covered by firm. Not sure how common that is.

[BigZuck]

I pay some minuscule amount (10 bucks or something) a month for vision. Everything else is covered by firm. Not sure how common that is.

Interesting. I thought I heard firms didn't cover most of it and people had to pay a lot out of pocket (like the "Expensive Health Insurance actually" anon above

[twenty 8]

I’d say most, if not all, firms cover insurance. I will say that the benefit of having dental coverage is pedestrian at best (it’ll knock off a couple hundred bucks of a 1k bill).

[Anonymous User]

Mayer Brown Chicago - a few PPO options offered. 90/10 PPO is around $320/month for yourself, but gets very expensive if you have to add a spouse, around $950/month, and goes up to around $1300/month if you have spouse & children.

[Anonymous User]

I thought my firm is covering all of the insurance, until I saw the insurance + dental/vision are taken out of my paychecks.
life, accident and disability insruance are covered by the firm tho

[5ky]

I’d say most, if not all, firms cover insurance.

This isn't accurate at all. All things considered, big firms make you pay more for your insurance than other companies

Edit: I guess I was overly aggressive. Here's some survey results from ATL on it:

http://abovethelaw.com/2013/10/biglaw-h ... y-results/

[Johann]

I pay some minuscule amount (10 bucks or something) a month for vision. Everything else is covered by firm. Not sure how common that is.

true for me also but dental instead of vision. ive got the cheapest health insurance there is though, and if i wanted something good itd prolly be $500ish per month.

[twenty 8]

I’d say most, if not all, firms cover insurance.

This isn't accurate at all. All things considered, big firms make you pay more for your insurance than other companies

Edit: I guess I was overly aggressive. Here's some survey results from ATL on it:

http://abovethelaw.com/2013/10/biglaw-h ... y-results/

Interesting link. I was going by my policy and anecdotal info from others. Firm also pays for life insurance. I am single so I do not know what the policy is for those who are married or have children.

[Anonymous User]

seems pretty par for the course/better than average for the few firms I know the details on in Palo Alto

Can anon elaborate on the details of the few other Palo Alto firms? Cafeteria, meal reimbursement, gym, etc.

Much appreciated!

I'm not really willing to get super specific to apologies. Most PA firms are small as fuck, and don't really offer any benefits at all. Wilson is basically the biggest firm on Page Mill and the East PA complex by 4 Seasons by a HUGE amount, and probably would have the best benefits.

I worked at one of the V100 firms across the street (very near another roughly comparably sized V100, which I spoke to sometimes.) Cafeteria could use other companies' cafeteries-un-subsidized. Meal reimbursement after 7:30. No gym subsidy. No cab/black car. I've never heard of anyone in PA offering that....half the associates would have $100 black car bills back to SF. Basically zero benefits to speak of really, unless you count the 7:30 seamless a benefit. No 401k, minimal contribution to health ins premiums. Free company iphone, if that counts as a perk...lol. Pay is meh and COL is retarded. People work here b/c they just wanna be here or b/c the unique work here.

[Anonymous User]

STB PA: 2/3 gym subsidy up to $1000 a year, car home after 11 which is obviously kind of pointless because everyone drives in anyway. But it's there if you are too tired to drive home and they'll pay for the car back in the morning.

Insurance ~$240 a month for HMO/Dental/Vision. I have the cheapest plan for each.

Free fountain soda.

Dinner after 7:30, ~30ish dollar budget.