Los Angeles Market Associates Taking Questions Forum

[SmokeytheBear]

any particular vault-ranked biglaw firms to avoid in LA?

in terms of financial stability/no-offer rates/etc.

So far people have said avoid Paul Hastings corporate group.

I've had various partners opine that OMM is having financial issues.

There seems to be chatter that Norton no offers people.

people also mentioned pillsbury/kirkland/reed smith to avoid for the matter of assholes, but would those still be safe/prudent to work for in the sense of a career choice?

Yeah Kirkland for sure (though you're going to work your ass off). Can't speak to Pillsbury or Reed Smith. I seem to recall that people hate Pillsbury's bonus policy and their slow playing $180k.

Definitely avoid PH if you can for an abundance of reasons. I have also heard the OMM rumors re their financials, but don't know that it has affected offer rates/job security (yet). Reed Smith has a morale problem, and both of my friends there are actively looking to get out. Smokey is right about Pillsbury; they're cheap. Norton, like Reed Smith and Pillsbury, is kind of TTT.

Can you elaborate on the reasons to avoid PH?

Look back through this thread. We've discussed.

[SmokeytheBear]

any particular vault-ranked biglaw firms to avoid in LA?

in terms of financial stability/no-offer rates/etc.

So far people have said avoid Paul Hastings corporate group.

I've had various partners opine that OMM is having financial issues.

There seems to be chatter that Norton no offers people.

people also mentioned pillsbury/kirkland/reed smith to avoid for the matter of assholes, but would those still be safe/prudent to work for in the sense of a career choice?

Yeah Kirkland for sure (though you're going to work your ass off). Can't speak to Pillsbury or Reed Smith. I seem to recall that people hate Pillsbury's bonus policy and their slow playing $180k.

Definitely avoid PH if you can for an abundance of reasons. I have also heard the OMM rumors re their financials, but don't know that it has affected offer rates/job security (yet). Reed Smith has a morale problem, and both of my friends there are actively looking to get out. Smokey is right about Pillsbury; they're cheap. Norton, like Reed Smith and Pillsbury, is kind of TTT.

OMM downtown is healthy to my knowledge. Unaware of other offices. I have friends at PH and they echo that it's not a great atmosphere.

Yeah, that's what I don't get. The offices all look healthy (I almost worked at one of the other offices and it seemed great). But I've heard from several different partners and different firms--as has KM2016--that the financials are iffy. Obviously this could just be partner shit talking, but it seems odd that different partners and different firms are all saying it about OMM and no other firms.

Again, nothing substantiated, but just odd.

[Anonymous User]

any particular vault-ranked biglaw firms to avoid in LA?

in terms of financial stability/no-offer rates/etc.

So far people have said avoid Paul Hastings corporate group.

I've had various partners opine that OMM is having financial issues.

There seems to be chatter that Norton no offers people.

people also mentioned pillsbury/kirkland/reed smith to avoid for the matter of assholes, but would those still be safe/prudent to work for in the sense of a career choice?

Yeah Kirkland for sure (though you're going to work your ass off). Can't speak to Pillsbury or Reed Smith. I seem to recall that people hate Pillsbury's bonus policy and their slow playing $180k.

Definitely avoid PH if you can for an abundance of reasons. I have also heard the OMM rumors re their financials, but don't know that it has affected offer rates/job security (yet). Reed Smith has a morale problem, and both of my friends there are actively looking to get out. Smokey is right about Pillsbury; they're cheap. Norton, like Reed Smith and Pillsbury, is kind of TTT.

Can you elaborate on the reasons to avoid PH?

Look back through this thread. We've discussed.

I did read the thread. The chatter seems to be mostly related to corp, but I'm wondering if it extends to Lit or L&E.

[SmokeytheBear]

I did read the thread. The chatter seems to be mostly related to corp, but I'm wondering if it extends to Lit or L&E.

I see. Will leave that open to others for comment.

[808Law]

Best litigation firm in Orange County? Thanks.

[SmokeytheBear]

Best litigation firm in Orange County? Thanks.

Depends what you're looking for. It's a larger legal market than most expect, so there isn't really a "best." Also, it should be noted, that it's hard to break into OC without ties.

Rutan and Tucker does a ton of government work and is well respected in OC.

Sheppard Mullin does a ton of labor and employment and a good amount of IP.

Greenberg Gross has increased in its respectability.

Troutman does a bunch of insurance stuff (I think?).

Latham is Latham.

There's also Irell and Hueston Hennigan for IP and general good stuff.

[Barrred]

Best litigation firm in Orange County? Thanks.

I dont know what "best" means for you, but Gibson and Latham seem to have the biggest OC offices (think 10-12 person summer classes), whereas lots of the other biglaw firms in OC only have a handful of summers each.

[SmokeytheBear]

Best litigation firm in Orange County? Thanks.

I dont know what "best" means for you, but Gibson and Latham seem to have the biggest OC offices (think 10-12 person summer classes), whereas lots of the other biglaw firms in OC only have a handful of summers each.

They might have the biggest summer classes (though I dont know if that's actually true), but they do not have the biggest OC offices. Rutan and Tucker is quite large--over 140 I think.

[Anonymous User]

Thoughts on thank-you notes / e-mails after screeners? Do LA / OC firms generally expect them?

[lolwat]

Best litigation firm in Orange County? Thanks.

I dont know what "best" means for you, but Gibson and Latham seem to have the biggest OC offices (think 10-12 person summer classes), whereas lots of the other biglaw firms in OC only have a handful of summers each.

They might have the biggest summer classes (though I dont know if that's actually true), but they do not have the biggest OC offices. Rutan and Tucker is quite large--over 140 I think.

Knobbe Martens is probably the biggest OC office, but it's IP only.

Rutan is pretty big.

Many biglaw firms have an OC outpost. Gibson, Latham, Orrick, Jones Day, Sheppard Mullin, Irell, just off the top of my head. I know there's more. Haynes and Boone.

And then there's a relatively large pile of small boutiques doing (again relatively) high end litigation in OC.

[Anonymous User]

Thoughts on thank-you notes / e-mails after screeners? Do LA / OC firms generally expect them?

would also like to know

[SmokeytheBear]

Thoughts on thank-you notes / e-mails after screeners? Do LA / OC firms generally expect them?

would also like to know

Three sentence email. No snail mail.

[gchatbrah]

Ranking beyond the top 3 in LA is sort of pointless. General consensus is:

MTO, Covington LA, Akin Gump (Century City).

Everyone else.

[Anonymous User]

Thoughts on thank-you notes / e-mails after screeners? Do LA / OC firms generally expect them?

would also like to know

Don't do it. I already received one from a candidate that misspelled my name. I had already filled out my evaluation before I got it, so it could only hurt them.

[SmokeytheBear]

Ranking beyond the top 3 in LA is sort of pointless. General consensus is:

MTO, Covington LA, Akin Gump (Century City).

Everyone else.

This is clearly a troll.

[KM2016]

Thoughts on thank-you notes / e-mails after screeners? Do LA / OC firms generally expect them?

would also like to know

Three sentence email. No snail mail.

Don't have a strong opinion either way. But I will say this: I have never seen a thank you email put someone ahead of the pack, but I have seen a thank you email knock someone out of consideration. If you're going to send them, make sure you spell the firm and/or interviewer's name correctly. Double check. Triple check.

Personally, I'd only send them if you had a real personal connection with someone. Most of the time we fill out the interview evaluation form right away, so it doesn't help you to send one.

[KM2016]

Ranking beyond the top 3 in LA is sort of pointless. General consensus is:

MTO, Covington LA, Akin Gump (Century City).

Everyone else.

This is clearly a troll.

Are you drunk? Agree with MTO, but did you pull Covington and Akin Gump out of a hat?

[AspiringAspirant]

Ranking beyond the top 1 in LA is sort of pointless. General consensus is:

MTO.

Everyone else.

Fixed it for you.

[dtlaatty]

Thoughts on thank-you notes / e-mails after screeners? Do LA / OC firms generally expect them?

would also like to know

Three sentence email. No snail mail.

Don't have a strong opinion either way. But I will say this: I have never seen a thank you email put someone ahead of the pack, but I have seen a thank you email knock someone out of consideration. If you're going to send them, make sure you spell the firm and/or interviewer's name correctly. Double check. Triple check.

Personally, I'd only send them if you had a real personal connection with someone. Most of the time we fill out the interview evaluation form right away, so it doesn't help you to send one.

+1

[corpdude]

Been reading TLS for a while and just decided to finally post. Rising 2L and trying to get more details on working in corporate in LA. I'm from LA and am interviewing with all LA firms during OCI. What firms seem to be the slowest in terms of workload for corporate. Would it be better to go with a firm that is a lower ranking than a higher ranking firm that seems to be having issues in corporate?

[SmokeytheBear]

Been reading TLS for a while and just decided to finally post. Rising 2L and trying to get more details on working in corporate in LA. I'm from LA and am interviewing with all LA firms during OCI. What firms seem to be the slowest in terms of workload for corporate. Would it be better to go with a firm that is a lower ranking than a higher ranking firm that seems to be having issues in corporate?

Whether a firm is slow or crushed can be due to a lot of factors, including simply that it's just slow across the board for all corporate groups at firms.

Assuming you mean "lower ranking" to mean vault ranking as opposed to something like Chambers ranking. As discussed previously, the vault rankings don't mean too much.

What would be more useful is if you tells us which firms you are interviewing with--or even better yet--which firms you have offers from, and we can give you general feedback on those firms.

[corpdude]

Been reading TLS for a while and just decided to finally post. Rising 2L and trying to get more details on working in corporate in LA. I'm from LA and am interviewing with all LA firms during OCI. What firms seem to be the slowest in terms of workload for corporate. Would it be better to go with a firm that is a lower ranking than a higher ranking firm that seems to be having issues in corporate?

Whether a firm is slow or crushed can be due to a lot of factors, including simply that it's just slow across the board for all corporate groups at firms.

Assuming you mean "lower ranking" to mean vault ranking as opposed to something like Chambers ranking. As discussed previously, the vault rankings don't mean too much.

What would be more useful is if you tells us which firms you are interviewing with--or even better yet--which firms you have offers from, and we can give you general feedback on those firms.

Two offers from V30 firms, don't want to out myself with those, but had/will have OCI interviews with Akin Gump, Milbank, Pillsbury, Reed Smith, DLA, OMM, Orrick. and yes I am referring to Vault rankings. Also wondering about salary when in reference to the rankings.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know anything about Stubbs Alderton?

[SmokeytheBear]

Does anyone know anything about Stubbs Alderton?

Other than that every corporate associate in LA has gotten six thousand emails and phone calls from recruiters about them over the last year?

[SmokeytheBear]

Been reading TLS for a while and just decided to finally post. Rising 2L and trying to get more details on working in corporate in LA. I'm from LA and am interviewing with all LA firms during OCI. What firms seem to be the slowest in terms of workload for corporate. Would it be better to go with a firm that is a lower ranking than a higher ranking firm that seems to be having issues in corporate?

Whether a firm is slow or crushed can be due to a lot of factors, including simply that it's just slow across the board for all corporate groups at firms.

Assuming you mean "lower ranking" to mean vault ranking as opposed to something like Chambers ranking. As discussed previously, the vault rankings don't mean too much.

What would be more useful is if you tells us which firms you are interviewing with--or even better yet--which firms you have offers from, and we can give you general feedback on those firms.

Two offers from V30 firms, don't want to out myself with those, but had/will have OCI interviews with Akin Gump, Milbank, Pillsbury, Reed Smith, DLA, OMM, Orrick. and yes I am referring to Vault rankings. Also wondering about salary when in reference to the rankings.

You con figure out the salary stuff on your own by looking at NALP and ATL stuff.

Each of the firms you listed has been discussed above.