Cahill v. Dechert v. Dewey v. Milbank v. White & Case Forum

[Anonymous User]

Agree with poster above. Dechert has a decent M&A and Capital Markets practice in NYC. However, if you go through the partner ranks in NYC, very few actually began their careers at Dechert. They have a rep of bringing in laterals and pushing 8th year associates out the door.

Compare this to Cahill where almost all of the partners are homegrown.

[Anonymous User]

I dunno, TC, but make up your mind and decline the rest of your offers so the rest of us peons can get off hold at those firms


And I sure as hell would go to Dechert NY over being unemployed or working locally in a secondary.

[Anonymous User]

OP: I'll be declining offers at Kaye Schoker, Dechert, and Dewey tomorrow. I have a couple V10s coming up, which are still long shots, but we will see what happens.

[Anonymous User]

To the OP: I do think given your transactional interests that the choice comes down to Cahill vs. Milbank. Dechert doesn't come close and White & Case's massive layoffs and general low morale issues make it problematic. Cahill is the smaller firm and less international than Milbank; however, Milbank splices its finance practice groups so that deal teams are relatively small in comparison with firms its size or larger. Both are highly regarded in Chambers rankings, with Cahill having an edge in leveraged finance, but Milbank is on the rise in that area with the recent acquiring of 5 partners from Latham (big coup for them).

I know you are considering offer rates and I think that both firms have had very high offer rates for their summers. While the Milbank rate in recent summers was probably lower than at Cahill, I know people from my former law school class who were no-offered by Milbank...and I can say with some personal knowledge that these people probably failed to get offers due to issues with their professionalism rather than the firm making some economy-based non-offers. Once you're in the door, it's up to you to prove yourself. If you work hard and are normal and professional, you'll get an offer. That's pretty much the story at any top firm, particularly the ones who have always made offers to more than %85 of the summer class. Getting an offer requires some basic common sense, professionalism and attention to detail, skills you presumably have if you are getting an offer in the first place. I'd be confident that you'll get an offer wherever you go. For these reasons I really wouldn't make much of a firm that offered %95 of its summers offers and a firm that offered %85 of its summers offers...it most likely came down to maturity issues on the part of individual summers.

In terms of layoffs, Cahill has done stealth layoffs in recent years while the one round of layoffs that Milbank had were out in the open. I understand from friends at both firms that they are being kept pretty busy at this point (incredibly busy in bankruptcy with transactional work also picking up again).

I think firm culture matters in terms of who your mentors are going to be and what kind of work environment you will have when you join the firm. This is a matter of "fit" and you should definitely meet with as many attorneys as you can from both firms to get a sense for what working there would be like. Back when I was interviewing several years ago, I did obtain a Cahill offer but ultimately declined because I felt I would not fit in well at at the firm. I thought the partners I met seemed unnecessarily stiff and unfriendly. Some people liked the old, blunt style of the partners they met, but it didn't gel well with me. I'm not sure if that was just bad luck of the draw, but I have heard from others that there are a fair number of prickly partners at Cahill. I haven't heard that about Milbank. Both firms have very, very high PPP (which translates to highly regarded partners in their fields) and you'll work your butt off at both places. They're two good places to begin your career; however. Good luck with whatever you decide.

[Anonymous User]

Why are people voting for Dechert? Seriously.

OP here. I was wondering the same damn thing. There's gotta be an error in the polling. I mean Dechert?

I'm the person you quoted. Dechert was the one CB most of my friends ended up canceling. In NY, unless you want to do, like, mass torts, it seems like the firm where people end up who don't have any other offers. (And seriously, who the fuck wants to do mass torts?) Although Andy Levander does do some really interesting work, esp. for someone at a big firm.

Anyway, my guess is the people who voted Dechert thought is was French and pronounced "Deh-shirt."

if it was French, it would be pronounced, "Deh-shair" btw

[Anonymous User]

Why are people voting for Dechert? Seriously.

OP here. I was wondering the same damn thing. There's gotta be an error in the polling. I mean Dechert?

I'm the person you quoted. Dechert was the one CB most of my friends ended up canceling. In NY, unless you want to do, like, mass torts, it seems like the firm where people end up who don't have any other offers. (And seriously, who the fuck wants to do mass torts?) Although Andy Levander does do some really interesting work, esp. for someone at a big firm.

Anyway, my guess is the people who voted Dechert thought is was French and pronounced "Deh-shirt."

if it was French, it would be pronounced, "Deh-shair" btw

Failhard. This is why I took Arabic.

[shmoo597]

Stay away from white and case. This is a firm in terminal decline - see layoffs, low morale, etc. Everyone I met from white and case during OCI was very second rate and depressed. Would never want to work there.

[Anonymous User]

To the OP: I do think given your transactional interests that the choice comes down to Cahill vs. Milbank. Dechert doesn't come close and White & Case's massive layoffs and general low morale issues make it problematic. Cahill is the smaller firm and less international than Milbank; however, Milbank splices its finance practice groups so that deal teams are relatively small in comparison with firms its size or larger. Both are highly regarded in Chambers rankings, with Cahill having an edge in leveraged finance, but Milbank is on the rise in that area with the recent acquiring of 5 partners from Latham (big coup for them).

I know you are considering offer rates and I think that both firms have had very high offer rates for their summers. While the Milbank rate in recent summers was probably lower than at Cahill, I know people from my former law school class who were no-offered by Milbank...and I can say with some personal knowledge that these people probably failed to get offers due to issues with their professionalism rather than the firm making some economy-based non-offers. Once you're in the door, it's up to you to prove yourself. If you work hard and are normal and professional, you'll get an offer. That's pretty much the story at any top firm, particularly the ones who have always made offers to more than %85 of the summer class. Getting an offer requires some basic common sense, professionalism and attention to detail, skills you presumably have if you are getting an offer in the first place. I'd be confident that you'll get an offer wherever you go. For these reasons I really wouldn't make much of a firm that offered %95 of its summers offers and a firm that offered %85 of its summers offers...it most likely came down to maturity issues on the part of individual summers.

In terms of layoffs, Cahill has done stealth layoffs in recent years while the one round of layoffs that Milbank had were out in the open. I understand from friends at both firms that they are being kept pretty busy at this point (incredibly busy in bankruptcy with transactional work also picking up again).

I think firm culture matters in terms of who your mentors are going to be and what kind of work environment you will have when you join the firm. This is a matter of "fit" and you should definitely meet with as many attorneys as you can from both firms to get a sense for what working there would be like. Back when I was interviewing several years ago, I did obtain a Cahill offer but ultimately declined because I felt I would not fit in well at at the firm. I thought the partners I met seemed unnecessarily stiff and unfriendly. Some people liked the old, blunt style of the partners they met, but it didn't gel well with me. I'm not sure if that was just bad luck of the draw, but I have heard from others that there are a fair number of prickly partners at Cahill. I haven't heard that about Milbank. Both firms have very, very high PPP (which translates to highly regarded partners in their fields) and you'll work your butt off at both places. They're two good places to begin your career; however. Good luck with whatever you decide.

OP here: Really great advice! Thanks!

[Anonymous User]

OP here: I've really pretty much narrowed it down b/w Cahill and Milbank.

Like many other posters, I have some real concerns about White & Case. I am a little suprised that I didn't hear more people in favor of Dewey, but then again, I think that Dewey gets lost a little bit amongst some of the more prestigious firms in New York (in light of the fact that they really don't have an area of specialization that gives them an edge over other firms).

[Anonymous User]

OP here: I've really pretty much narrowed it down b/w Cahill and Milbank.

Like many other posters, I have some real concerns about White & Case. I am a little suprised that I didn't hear more people in favor of Dewey, but then again, I think that Dewey gets lost a little bit amongst some of the more prestigious firms in New York (in light of the fact that they really don't have an area of specialization that gives them an edge over other firms).

What did you decide???

[Anonymous User]

OP here: I've really pretty much narrowed it down b/w Cahill and Milbank.

Like many other posters, I have some real concerns about White & Case. I am a little suprised that I didn't hear more people in favor of Dewey, but then again, I think that Dewey gets lost a little bit amongst some of the more prestigious firms in New York (in light of the fact that they really don't have an area of specialization that gives them an edge over other firms).

What did you decide???

I turned down all of the firms except for Cahill. I still have a couple more interviews next week, but it will likely be Cahill.

[Anonymous User]

I'd be careful about Cahill. Have a friend who works there and although their low yield debt practice been *extremely* busy lately, there's serious talk that capital markets work is going to dry up *very quickly* as investment banks start another major round of layoffs in the coming months.

Friend is scrambling to get work in other practice groups so he can develop relationships before things get worse, but people are really scared about what's going on with the banks (and Cahill has some of the closest relationships with big banks in NYC, so they know what's up) and fear there may be more stealth layoffs soon.

[Anonymous User]

Dewey 100% or nearly 100% offered summers the last two summers now which is something to note in this economy.

[Anonymous User]

.

[Anonymous User]

Not exactly. Check your facts?
Laying off 11 in NY and 8 in LA hardly counts as shit ton.

Sourced:

http://abovethelaw.com/2008/12/nationwi ... ssociates/
http://abovethelaw.com/2009/01/nationwi ... ssociates/
http://abovethelaw.com/2009/02/nationwi ... king-cuts/

Shit ton would be more like 200 associates... See http://abovethelaw.com/2009/02/nationwi ... 250-staff/

[Anonymous User]

.

[Anonymous User]

.

[Anonymous User]

OP - have you made a decision?

[Anonymous User]

OP - have you made a decision?

Cahill NYC.

[Anonymous User]

OP, school/stats? I'm just wondering, PM me if you'd like.

NU. Top 20%, roughly (no one really knows for sure). Masters Degree. 5 years of professional WE in finance.

[Anonymous User]

Ahh - awesome. So i guess you'll be joining the corporate practice? Congrats!