Firms with bad cultures Forum

[Anonymous User]

Honestly no, because of the possibility for being outed.

Then at least acknowledge that. But when both the source of the judgment (firsthand? secondhand?) and its substance are unknown, you may as well not post it at all.

Just disregard it and move on. People will post whatever they feel like sharing. Anyone could post as Anonymous saying they're an 8th year associate at XYZ and know lots of partners extremely well. You have no clue if they're lying or not.

[Anonymous User]

What's happened to TLS? Five replies and not *one* has said S&C!?

FWIW, I've had a very positive experience at S&C and I came in expecting to hate it.

[Anonymous User]

anyone know whats up with Kirkland chicago? generally doesn't have a great reputation and I'm just curious as to why.

Other firms in Chicago love to talk shit about K&E because of their inferiority complex, but they are aggressive/cut-throat, not necessarily everyone's cup of tea

[Anonymous User]

Kirkland Chicago is fine. I worked there, and I had a positive experience. It really just felt like generic biglaw personalities with a rah rah around being #1 in the market, a quickly growing firm, bonus multipliers, and all of the other typical KE propaganda (warranted or not). If you're going to start in Chicago, I'd want to start there or Sidley, absent going to some firm with a special niche that neither have or a Bartlit Beck/BFKN/etc. smaller firm that is well known for great training or a way better work-life balance with biglaw type credentials rolling around.

[Anonymous User]

I've heard the securities litigation group at Weil is toxic. Seniors will throw juniors under the bus. Of a hiring class of around 6 or 7 all left within a year. One of the partners is a yeller. Granted this information is a few years old so idk if the group has gotten better since then, but that's what I learned from someone within that group. The Weil bankruptcy group is also extremely busy, a friend told me he billed 3k hours in his first year. They basically carry the rest of the firm for billable hours. This info is also dated so check with current people for more up to date information.

[Anonymous User]

I've heard the securities litigation group at Weil is toxic. Seniors will throw juniors under the bus. Of a hiring class of around 6 or 7 all left within a year. One of the partners is a yeller. Granted this information is a few years old so idk if the group has gotten better since then, but that's what I learned from someone within that group. The Weil bankruptcy group is also extremely busy, a friend told me he billed 3k hours in his first year. They basically carry the rest of the firm for billable hours. This info is also dated so check with current people for more up to date information.

Weil bankruptcy is no longer crazy busy. They are actually having bankruptcy associates help the PE / M&A groups now (either as formal secondments or on a deal-by-deal basis). Weil bankruptcy also is only about 50 attorneys so definitely can't carry the firm in terms of raw billable hours (though you could argue that when bankruptcy is hot it does spin off a good amount of works to the other groups, in particular litigation).

Haven't heard that about Weil capital markets but they've been crushed by SPACs so could understand if morale is low. They were looping a good number of PE / M&A associates but that has slowed down / stopped now that SPAC filings have cooled off.

[Anonymous User]

I've heard the securities litigation group at Weil is toxic. Seniors will throw juniors under the bus. Of a hiring class of around 6 or 7 all left within a year. One of the partners is a yeller. Granted this information is a few years old so idk if the group has gotten better since then, but that's what I learned from someone within that group. The Weil bankruptcy group is also extremely busy, a friend told me he billed 3k hours in his first year. They basically carry the rest of the firm for billable hours. This info is also dated so check with current people for more up to date information.

Weil bankruptcy is no longer crazy busy. They are actually having bankruptcy associates help the PE / M&A groups now (either as formal secondments or on a deal-by-deal basis). Weil bankruptcy also is only about 50 attorneys so definitely can't carry the firm in terms of raw billable hours (though you could argue that when bankruptcy is hot it does spin off a good amount of works to the other groups, in particular litigation).

Haven't heard that about Weil capital markets but they've been crushed by SPACs so could understand if morale is low. They were looping a good number of PE / M&A associates but that has slowed down / stopped now that SPAC filings have cooled off.

I, for one, would love to work at a firm that routinely shuffles its corporate associates around without regard to their practice group preference or actual substantive experience. Seems very good for associates' sanity and professional development.

Honestly, this is insane. I know other firms (mine included) were also guilty of pulling litigators off of cases to work cap markets deals earlier this year, but the idea that this is becoming an acceptable practice among these mega firms is absurd. Not only does this suck if you went to a firm for a specific practice (I imagine most associates do this?), it also betrays the lie about the "sophistication" of the work that these firms claim to have exclusive dominion over get new recruits over firms further down the rankings. How sophisticated is this work really if literally anyone at the firm, including people without any corporate experience whatsoever, can be expected to do any of it at a moment's notice?