Plaintiff-side NYC Litigation Forum

[Anonymous User]

... I would love to do plaintiff-side litigation ...

...Looking to make at least market...

lol

Does this not exist? People citing Susman, Selendy, Kaplan?

I Lol'd because these are what a poster less lazy than me dubbed "both sides" firms, which are really not very different from pure defense-side firms, if you ask me (but then again, who asked me, really), and certainly not what I'd think of as a potential employer for someone bent on doing plaintiff-side work. If that's the sort of work you want to do, I'd go work at a firm that (almost-) exclusively does plaintiff-side work.

I worked at one of the firms listed in that lengthy post above. I was certainly not paid "market"--more like half of what my friends in big law made. One could fairly easily make non-equity partner at my firm (just a matter of sticking around long enough, really), but only the named partners had an equity stake.

The firms listed as "both sides" firms do take on significant plaintiff-side work. It may not always be "little guy" plaintiff-side work, but it often is and anyways that's not what OP asked. They operate very differently than "pure defense-side firms," both in the clients they'll work with and the contingency fee arrangements they'll take. That said, if OP wants to do "exclusively" plaintiff-side work, they should probably not go to Susman, Selendy, or Kaplan.

[Anonymous User]

I'm guessing these boutiques are too small for anyone on here to know much

My understanding is that most of the commercial boutiques provide good partnership prospects for associates. I'm not sure its quite the same as Susman, because Susman hires in part for associates' ambition to become partner, and the other shops have more people who want to go do something else. But a definite part of the bargain of going to these places is that partnership is realistic for those who want it. The pure plaintiffs' shops might be too - I just don't know. What I have heard is that things can be a bit more hit-or-miss in terms of career development at the true private public interest boutiques (think more Neufeld-like than Kaplan-like). Some of them have a philosophy of just not making new partners at all.

[Anonymous User]

I'm guessing these boutiques are too small for anyone on here to know much

My understanding is that most of the commercial boutiques provide good partnership prospects for associates. I'm not sure its quite the same as Susman, because Susman hires in part for associates' ambition to become partner, and the other shops have more people who want to go do something else. But a definite part of the bargain of going to these places is that partnership is realistic for those who want it. The pure plaintiffs' shops might be too - I just don't know. What I have heard is that things can be a bit more hit-or-miss in terms of career development at the true private public interest boutiques (think more Neufeld-like than Kaplan-like). Some of them have a philosophy of just not making new partners at all.

Is this true even given a couple key name partners that bring in a lot of the business? Thinking of Holwell, Molo, Kaplan, etc.

[Anonymous User]

I'm guessing these boutiques are too small for anyone on here to know much

My understanding is that most of the commercial boutiques provide good partnership prospects for associates. I'm not sure its quite the same as Susman, because Susman hires in part for associates' ambition to become partner, and the other shops have more people who want to go do something else. But a definite part of the bargain of going to these places is that partnership is realistic for those who want it. The pure plaintiffs' shops might be too - I just don't know. What I have heard is that things can be a bit more hit-or-miss in terms of career development at the true private public interest boutiques (think more Neufeld-like than Kaplan-like). Some of them have a philosophy of just not making new partners at all.

Is this true even given a couple key name partners that bring in a lot of the business? Thinking of Holwell, Molo, Kaplan, etc.

I attended a clerkship recruiting event for Susman last year and they advertised that everyone presumptively makes partner on a 5 or 6 year track. I forget the exact timeline, but it was something like that. They didn’t say what that meant, exactly, so I don’t know what kind of partner they start out as and what that means for comp.

[Anonymous User]

I'm guessing these boutiques are too small for anyone on here to know much

My understanding is that most of the commercial boutiques provide good partnership prospects for associates. I'm not sure its quite the same as Susman, because Susman hires in part for associates' ambition to become partner, and the other shops have more people who want to go do something else. But a definite part of the bargain of going to these places is that partnership is realistic for those who want it. The pure plaintiffs' shops might be too - I just don't know. What I have heard is that things can be a bit more hit-or-miss in terms of career development at the true private public interest boutiques (think more Neufeld-like than Kaplan-like). Some of them have a philosophy of just not making new partners at all.

Is this true even given a couple key name partners that bring in a lot of the business? Thinking of Holwell, Molo, Kaplan, etc.

I attended a clerkship recruiting event for Susman last year and they advertised that everyone presumptively makes partner on a 5 or 6 year track. I forget the exact timeline, but it was something like that. They didn’t say what that meant, exactly, so I don’t know what kind of partner they start out as and what that means for comp.

Current SG associate. The partnership track is currently six years from the time you start at the firm, with minor exceptions for SCOTUS clerks. SG only has equity partners.

[Anonymous User]

Current district court clerk here. Which of the pure plaintiff's firms in NYC do clerks tend to gravitate toward, if any? Seems like a bunch of them are light on clerks and T14 associates generally.

[Anonymous User]

Current district court clerk here. Which of the pure plaintiff's firms in NYC do clerks tend to gravitate toward, if any? Seems like a bunch of them are light on clerks and T14 associates generally.

kaplan hecker, selendy gay

[Anonymous User]

Current district court clerk here. Which of the pure plaintiff's firms in NYC do clerks tend to gravitate toward, if any? Seems like a bunch of them are light on clerks and T14 associates generally.

kaplan hecker, selendy gay

I don't think either of those firms is a pure plaintiff firm.

[Anonymous User]

Current district court clerk here. Which of the pure plaintiff's firms in NYC do clerks tend to gravitate toward, if any? Seems like a bunch of them are light on clerks and T14 associates generally.

kaplan hecker, selendy gay

I don't think either of those firms is a pure plaintiff firm.

Lieff Cabraser, Sanford Heisler, Emery Celli, Cohen Milstein, Cuti Hecker Wang, Neufeld Schenk. All pure plaintiff firms with relatively well-pedigreed lawyers.

[Anonymous User]

Any thoughts on Hausfeld or DiCello Levitt?

[Anonymous User]

Any thoughts on Hausfeld or DiCello Levitt?

I don't know about Hausfeld but DiCello is a very solid firm with smart and talented partners working there. That said, I don't know what it's like to be an associate or more junior there. I just am friendly with a few of their more senior people. They get great results for their clients and win a lot of awards deservedly.