DC: DPW v. Hogan v. K&S Forum

[Anonymous User]

Offers from all three in DC. Interested in FCPA, internal/ government investigations, and WCD. Had an internship this summer at DOJ and hope to return either as an AUSA in DC or elsewhere/ another part of government in the near future. 6 years job experience in DC before law school so I'm trying to get as much experience under my belt ASAP and then move on. Absolutely not trying to make partner. Which firm would you choose in my situation?

[<3waitlists]

I think Hogan is the clear answer. DPW does have a great white collar practice in the DC office, but the DC office is super small and is mainly there to service DPW's NYC financial services clients. K&S is a great firm but is of a DC player (so less bigfed revolving door) than Hogan. Hogan's got a great QOL, a safer choice b/c it's so much bigger, and its size will mean you'll see more varied work. Congrats on the great choices!

[Anonymous User]

I think Hogan is the clear answer. DPW does have a great white collar practice in the DC office, but the DC office is super small and is mainly there to service DPW's NYC financial services clients. K&S is a great firm but is of a DC player (so less bigfed revolving door) than Hogan. Hogan's got a great QOL, a safer choice b/c it's so much bigger, and its size will mean you'll see more varied work. Congrats on the great choices!

This is false. DPW's DC office actually does a lot of regulatory work (DPW itself is one of the best in this area; in bank regulatory, it's unquestionably #1). Some of the firm's most active FIG partners are in DC, and the office pulls its fair share of work unrelated to NY financial services matters.

[Anonymous User]

Former DPW associate. Agree that the DC office can stand on its own but bank regulatory work sucks

[Elston Gunn]

Easily Hogan.

[Anonymous User]

Former DPW associate. Agree that the DC office can stand on its own but bank regulatory work sucks

Not sure why you think that. The hours are materially better (much fewer, if any, fire drills), the work is more substantive more quickly (you're analyzing and writing about -- and eventually, if you get senior enough, proposing -- statutes at the intersection of law, business, policy, politics, and economics rather than just coordinating sig pages or marking due diligence on the same 3-4 templates over and over again in deal work), and the people are more relaxed and cerebral than your typical gung-ho M&A bro. How's any of that worse than the relevant alternatives?

[Anonymous User]

Former DPW associate. Agree that the DC office can stand on its own but bank regulatory work sucks

Not sure why you think that. The hours are materially better (much fewer, if any, fire drills), the work is more substantive more quickly (you're analyzing and writing about -- and eventually, if you get senior enough, proposing -- statutes at the intersection of law, business, policy, politics, and economics rather than just coordinating sig pages or marking due diligence on the same 3-4 templates over and over again in deal work), and the people are more relaxed and cerebral than your typical gung-ho M&A bro. How's any of that worse than the relevant alternatives?

Were you DPW FIG? Relaxed is certainly not how i would have described that group when i was there. Perhaps it's slowed down now with this new administration. I actually dislike it for the reasons you mention. It's just eternal memo-writing purgatory. No closure or finality. No excitement. And sometimes you spend months or even years preparing things like living wills only to have political winds shift and government be like "nah nvm." But I know more academically-inclined people enjoy it. I'm not corporate or M&A (maybe i'm gungho something else-bro though) but i found bank regulatory work to be very staid and boring. Could also just be my aversion to bank clients generally.