Fenwick vs WSGR?
Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2021 8:45 am
I'm at Berkeley and want to stay in Bay Area. I've narrowed it down to these two - both for their corporate groups. I liked people from both firms. What would you choose and why?
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This view on Fenwick bonuses is a bit outdated so would encourage you to touch base with people you interviewed with.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Tue Feb 02, 2021 3:55 pmSV associate not at either of the mentioned firms but with friends who have worked at both. General sense is consistent with other posters here that Fenwick culture is better. But I have also heard the WSGR does better on comp. My understanding is that Fenwick bonuses are done on a case by case basis and so can often be below “market” and also that it is possible to be held back a class year (and accordingly not get a raise) if hours are low. If you already have offers in hand, I’d ask about that since my info on comp is admittedly secondhand and a couple of years old.
What did you end up deciding? Also what are the drawbacks of free market system? It sounds good on paper but not sure how it actually plays outAnonymous User wrote: ↑Tue Feb 02, 2021 5:23 pm2L who made a similar decision. Some factors I considered other than "vibe" during interviews:
- Size: WSGR is much bigger than Fenwick
- Type of work: my understanding is that Fenwick does much more company-side work than VC-side work & WSGR does more public company than Fenwick
- Work assignment: Fenwick has a free market system
On the first point, you can do that too at Fenwick w/free market system.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Tue Feb 02, 2021 6:19 pmOne reason I picked WSGR is that I really like the launch program. This allows you to "try" out a few groups within corporate during your first two years. The corporate groups differ mostly on the type of clients (early-state focus, pub co focus, late-stage, etc.), but a few of the groups overlap. Also, culture really depends on the partner within the group that you are working for, so during launch, you can decide who you would like to work for, as well as decide what types of clients you like working with.
The cultural remarks about WSGR seem outdated. Granted I have only spent a few months at WSGR, associates seem to like working for the firm. Many people I spoke with said the launch program has really helped the culture.
I personally picked WSGR for a few reasons: Launch, more VC work, hit it off better with people at WSGR than Fenwick, personally prefer larger size, etc.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Tue Feb 02, 2021 5:44 pmWhat did you end up deciding? Also what are the drawbacks of free market system? It sounds good on paper but not sure how it actually plays outAnonymous User wrote: ↑Tue Feb 02, 2021 5:23 pm2L who made a similar decision. Some factors I considered other than "vibe" during interviews:
- Size: WSGR is much bigger than Fenwick
- Type of work: my understanding is that Fenwick does much more company-side work than VC-side work & WSGR does more public company than Fenwick
- Work assignment: Fenwick has a free market system
What did you like about the larger size?Anonymous User wrote: ↑Tue Feb 02, 2021 9:37 pmI personally picked WSGR for a few reasons: Launch, more VC work, hit it off better with people at WSGR than Fenwick, personally prefer larger size, etc.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Tue Feb 02, 2021 5:44 pmWhat did you end up deciding? Also what are the drawbacks of free market system? It sounds good on paper but not sure how it actually plays outAnonymous User wrote: ↑Tue Feb 02, 2021 5:23 pm2L who made a similar decision. Some factors I considered other than "vibe" during interviews:
- Size: WSGR is much bigger than Fenwick
- Type of work: my understanding is that Fenwick does much more company-side work than VC-side work & WSGR does more public company than Fenwick
- Work assignment: Fenwick has a free market system