Which partners at your firms are notoriously terrible to work for? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Notwithstanding the tracking stuff, would appreciate any insights into personalities in DPW CM/FIG/corporate generally.

[Anonymous User]

Robbie Kaplan (of Kaplan Hecker) is very tough to work with (or, more accurately, for). She's well connected and brings in amazing cases, but they take a toll on associates. Like, a physically grueling toll slash heartburn. In retrospect, not worth it.

I heard this too, but I have no first hand experience. I am also nowhere near her professional or social circle, so this reputation must be really widespread. Is this still true? Again, why are people flocking to her boutique and is the culture of her boutique bad, because of this?

Anyone have any other insights on the top litigation boutiques? I know Kellogg, Susman, and Wilkinson are supposed to be meat grinders but associates on here seem to love working at Susman from other threads

Is Wilkinson a meat grinder? I’ve heard quite the opposite. Among other things, they don’t bill hours

A lot of the top lit boutiques, plus Wachtell, don’t bill hours but that doesn’t mean you don’t work hard. I don’t know anything firsthand but on this forum you’ll find a good amount of talk about brutal hours there.

[Anonymous User]

Robbie Kaplan (of Kaplan Hecker) is very tough to work with (or, more accurately, for). She's well connected and brings in amazing cases, but they take a toll on associates. Like, a physically grueling toll slash heartburn. In retrospect, not worth it.

I heard this too, but I have no first hand experience. I am also nowhere near her professional or social circle, so this reputation must be really widespread. Is this still true? Again, why are people flocking to her boutique and is the culture of her boutique bad, because of this?

Anyone have any other insights on the top litigation boutiques? I know Kellogg, Susman, and Wilkinson are supposed to be meat grinders but associates on here seem to love working at Susman from other threads

Is Wilkinson a meat grinder? I’ve heard quite the opposite. Among other things, they don’t bill hours

A lot of the top lit boutiques, plus Wachtell, don’t bill hours but that doesn’t mean you don’t work hard. I don’t know anything firsthand but on this forum you’ll find a good amount of talk about brutal hours there.

Wait, I'm confused—what do you mean they don't bill hours? Maybe clients don't pay based on an hourly fee arrangement (contingency, etc.) but all lawyers still input their hours and the firms keep track of hours internally

[Anonymous User]

Robbie Kaplan (of Kaplan Hecker) is very tough to work with (or, more accurately, for). She's well connected and brings in amazing cases, but they take a toll on associates. Like, a physically grueling toll slash heartburn. In retrospect, not worth it.

I heard this too, but I have no first hand experience. I am also nowhere near her professional or social circle, so this reputation must be really widespread. Is this still true? Again, why are people flocking to her boutique and is the culture of her boutique bad, because of this?

Anyone have any other insights on the top litigation boutiques? I know Kellogg, Susman, and Wilkinson are supposed to be meat grinders but associates on here seem to love working at Susman from other threads

Is Wilkinson a meat grinder? I’ve heard quite the opposite. Among other things, they don’t bill hours

A lot of the top lit boutiques, plus Wachtell, don’t bill hours but that doesn’t mean you don’t work hard. I don’t know anything firsthand but on this forum you’ll find a good amount of talk about brutal hours there.

Wait, I'm confused—what do you mean they don't bill hours? Maybe clients don't pay based on an hourly fee arrangement (contingency, etc.) but all lawyers still input their hours and the firms keep track of hours internally

Wilkinson doesn't even bill hours internally. A lot of other firms that don't bill clients hourly might do so, but Wilkinson definitely doesn't.

[Anonymous User]

This thread has incredible potential.

Any partners in the NY bankruptcy scene with a reputation? Or bankruptcy/RX generally. Would like to have a heads up as an incoming RX associate.

Andriana Georgallas at Weil is awful to work for. Avoid at all costs.

[Anonymous User]

Partner/Owner would disappear to for days on end. It got so bad his wife would call me asking if I knew his whereabouts. I usually wouldn't. I would try to check in on him and he would ignore my calls/texts, too. I always felt she thought I was covering up for him and he felt I was trying to supply her information.

Getting in the middle of your bosses marital problems is not fun.

[Anonymous User]

This thread has incredible potential.

Any partners in the NY bankruptcy scene with a reputation? Or bankruptcy/RX generally. Would like to have a heads up as an incoming RX associate.

Andriana Georgallas at Weil is awful to work for. Avoid at all costs.

LMAO this is a good one

[Anonymous User]

Anyone have anything on Shearman?

[Anonymous User]

Most of the tyrants outed in this thread seem to be RX partners. Is that self selection or the nature of the practice? I have never worked with them, but the bankruptcy folks at my firm seem very pleasant.

[Anonymous User]

Most of the tyrants outed in this thread seem to be RX partners. Is that self selection or the nature of the practice? I have never worked with them, but the bankruptcy folks at my firm seem very pleasant.

I specifically asked about RX partners upthread.

I also don't think "most" is accurate.

[Anonymous User]

STB m&a - Sebastián tiller, Ben Schaye, Mike holick, marni Lerner, William Allen. The culture and group is generally horrific.

Why are people letting Caroline Gottschalk and Brian Stadler off so easy? There are some people who are good to work for in M&A (realistic with time, interested in teaching) - mainly doing strategic M&A rather than PE - but in general I agree with the post above. If working for "nice" (but no less demanding) people is your bag, stick to the credit group.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone especially awful to avoid at PW M&A (aside from Barshay)?

[Anonymous User]

Robbie Kaplan (of Kaplan Hecker) is very tough to work with (or, more accurately, for). She's well connected and brings in amazing cases, but they take a toll on associates. Like, a physically grueling toll slash heartburn. In retrospect, not worth it.

I heard this too, but I have no first hand experience. I am also nowhere near her professional or social circle, so this reputation must be really widespread. Is this still true? Again, why are people flocking to her boutique and is the culture of her boutique bad, because of this?

Anyone have any other insights on the top litigation boutiques? I know Kellogg, Susman, and Wilkinson are supposed to be meat grinders but associates on here seem to love working at Susman from other threads

Is Wilkinson a meat grinder? I’ve heard quite the opposite. Among other things, they don’t bill hours

A lot of the top lit boutiques, plus Wachtell, don’t bill hours but that doesn’t mean you don’t work hard. I don’t know anything firsthand but on this forum you’ll find a good amount of talk about brutal hours there.

Wait, I'm confused—what do you mean they don't bill hours? Maybe clients don't pay based on an hourly fee arrangement (contingency, etc.) but all lawyers still input their hours and the firms keep track of hours internally

Wilkinson doesn't even bill hours internally. A lot of other firms that don't bill clients hourly might do so, but Wilkinson definitely doesn't.

Does this definitely mean the associates work less? Or is it kinda like when firms have no hours requirements for bonuses but some people end up working more as a result of having no target to stop at

[Anonymous User]

Notwithstanding the tracking stuff, would appreciate any insights into personalities in DPW CM/FIG/corporate generally.

Seconded

[Anonymous User]

any insight re Latham NY? anyone to avoid?

[SummerAssociate1689]

STB m&a - Sebastián tiller, Ben Schaye, Mike holick, marni Lerner, William Allen. The culture and group is generally horrific.

Why are people letting Caroline Gottschalk and Brian Stadler off so easy? There are some people who are good to work for in M&A (realistic with time, interested in teaching) - mainly doing strategic M&A rather than PE - but in general I agree with the post above. If working for "nice" (but no less demanding) people is your bag, stick to the credit group.

Could you PM me? Would love to hear more about the culture of STB's M&A group. Isn't STB centralized staffing so you don't rly get to control who you get?

[ColdBreadstick]

STB m&a - Sebastián tiller, Ben Schaye, Mike holick, marni Lerner, William Allen. The culture and group is generally horrific.

Why are people letting Caroline Gottschalk and Brian Stadler off so easy? There are some people who are good to work for in M&A (realistic with time, interested in teaching) - mainly doing strategic M&A rather than PE - but in general I agree with the post above. If working for "nice" (but no less demanding) people is your bag, stick to the credit group.

Could you PM me? Would love to hear more about the culture of STB's M&A group. Isn't STB centralized staffing so you don't rly get to control who you get?

Same here. Incoming STB SA—was pretty set on M&A and never heard anything like this about the group from any of the people I've spoken to.

[Anonymous User]

Any insight on Atlanta firms?

[Anonymous User]

I heard this too, but I have no first hand experience. I am also nowhere near her professional or social circle, so this reputation must be really widespread. Is this still true? Again, why are people flocking to her boutique and is the culture of her boutique bad, because of this?

Anyone have any other insights on the top litigation boutiques? I know Kellogg, Susman, and Wilkinson are supposed to be meat grinders but associates on here seem to love working at Susman from other threads

Is Wilkinson a meat grinder? I’ve heard quite the opposite. Among other things, they don’t bill hours

A lot of the top lit boutiques, plus Wachtell, don’t bill hours but that doesn’t mean you don’t work hard. I don’t know anything firsthand but on this forum you’ll find a good amount of talk about brutal hours there.

Wait, I'm confused—what do you mean they don't bill hours? Maybe clients don't pay based on an hourly fee arrangement (contingency, etc.) but all lawyers still input their hours and the firms keep track of hours internally

Wilkinson doesn't even bill hours internally. A lot of other firms that don't bill clients hourly might do so, but Wilkinson definitely doesn't.

Does this definitely mean the associates work less? Or is it kinda like when firms have no hours requirements for bonuses but some people end up working more as a result of having no target to stop at

It definitely does *not* mean that they work less. Friends who have worked there (some have left) worked constantly. Believe it or not, tracking hours can be a good thing. Without them, how do you have any sense of when to stop? If Beth wants you to do more, you're doing more . . . .

[Anonymous User]

any insight re Latham NY? anyone to avoid?

The banking group generally, not because they're bad people, but because it's the most toxic culture you could imagine. They just absolutely burn through people.

[Anonymous User]

any insight re Latham NY? anyone to avoid?

The banking group generally, not because they're bad people, but because it's the most toxic culture you could imagine. They just absolutely burn through people.

What makes it a toxic culture, if not composed of bad people?

[Anonymous User]

This thread has incredible potential.

Any partners in the NY bankruptcy scene with a reputation? Or bankruptcy/RX generally. Would like to have a heads up as an incoming RX associate.

Garrett Fail at Weil
Andy Dietderich at S&C
Tom Lauria at White and Case
Everyone at Akin

Having been across from Andy Dietderich at S&C, he's also a dumbass lol. And that simpering voice. The worst voice in the world; just dripping bullshit. I constantly wanted to slap him.

[Anonymous User]

Any insight into MB? Lateraling there soon.

[Anonymous User]

STB m&a - Sebastián tiller, Ben Schaye, Mike holick, marni Lerner, William Allen. The culture and group is generally horrific.

Why are people letting Caroline Gottschalk and Brian Stadler off so easy? There are some people who are good to work for in M&A (realistic with time, interested in teaching) - mainly doing strategic M&A rather than PE - but in general I agree with the post above. If working for "nice" (but no less demanding) people is your bag, stick to the credit group.

Could you PM me? Would love to hear more about the culture of STB's M&A group. Isn't STB centralized staffing so you don't rly get to control who you get?

Same here. Incoming STB SA—was pretty set on M&A and never heard anything like this about the group from any of the people I've spoken to.

Recruiting sure did their job well... STB M&A is widely known as being one of the worst groups amongst big law firms.

[Anonymous User]

Any insight on Debevoise?