nutter mcclennen and fish Forum

[Anonymous User]

went digging but couldn't find more recent info about this boston-only firm. could anyone in boston share the firm's recent reputation/ trajectory/ vibe?
would also love to know the typical call back to offer timeline and ratio if anyone is privy to that info.

[Anonymous User]

went digging but couldn't find more recent info about this boston-only firm. could anyone in boston share the firm's recent reputation/ trajectory/ vibe?
would also love to know the typical call back to offer timeline and ratio if anyone is privy to that info.

Well first thing, it's not really Boston-only. They have an office on the Cape (for the wealthy clients mostly) and another small one in NYC (recent).

I had a CB/offer, but ended up elsewhere in BOS. It was a few years ago so the timeline may be off, but I remember there being a big gap between CB/offer. Like oddly so given that I was a reach for them. I think because of their size they have to be choosey about when and to whom they extend offers.

The people were... nice? It was like generic biglaw without it really being biglaw. I hoped the small office vibe would have helped, but sadly I didn't catch any personality. The CB lunch I went on was boring aside from the fact that the two associates were making every effort to tell me Nutter was just like actual biglaw with real billable hours and busy schedules and such. I cracked a joke in my screener interview about how great it must be to work out of the Cape office during the summer and the bro stared at me blankly and said it's a serious office that does serious work. Relax.

Their reputation in Boston is fine. Everybody knows who they are, but it's not like they compete with the Ropes/WH/GP of crowd in the same way Choate tries to/does. I don't know what their comp is, but their reputation to me suggests they are either below market or have compression. Even if they're market, that impression should say something.

If they are your only option, by all means go there, especially if you want to stick around in Boston. They do real work and they do have some of that local connection. But if you have offers elsewhere (e.g., at some of the new national shops that just opened up) I'd go for those unless Nutter has a particular practice group that you're interested in. I get that I probably sound like a prick here, but hey you asked for impressions so here mine is

[johndooley]

Do you really want to go around telling strangers you work for Nutter?

[Anonymous User]

I had a CB/offer, but ended up elsewhere in BOS. It was a few years ago so the timeline may be off, but I remember there being a big gap between CB/offer. Like oddly so given that I was a reach for them. I think because of their size they have to be choosey about when and to whom they extend offers.

Do you remember how long the wait was?

[Anonymous User]

Disagree with the poster who said that he was a reach for the firm. The firm is just as selective as the top Boston firms, but unlike a lot of firms, it really only hires the number of summers it thinks it can promote to partner. People rarely leave the firm for other Boston firms, so I haven’t had a chance to pick someone’s brain about it. I almost went there but decided against it because of pay.

It’s a lifestyle firm that pays below market, but everyone knows that. It has a sizable T&E practice and several other practice groups. It’s pretty full service.

If you want to be in Boston and stay at one firm, then this is a good option. If you want to go to another city eventually, I wouldn’t go there.

Edit: the firm is not as selective as it used to be when it was paying $145k and everyone else was paying $160k. When I was in law school, the firm had associates from t14 (mostly Harvard and UVA), BU and BC. Now it looks like 50% of the associates are BC and the remainder are BU, Northeastern, Suffolk and New England. Crazy how firms shift that quickly.

[Anonymous User]

Disagree with the poster who said that he was a reach for the firm. The firm is just as selective as the top Boston firms, but unlike a lot of firms, it really only hires the number of summers it thinks it can promote to partner. People rarely leave the firm for other Boston firms, so I haven’t had a chance to pick someone’s brain about it. I almost went there but decided against it because of pay.

It’s a lifestyle firm that pays below market, but everyone knows that. It has a sizable T&E practice and several other practice groups. It’s pretty full service.

If you want to be in Boston and stay at one firm, then this is a good option. If you want to go to another city eventually, I wouldn’t go there.

Edit: the firm is not as selective as it used to be when it was paying $145k and everyone else was paying $160k. When I was in law school, the firm had associates from t14 (mostly Harvard and UVA), BU and BC. Now it looks like 50% of the associates are BC and the remainder are BU, Northeastern, Suffolk and New England. Crazy how firms shift that quickly.

I'm the poster you disagree with and I went to one of the schools you highlighted. You might be right historically (I don't know for sure), but it sounds like you agree the bolded is no longer true. The Boston market has really shaken up in the last 10-15 years from what I gather. It used to be "wicked" parochial, but local firms that used to be at the top either don't exist anymore (Bingham) or have slumped down the rankings (Mintz, Nutter) behind national shops that moved in (Skadden, Kirkland, Latham).

I didn't mean to imply Nutter is a bad firm. If it was my only offer I would have been happy to go there. It just doesn't have the same clout that perhaps it used to, and IMHO I didn't pick up on any culture that would have drawn me away from other firms. You do make good points about partnership prospects and lifestyle - I'm at one of the other Boston firms and although I love the culture, I have no conception of what life outside of work is.

[Anonymous User]

went digging but couldn't find more recent info about this boston-only firm. could anyone in boston share the firm's recent reputation/ trajectory/ vibe?
would also love to know the typical call back to offer timeline and ratio if anyone is privy to that info.

Well first thing, it's not really Boston-only. They have an office on the Cape (for the wealthy clients mostly) and another small one in NYC (recent).

I had a CB/offer, but ended up elsewhere in BOS. It was a few years ago so the timeline may be off, but I remember there being a big gap between CB/offer. Like oddly so given that I was a reach for them. I think because of their size they have to be choosey about when and to whom they extend offers.

The people were... nice? It was like generic biglaw without it really being biglaw. I hoped the small office vibe would have helped, but sadly I didn't catch any personality. The CB lunch I went on was boring aside from the fact that the two associates were making every effort to tell me Nutter was just like actual biglaw with real billable hours and busy schedules and such. I cracked a joke in my screener interview about how great it must be to work out of the Cape office during the summer and the bro stared at me blankly and said it's a serious office that does serious work. Relax.

Their reputation in Boston is fine. Everybody knows who they are, but it's not like they compete with the Ropes/WH/GP of crowd in the same way Choate tries to/does. I don't know what their comp is, but their reputation to me suggests they are either below market or have compression. Even if they're market, that impression should say something.

If they are your only option, by all means go there, especially if you want to stick around in Boston. They do real work and they do have some of that local connection. But if you have offers elsewhere (e.g., at some of the new national shops that just opened up) I'd go for those unless Nutter has a particular practice group that you're interested in. I get that I probably sound like a prick here, but hey you asked for impressions so here mine is

Off topic but how are the new national satellites viewed in Boston for lit?

[BrowsingTLS]

Do you really want to go around telling strangers you work for Nutter?

The answer is no but you have to play the long game. Jump in face first, hit the ground running, circle back on all key performance indicators, and come to jesus as often as you need until Nutter offers you partnership. Then tell him you don't want firm partnership, you want partnership with Nutter's daughter. Then after your marriage you'll be Nutter if you take her name.

Then you get to go around telling people you're the Nutter.

The long game its nuts enough to work.

[Anonymous User]

Knew someone there who jumped ship after like a year or two cause of being a below market sweatshop.

Know someone there currently who works just as much as I do at my V50.

If you have other offers, go somewhere else. If you are looking for some semblance of work-life balance in Boston, I’d try Goulston & Storrs.