Willkie San Francisco Forum

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know anything about this office? Work/culture/people?

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know anything about this office? Work/culture/people?

Avoid. Avoid.

Interviewed there. Passed. Not friendly people. Its a few partners from Keker who dragged some associates from Keker with them. They have their own culture outside of Willkie and they act accordingly. I could see it hard to break in if youre already an "outsider." Also, it was kind of weird, the people I interviewed with almost treated these few partners from Keker as gods and were so ready to grovel. They even said, "we do things differently here" and low key bashed other Willkie associates in front of me from other offices... saying "we don't do outside staffing because associates from Willkie Chicago, etc, aren't up to our standards." Sound like snobs.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know anything about this office? Work/culture/people?

Avoid. Avoid.

Interviewed there. Passed. Not friendly people. Its a few partners from Keker who dragged some associates from Keker with them. They have their own culture outside of Willkie and they act accordingly. I could see it hard to break in if youre already an "outsider." Also, it was kind of weird, the people I interviewed with almost treated these few partners from Keker as gods and were so ready to grovel. They even said, "we do things differently here" and low key bashed other Willkie associates in front of me from other offices... saying "we don't do outside staffing because associates from Willkie Chicago, etc, aren't up to our standards." Sound like snobs.

OP here. Thank you, this is helpful. Did you get any sense of hours or type of work?

[Anonymous User]

I'm at a peer firm in SF have heard firsthand that this is not a good place to work. Not respectful of boundaries (even for Biglaw standards) and very NY-centric.

[Anonymous User]

(delete)

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know anything about this office? Work/culture/people?

Avoid. Avoid.

Interviewed there. Passed. Not friendly people. Its a few partners from Keker who dragged some associates from Keker with them. They have their own culture outside of Willkie and they act accordingly. I could see it hard to break in if youre already an "outsider." Also, it was kind of weird, the people I interviewed with almost treated these few partners from Keker as gods and were so ready to grovel. They even said, "we do things differently here" and low key bashed other Willkie associates in front of me from other offices... saying "we don't do outside staffing because associates from Willkie Chicago, etc, aren't up to our standards." Sound like snobs.

OP here. Thank you, this is helpful. Did you get any sense of hours or type of work?

General commercial lit. Nothing exciting. Also, I might add, all the people who were interviewing me were working while interviewing me. Kind of an ass move in my mind and rude. Just indicative of the type of people you're likely to work with.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know anything about this office? Work/culture/people?

Avoid. Avoid.

Interviewed there. Passed. Not friendly people. Its a few partners from Keker who dragged some associates from Keker with them. They have their own culture outside of Willkie and they act accordingly. I could see it hard to break in if youre already an "outsider." Also, it was kind of weird, the people I interviewed with almost treated these few partners from Keker as gods and were so ready to grovel. They even said, "we do things differently here" and low key bashed other Willkie associates in front of me from other offices... saying "we don't do outside staffing because associates from Willkie Chicago, etc, aren't up to our standards." Sound like snobs.

OP here. Thank you, this is helpful. Did you get any sense of hours or type of work?

General commercial lit. Nothing exciting. Also, I might add, all the people who were interviewing me were working while interviewing me. Kind of an ass move in my mind and rude. Just indicative of the type of people you're likely to work with.

Yikes ok thank you for this intel

[Anonymous User]

.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know anything about this office? Work/culture/people?

Avoid. Avoid.

Interviewed there. Passed. Not friendly people. Its a few partners from Keker who dragged some associates from Keker with them. They have their own culture outside of Willkie and they act accordingly. I could see it hard to break in if youre already an "outsider." Also, it was kind of weird, the people I interviewed with almost treated these few partners from Keker as gods and were so ready to grovel. They even said, "we do things differently here" and low key bashed other Willkie associates in front of me from other offices... saying "we don't do outside staffing because associates from Willkie Chicago, etc, aren't up to our standards." Sound like snobs.

I got the same vibe from interviewing with their LA office too, though that one is composed with formal Venable lawyers.

[Anonymous User]

You are spot on about the Keker arrogance. It was the most bizarre place I've worked. I do not recommend them. They are unprofessional, knock other offices, act like they are the only ones that know how to litigate. What in fact actually happens is that they put an army of lawyers and staff on a matter, set up a war room in a hotel across the street from the courthouse, bring the entire office with them, show up in court with a brigade of attorneys and paralegals. If you have that kind of money to burn, go ahead. But I see exactly the same results and success rates and we do it with a fraction of the pomp and display. They also send the entire office (there is NO restraint with the Reply All emails, it is so annoying) what they call a "Pirate Flag" to report on trial events and progress and outcomes, and talk about what shit the other firm(s) are that they were up against. I know some of those people you aholes. The love to do everything at the last minute. Things we start writing 2 weeks prior to due dates, they start on the day the filing is due. I swear to god I don't know how they are not sued for malpractice on a regular basis. If it wasn't for the secretaries that end up getting everything over the finish line, miraculously, this firm would be history. Or at least sued regularly. Do they give new lawyers real work? Yes. But it isn't worth joining the cult to learn what you could learn under much better circumstances with a bigger, more professional firm.

[johndhi]

Is the angry poster above referring to Wilkie or Keker? Unclear.