Ashurst Perkins Coie

If you’re looking for a firm with strengths in the tech sector and an ambitious expansion plan, then you may have just found your Per-kindred spirit.

About the Firm

There are some popstars who have penned enough hits to usher in generation after generation of devoted fans; a feat law firms can only hope to parallel when recruiting new generations of attorneys. It’s key, then, for firms to remain laser focused on recruiting the best talent in order to continue to be top-of-the-market. And in a chicken-or-egg scenario, our research shows time and time again that, at the end of the day, the new generation of lawyers want to work on the most interesting matters for the most interesting clients in the world. So, to those considering a career with a famed New Yorker, featuring strong Chambers USA-recognized antitrust, litigation, restructuring, and corporate/M&A practices? Welcome to Perkins Coie – it’s been waiting for you.

And who better to assist Apple in a securities fraud class action than Big Apple native Perkins Coie? It bodes well for associates too, who raved about the firm’s “amazing rolodex of clients,” citing it as a huge draw for them. More than that, “it’s nice to go to a firm where the business development is already taken care of, and you can just go in and get the experience.”

“If you want a challenge or to test yourself at the highest level, this is the place you’ll go!”

With stateside offices in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC, Wilmington, and Houston, the majority of our interviewees hailed from the firm’s HQ. For many of our insiders, the culture across offices sealed the deal, highlighting the firm’s “team-oriented culture with lots of people who are intellectually passionate.” So, as our sources grinned, “if you want a challenge or to test yourself at the highest level, this is the place you’ll go!”

Strategy & Future

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know the big news already: Perkins Coie is soon to be Ashurst Perkins Coie. That’s right, two titans of the legal industry are merging to form an even more formidable force. “It’s a true combination of equals, bringing complementary strengths to each other,” explains Malley. “We’re looking to grow our existing capabilities,” he notes, as “the fundamental concepts are about creating an integrated global firm.” As another firm on the cutting edge of tech and looking to the future in such things as AI, Ashurst makes a perfect partner to Perkins Coie. As Malley puts it, “we see our clients’ needs as increasingly global,” meaning the firms’ joint specialties “bring those capabilities (environmental, FinTech, cross border transactions) together as a moment of generational opportunity.”

Perkins Coie is recognized as The Elite for AI Integration in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Summer Program

While the core tasks that summers are given tend to involve research, attendees also report getting the chance to shadow partners and meet clients. Mostly, though, it’s about cultural assimilation, thanks to a “full social calendar.” Attending a Yankees game or watching a Broadway show are some of the activities on offer, but the jewel in the crown is the week-long summer associate academy in Seattle. “We get all the offices together and meet everyone and share our experiences,” one source enthused. We heard that partners and senior associates attend these events, and that “you should do as much as you can and talk to as many people as possible, and you’ll be surprised what you end up learning!”

The Work

Associates across practice groups receive work directly from partners in a free-market system. “I have many bosses, and I have no boss really,” one poetic junior explained, detailing that for them one of the main difficulties they faced was finding a way to balance that workload; “it can be tough if you’re swamped, or worse, if you’re slow.” However, this wasn’t everyone’s experience, with another interviewee reporting that the firm “do a great job of reaching out before assigning work and checking you have capacity, and they’re fine with you saying yes or no to work.” Where work was on the slower side, insiders said a proactive approach wasn’t always such a bad thing, as “it teaches you responsibility, and builds up that communication style.”

Perkins Coie is recognized as an Excellent Performer for Work Allocation & Autonomy in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Career Development

Development at Perkins Coie is taken very seriously, with one junior reporting that “when we first join, there’s six months of training with those first three weeks being very active.” Associates certainly aren’t dropped in the deep end without support, as everyone is assigned a more senior mentor, which we heard was particularly helpful. Nonetheless, it’s the informal mentors who attracted the most notice: “There’s an open-door policy here and everyone is very collaborative, while no one is competitive.”

As the years go on, training becomes more informal, but we did hear that partners hold regular seminars and sessions for associates to attend. “The people I work with are invested in my professional development,” one junior reported, adding that “they’re always looking for different opportunities for me.” These could include sessions on AI, the chance to go to court, or general upskilling resources. One insider did note that, as expansive as the training materials may be, associates have to pick and choose wisely, as training hours do not contribute to your billable target for the year. The path to partnership was also “transparent and standardized,” with sources praising the lack of mystery shrouding that particular goal.

Perkins Coie is recognized as an Excellent Performer for Career Development in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Hours & Compensation

Within the 2,000-hour target, only 1,850 have to be billable client work. The option is there to fill the final 150 hours with a mix of pro bono (which is unlimited in your first two years), business development, and knowledge management. That latter bucket includes presentations, drafting client alerts, and developing internal resources. “It’s a very achievable target,” was one junior’s assessment, although “it can depend on how busy your group is, of course.”

Hours fluctuated, especially those of associates with consistent personal commitments, but none of our interviewees were ever sleepless in Seattle due to an abundance of work. “I’ve been encouraged to take vacations and not work over the weekends,” one insider revealed, noting that “if my hours get long, I’ve had partners sit down with me and take some things off my plate, which I really appreciated.” The bonus is lockstep with the salary and achieving it was as simple as it gets: “If you hit your hours, you get your bonus; it’s that straightforward.” We did hear an extra amount was added onto the bonus for those that put in an additional 100 hours past the 2,000 target.

Perkins Coie is recognized as a Strong Performer for Benefits & Quality of Life in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.!).

Culture

Although our associate interviewees described themselves and their colleagues as hardworking, diligent, and “type A,” they also praised the firm for “an attorney-first culture” which allowed for a collaborative feel and better lifestyle options. Essentially, the culture is what you make it; if you’re someone who wants to go home to your family at the end of the workday, you can do that, whereas if you’re someone who would rather socialize with your coworkers after hours, then those opportunities exist as well. On the latter topic, we heard reports of holiday parties, weekly connectivity lunches, happy hours, sporting events, and client dinners – “there’s always something going on!”

Amenities vary from office to office but typically include such perk(in)s as an onsite gym and cafe, plus some city-specific highlights (e.g. the Seattle space has a snack pantry on every floor and hair straighteners in every bathroom). A hybrid policy of two days in-office and the rest at home (as an average across the year) is in place. One candid insider did confess that “it’s much easier to ask dumb questions in person, so I come in most of the week.”

Perkins Coie is recognized as an Excellent Performer for Culture in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Inclusion

Sources said they were pleased to be at a firm that “practices what it preaches” when it comes to the diversity and inclusive behaviors of its workforce. Perkins Coie’s active and plentiful resource groups include LGBTQ, Latinx, Black, and women’s societies. “They bring in different speakers every month; there’s so many!” enthused one insider. Juniors have also been afforded billable equivalent credit to give back by taking on informal mentor roles to newer associates and law students.

Pro Bono

“It definitely feels like pro bono matters are treated just as importantly as any billable work” one source told us happily, and the proof is in the Perkins, as juniors can bill for an unlimited number of pro bono hours during their first two years at the firm. After that, the billable cap is set at 150 hours, which sources pointed out “is still a lot.” Causes varied, but immigration work cropped up often among our interviewees. Other initiatives included veterans work, advice to small business owners and nonprofits, and clemency cases.

“Pro bono matters are treated just as importantly as any billable work.”

“You can definitely choose your own interests, and the firm is good at distributing opportunities,” one source explained, as Perkins Coie “doles out projects that are both national and local or office level.” For the bigger projects, the firm has a coordinator to ensure those matters reach the ears of the right people, and juniors highlighted how this only serves to showcase “the importance of pro bono to the firm.” There is also room to request additional billable credit after.

Perkins Coie is recognized as a Strong Performer for Pro Bono in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.