Cahill

Renowned for its robust training program, this friendly New Yorker sets associates on the path right to the top of the corporate finance world.

About the Firm

‘Cash me if you can’ – It's a fitting mantra for a firm that hasn’t just kept pace in the world of corporate finance, but stayed consistently ahead. “Our bread and butter is leveraged finance and capital markets,” a Cahill insider told us, “and we are an industry leader.” Chambers USA backs this up with best-in-class accolades for its nationwide performance in banking & finance, capital markets, and corporate crime & investigations. In New York specifically, the firm also earns recognition for its highly regarded bankruptcy/restructuring, environment (mainly transactional) and First Amendment media & entertainment litigation practices too.

“Our bread and butter is leveraged finance and capital markets…”

Beyond the work, juniors were clear that the environment was just as central to choosing Cahill. “The biggest thing was that it’s BigLaw, but with small firm roots,” one associate told us, “I know a lot of people and a lot of people know my name too.” With around 300 attorneys across its network of four offices in New York, DC, Delaware, and London, Cahill sits at a relatively cozy size for such a heavy hitter. The fact that all newbies join the New York office as a select class of around 25 or so makes the tight-knit atmosphere tangible from the get go.

The training program was another genuine draw for interviewees - “other firms don’t have the facetime training with partners like we do” - along with the absence of a set billable hours requirement. Not that juniors are short of motivation to work, of course, as the firm’s reputation for above-market bonuses was also a distinct appeal.

Cahill is recognized as an Excellent Performer for Junior Satisfaction and an Excellent Performer for Mid to Senior Satisfaction in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Summer Program

“It was the best ten weeks I’ve had in a summer,” was one associate’s summary of their first introduction to Cahill, so how does the firm get its program so right? Former participants particularly highlighted the quality of the instruction they received, with one describing the team as “uniquely good at training” and noting that anyone who is eager to get stuck in “will learn a lot.”

The varied and substantive nature of the work also stood out; during the summer program, associates are able to sample work in both Cahill’s litigation and corporate practice groups, and may also get a chance to experience pro bono projects. Finally, the fact that work wasn’t overemphasized, and was balanced by a healthy mix of social events and networking opportunities, had a strong appeal too. Events that dot the calendar include baseball games, Broadway shows, cooking classes and lunches, ensuring that – in the words of one of our interviewees – “You get to really bond with the class, so it doesn’t feel like starting a brand-new scary job.”

Strategy & Future

When we catch up with Cahill’s chairperson, Herb Washer, he is keen to stress that Cahill certainly isn’t resting on its laurels. “For the past couple of years we have been growing strategically into new practice areas (crypto/fintech, private credit, restructuring, IP, etc.), as well as geographically (re-invigorating our Washington, D.C. office, opening a new Delaware location),” he tells us.

Associates have certainly noted this push toward new frontiers impacting their own practices, with one reporting that “from a strategy standpoint, there is a lot of emphasis on everything that crypto touches.” Washer also explains that project finance has been a particularly important area of recent focus for the firm, while adding that “I expect that the volume of infrastructure finance will grow, and so we hope to grow with it.”

As for wider industry developments, Washer notes a rising incidence of “fixed fee or contingent fee arrangements that focus on value, rather strictly on the billable hour, as has traditionally been the case.” With this in mind, Cahill’s policy of avoiding inflexible billable hour targets for its associates looks like being ahead of the curve. “I believe that clients will place a higher premium on the individualized counseling aspect of the practice of law,” Washer continues, noting that “What will be an advantage will be serving as sophisticated, experienced lawyers who can apply judgment to the issues that clients bring to us.”

An emphasis on upskilling young talent as quickly as possible is thus critical. While Washer is proud of Cahill’s record of promoting associates’ career development, he reports that the firm is “working to expedite that progress by investing even more in technology and training, providing early opportunities to do substantive work, and promoting formal and informal mentorship.”

Read more from Herb Washer under the 'Get Hired' tab.

Cahill is recognized as a Strong Performer for AI Integration in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

The Work

Juniors join either the corporate or litigation practice at Cahill. For those in corporate, there is a first-year staffing system which assigns newbies work to help them find their feet. Thereafter, they join the free-market system with the rest of the firm’s associates. Those who’ve been through this two-stage process appreciated how it allowed them to pick up work and balance their time initially, with one reporting how they’d then “enjoyed aseamless transition” to the free market via “legacy deals and reaching out to those already-made connections.”

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

Career Development

Cahill’s investment in professional development received the stamp of approval from its associates. “The Cahill Academy has been instrumental in making that transition into being an associate easier,” one tells us, “as there’s a lot of terminology and phrasing that isn’t intuitive.” The format, in which partners talk trainees through specific deals in a classroom environment and sometimes set homework, is a strong selling point for new associates, with one describing it as appealingly “familiar” and “almost like going to law school.”

Some found the firm’s emphasis on formal teaching slightly less helpful later on in their associate careers, when sessions don’t always fit in smoothly alongside a growing number of additional responsibilities. However, others have continued to find it useful in their day-to-day practices, with one appreciating how “we have material from those sessions to refer back to and reinforce us when we actually contend with an issue.”

“The Cahill Academy has been instrumental in making that transition into being an associate easier.”

From the get-go, rookies are also assigned an associate and partner mentor, the former for the day-to-day questions and the latter for both professional development and performance reviews. “The relationship is what you make of it,” an insider advised us, noting that “it’s crazy to me that I can email a partner with a professional question and then end up talking for an hour – it still blows me away.” This is also supplemented by abundant opportunities for striking up informal mentorship relationships with senior colleagues, which several associates felt was even more valuable.

As for the path to partnership, our sources agreed that it was definitely an attainable one, with multiple interviewees noting the firm’s strong emphasis on “homegrown” talent and promoting Cahill associates through the ranks. Nonetheless, if partnership is not on the cards, sources also felt confident about pursuing in-house avenues, particularly through relationships established by secondments; these are “a great opportunity to pivot,” one told us. And if anyone is unsure of which route they want to take, the firm has recently hired a director of attorney advancement, who can advise associates on everything from substantive on-the-job opportunities to their overall career path.

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

Hours & Compensation

There is no billable hours requirement at Cahill, and nor is there a cap on the pro bono hours for which associates can get credit. That’s not to suggest that the firm is short of client-facing matters to keep associates occupied. “There is plenty of work to go around, and you’re highly encouraged to make sure you’re staying busy,” a junior explained. “You get an understanding of how much you should be taking on,” they continued, noting that “there is never pressure after coming off a busy few weeks to not recharge in order to not fall behind on some imaginary hours requirement.”

As for a typical weekly schedule, associates explained that aiming for at least 40 billable hours is standard. “On average, it’s a standard 9-5pm in the office, then I go home and work a few more hours,” a source from the corporate team shared with us. As per the nature of BigLaw, there are of course both slower and busier periods; “sometimes I might have a 20-hour week, or I’ve billed 80 in the busiest weeks,” another interviewee added.

In return for their efforts, associates are compensated at market rate, and those in good standing receive both end-of-year and special bonuses. “It’s very clear what it is to be in good standing: doing the work well, meeting the in-office requirement, and also being a good firm citizen,” one interviewee explained, before reassuring us that “it’s easy to achieve.”

On the point about mandatory time in-office, this means coming in for an average of three days a week over the year, and associates generally appreciated the flexibility this gives them. Moreover, the bonus structure was highly rated for including a newish ‘super bonus’ which can be unlocked by associates that have been at the firm for four or more years.

Cahill is recognized as The Elite for Benefits & Quality of Life in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Culture

Sometimes it can be hard to pinpoint what makes a firm’s culture, but juniors at Cahill weren’t lost for words. “It’s a smaller BigLaw firm with a close-knit community,” an insider told us, while another specifically emphasized how the limited numbers of new joiners enabled them to have a “very close relationship with those in my class.” That feeds into a generally supportive working atmosphere. “Everyone is kind, with no egos,” we were told, and our sources also made clear that while colleagues are “looking to do great work and have great experiences,” they also “understand that law is not the entire purpose of someone’s life.”

“It’s a smaller BigLaw firm with a close-knit community.”

We heard that the firm makes a real effort when it comes to the social calendar, which ranges from ‘Cahill connects’ on Tuesdays with bagels to monthly happy hours, alongside recruiting events and a host of summer and other seasonal socials. Some of the highlights include the annual holiday skit which first years and the newer partners produce together, and the gala which takes place in some years at the Museum of Natural History (and which one source called “one of my favorite events”). There are also running, soccer and softball teams to get involved with as well. “You can be as social as you like with no pressure,” a source reassured us, adding that “I enjoy being social at the firm, as we spend a lot of hours together.”

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

Pro Bono

Given that associates have no limit on how much pro bono they can do and that this work is weighted equally to billable hours, “it’s very easy to get involved,” sources noted. A dedicated pro bono counsel ensures that there are various opportunities available, ranging from criminal proceedings to work with organizations like Sanctuary for Families, as well as immigration and veterans matters. Meanwhile, shorter-term commitments include ‘know your rights’ clinics and school volunteering.

While some felt the projects skew naturally towards litigation matters, the arrival of new tax partners has unlocked pro bono work that “leans more corporate,” such as helping small businesses navigate bureaucracy. For many, these ever-evolving opportunities provide some memorable experiences. “It’s very rewarding,” one insider shared with us, explaining that they “get to communicate directly with the client by myself and advise on courses of action (with the supervision of a partner to run ideas by).”

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

Inclusion

Juniors felt that the firm places “a lot of emphasis” on inclusion. “There are affinity groups for anything you can think of and if you feel that something is missing, the firm is more than willing to add it,” a source stated. Indeed, a First-Generation affinity group has recently been created, joining an extensive roster that includes ASMENA (Asian, Middle Eastern, North African, Native American and Pacific Islander), Black Lawyers, Hispanic/Latinx, LGBTQ, Working Parents and the Women’s Initiative Committee.

Each put on their own informal lunches, socials and informative events, that are open to all. “The women’s group hosted an important judge, who is a friend of the firm, who opened the reception to everyone,” a junior enthused, adding that “I met so many new women associates and partners there.” The women’s group was particularly popular amongst associates for its mentoring circles too.