Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath (US)

Looking for a Midwestern firm with a knack for antitrust and class action suits? Don’t tort-ure yourself any longer: Faegre Drinker is a firm ‘Reath’ed with laurels.

About the Firm

With roots tracing back to a firm co-founded by a former Vice President and a former attorney general, many in Faegre Drinker’s position would be content to ride on their historic coattails. Instead, the firm embarked on a path to seek out strategic growth. Nearly two centuries and a merger later, today’s Faegre Drinker is somewhat of a Midwestern powerhouse with the distinctive hallmarks and the stats to rival many a BigLaw firm.

This includes an annual revenue in excess of $1 billion, a network of 18 offices stateside (and two internationally), and over 80 departments recognized in Chambers USA. At a glance, these include food & beverages and Native American law which are placed among the best nationwide. Regionally, the firm picks up further top-notch accolades: antitrust, capital markets, construction, corporate/M&A, intellectual property, general commercial litigation, and real estate in Minnesota; antitrust, construction, corporate/M&A, intellectual property, and general commercial litigation in Indiana; and banking & finance in Pennsylvania – to list just a few. There’s certainly more to Faegre’s story, but you’ll have to head over to chambers.com for the full breakdown.

“You’re able to do all the sophisticated work that many BigLaw firms do, but at a place that has a far smaller culture.”

For many of our sources, the appeal of the firm came in two parts: of course, the aforementioned success certainly doesn’t hurt, but it was this in conjunction with the firm’s cozier feel which sealed the deal. “I find myself echoing the same points all the attorneys I met made when I first came across the firm – you’re able to do all the sophisticated work that many BigLaw firms do, but at a place that has a far smaller culture,” said an insider. Summing it up, it’s the “mix of sophisticated work and wonderful people” which made joining the firm a no brainer for many.

Summer Program

One associate reminisced, “The summer program really worked in my favor and allowed me to explore and find the department I eventually joined.” Summers usually undertake one-off research tasks, but are occasionally given the opportunity to help draft ancillary documents, as well as sit in and observe calls.

As one associate recalled, “Each practice group helped me make my decision to stay at Faegre; it was great to get a taste of the work.” Alongside gaining a view into the kind of work they’d be involved in as a fall associate, summers were able to forge relationships with those at the firm. In fact, almost all the associates we interviewed told us they had maintained those very relationships they began during the program. Summers can also attend a three-day Summer Associate Summit which covers training, pro bono work, and networking with firm leadership.

Strategy & Future

The firm blew out the candles on its sixth birthday back in 2025 (following the merger of Faegre Baker Daniels and Drinker Biddle & Reath), and there’s plenty to celebrate, not least its steady revenue growth, which came out to $1.2 billion. This growth hasn’t come from resting on any laurels either. As Gina Kastel, Faegre’s chair, tells us, the firm is continuing to “prioritize growth in our key sectors: financial services, food & agribusiness, health & life sciences, manufacturing, and technology.”

Focusing on other industry developments which are top of mind for many the firm recently hired a chief technology and innovation officer to lead the firm’s technology implementation strategy. As Kastel tells us, “We leverage AI to enhance our efficiency and value and invest in new technology, workflow solutions, and generative and agentic AI.”

The Work

While there is a centralized system for work distribution at Faegre, partners are largely responsible for allocating work to associates. There is also some onus on associates to make themselves available to partners, as one source explained, “Partners are responsible for building their teams, but you have to put in some work to build relationships and to get the work you want assigned to you.” Partners will keep track of what associates are keen to work on, and if you’re interested in getting work in a specific area, reaching out to a specific partner will be your best bet. While this work allocation approach may not be for everyone, Faegre’s associates made no indication that they had any trouble hitting billable targets or finding interesting work.

Career Development

It’s not uncommon for an associate’s first few years to feel a bit like a “trial by fire.” Thankfully, for associates at Faegre, “you will always have people checking in on you.”

Upon joining the firm, newbies are enrolled in a four-week training course which is dedicated to helping associates understand the work the firm does, before focusing in on the work carried out in your specific practice group. Associates are also able to undertake mock assignments and receive feedback on these to take forward into their real work. “I love getting feedback in a lower stakes environment,” said one associate, “It’s informal feedback and it’s tailored to you.”

To help them get to grips, associates are also assigned a partner mentor and an associate mentor and are encouraged to have regular meetings with them.

“They’re hiring you not just to be a junior associate, but to mold you into a partner.”

As far as our sources were concerned, the partnership path at Faegre is well laid out. “The firm doesn’t hire many associates, so there’s the understanding that they’re hiring you not just to be a junior associate, but to mold you into a partner,” one insider observed. In conclusion, the majority of interviewees agreed “it’s a realistic prospect for most associates should they want to put in the work.”

Hours & Compensation

“1,900 is a fair target,” associates agreed. The overall target includes an allowance of 100 hours of pro bono work and 50 hours of firm investment time. Meeting the 1,900 target unlocks a bonus for associates; there are also additional tiers of bonuses for hours billed beyond the target. Insiders also noted that during their first year, newbies are given what’s called a ‘stub year’, where the firm understands associates have a bit of a ramp up period and may not hit their targets.

Sources reported a typical day generally means getting in for about 8am and logging off at around 5 to 6pm. During busier periods, “There are some days where I have to log back on,” an associate noted, though they were keen to emphasize that “partners leave you alone after busy periods to give you a bit of respite.”

As for compensation, the firm pays associates a lockstep base salary. We heard a few qualms from associates about the fact that the salary had fallen behind the Cravath scale in recent years, though others in regional offices were keen to couch: “It’s a very good base comp structure for the region I am in.”

Culture

From the outside looking in, BigLaw can seem like a daunting work environment, though associates at Faegre were keen to make clear that it’s important not to generalize. “There’s no negative or toxic energy here,” one associate underscored. In further detail, sources described partners as having “a real Midwestern sense of humility.” When it comes to assigning work and those longer hours that come with BigLaw territory, associates noted, “Senior attorneys and partners are respectful of your time and have a good grasp of the fact you can’t control everything.”

Associates are expected to be in office at least three days a week, with one day serving as a ‘connection day’ where all attorneys are present. The firm also provides free breakfast and lunch as incentives for associates to come in, and every now and then, the firm will even host themed breakfasts or lunches, host bingo rounds, and supply free massages. We heard the firm is also very cognizant of the responsibilities and challenges that come with raising children alongside being an attorney, and has flexible options for those with childcare duties.

Pro Bono

As mentioned above, associates can include up to 100 hours of pro bono work in their billable target. Associates praised the “really wonderful pro bono coordinators who lead the pro bono program,” adding that “the systems for finding opportunities are great.” These include an online posting board, as well as regular emails advertising available projects.

Common opportunities available for associates to get involved in include veterans’ cases, asylum work, prisoners’ appeals, human rights work, and non-profit organizational work – to list just a few. “The firm is also really good at connecting you to pro bono organizations,” an insider highlighted. With so much to get involved in, it’s not uncommon for associates who exceed the 100 hour bucket to get this number extended.