HSF Kramer

Love at first… merger? Fresh work and social opportunities at newly minted HSF Kramer have associates full of anticipation for what the future will hold.

About the Firm

The old saying ‘better together’ became a cliché for a reason – and it’s often got a lot of truth behind it. It’s certainly the case for Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, a combination of legacy firms Herbert Smith Freehills and Kramer Levin. As a result, the firm now has over 2,700 lawyers across 26 offices. “We have had a transformation as a result of our combination,” Paul Schoeman, US executive partner tells us: “Kramer Levin was very much a US-based firm but with limited visibility around the world. And now, we’ve joined forces with HSF to become a truly global firm, with genuine strength in the three largest financial markets in the world: New York, London, and Hong Kong,” nodding to its characteristic transatlantic and transpacific strengths.

“With the merger, we’re seeing a lot of cross-pollination already.”

“The firm’s entering a pretty exciting time,” one junior associate headlined, adding, “With the merger, we’re seeing a lot of cross-pollination already.” In practice, what this means for associates is plenty of new workstreams and a whole lot of mingling with new colleagues – but more on all of that later.

Both legacy firms had a habit of performing well in our sister guide Chambers USA, so it comes as no surprise that HSF Kramer is continuing the tradition. Nationwide, the firm topped the table for its advertising (litigation and NAD proceedings), capital markets securitization, and corporate crime & investigations work. The firm also performs very well in the New York leagues with its immigration, general commercial litigation, and real estate (mainly dirt and zoning/land use) expertise.

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer is recognized as a Strong Performer for Junior Satisfaction in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Summer Program

In New York, summers are able to pick up work from different practices; each week, summers are able to rank their top three practice areas and receive work accordingly.

Stand-out social outings have included a Major League Baseball game, a golf simulator experience, and a boat and a bus tour around Manhattan. “They pointed out the biggest projects they’ve worked on in the city,” one participant reminisced, “I remember that… that was a highlight.”

Strategy & Future

Associates were pleased with the overall handling of the merger: “There’s a ton of transparency, and we were told the news before it was broken to everyone.” Naturally, post-merger, “integration is a big focus,” insiders told us. In practice, this means integrating tech and referring business to one another. “From day one, we saw work being referred into the US and from the US, which was proof of the concept that there would be demand going both ways,” Schoeman highlights.

While firm continues to invest in its traditional practice areas, Schoeman explains there is an investment plan that involves lateral talent in select areas. For instance, “We’ve also created a real antitrust capability in our Washington, DC office. We had existing experience with antitrust, but we wanted to strengthen that in order to match the global firm’s really strong competition and antitrust practice.” This extends to include areas such as energy and infrastructure.

As for artificial intelligence, the global platform has bolstered the ability to make those investments. “We have announced Legora as our enterprise AI platform; we’re rolling that out now around the world,” Schoeman shares. In addition, the firm has recently been joined by global Chief AI Officer, Illona Loginova, who leads the global AI team.

Associates are able to raise questions and concerns to leadership via an associate committee; in turn, leadership provides associates with regular updates on firm strategy and performance through firmwide meetings and townhalls. “I feel like I have a good sense of where the firm is going,” shared one associate.

Read our conversation with Paul Schoeman, US executive partner, under the ‘Get Hired’ tab.

The Work

Work assignment varies between departments and offices; generally speaking, it’s either a free-market system, an assignment coordinator, or a mix of both. “On the one hand, it’s easy to think a centralized staffing system would be ideal as you’d be automatically put on work,” reflected one associate, “But the free-market system has been alright because I’ve been able to pursue the work I really want.”

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer is recognized as a Strong Performer for Work Allocation & Autonomy in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Career Development

Upon joining the firm, newbies are assigned a buddy, a mid-level or senior associate mentor, and a partner mentor. Juniors are encouraged to meet with their mentors frequently and are given a budget to do so.

Newbies are also encouraged to develop informal mentors, and this often happens naturally as associates work with partners. Juniors are also able to utilize a portion of their allocated training hours towards shadowing opportunities. Various departments also host lunch and learns on key topics and trends in the industry.

Naturally, the merger has brought some uncertainty around what exactly the path to partnership will entail for the current crop of junior associates, but sources were reassured that “if you’re doing good work, they want you to stick around and move up.”

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer is recognized as a Strong Performer for Career Development in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Hours & Compensation

Associates’ 2,000 hour target includes an uncapped amount of pro bono and up to 100 hours of professional and business development. While insiders noticed a bit of a dip in their hours over the past year – partly due to market conditions and a slowdown in work as the merger settled – they noted that the allowance for pro bono and professional and business development were welcome pillars of support in progressing towards their hours targets. Overall, of the target, interviewees noted: “It’s a lot of hours – there’s no denying it – but you know what you’re getting yourself into when you join BigLaw.”

For their toils, associates receive market scale compensation. “It’s pretty fair for the amount of work we’re doing and how much we’re expected to be available – and it’s a great salary. There’s really nothing to complain about!” summarized one associate, reflecting the general sentiment among all our interviewees. In the broadest terms, lawyers are required to hit their hours target and be in good standing with the firm to be eligible for a bonus. Partners also have discretion to award additional merit-based bonuses.

Associates also receive a budget every month to spend on their wellbeing (which the firm refers to internally as a 'lifestyle spending account'), such as a gym membership, acupuncture, or a massage. One said: “I really like that. It’s like $100 per month or you can save it and some people get a Peloton or something at the end of the year!”

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer is recognized as a Strong Performer for Benefits & Quality of Life in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Culture

At a BigLaw firm, there’s no doubt your professional development will be bolstered, but it’s also important to pay attention to personal development. Thankfully, for associates at HSF Kramer, this was no concern: “They really do care, not just about my professional life, but also my wellbeing.” In fact, the theme of seniors looking out for junior’s work-life balance was a recurring one in our interviews with associates. The general sentiment was that “people are really respectful of your time.”

“Approachability is a big thing here.”

With big mergers often comes the concern of maintaining a cohesive culture, but, according to associates, the firm is already one step ahead. “All the offices seem to have similar cultures,” one insider observed, “I think that was done intentionally.” Others agreed: “The firm really focuses on the community culture; even though it’s now a very large firm, people still really want to get to know each other.” This seems to be instilled from the top down, with sources noting: “I think that’s a big testament to the partners who try to engage equally with everyone, including the junior associates. Approachability is a big thing here.”

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer is recognized as a Strong Performer for Culture in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Pro Bono

Our sources were big fans of the flexibility around pro bono at HSF Kramer. For instance, associates explained, “We do clinics where you can just drop in that day and help out with pro bono work without necessarily having to contribute on a regular basis.” This came in handy for those going through busier periods who didn’t necessarily have the time to commit a large number of hours towards pro bono work. Equally, those with the time to commit are able to count an unlimited number of pro bono hours towards their billable target.

Once a month, associates have the opportunity to attend a pro bono clinic in Harlem to assist small businesses with legal queries. “That is a really great opportunity because you’re working directly with clients,” one participant told us. Corporate associates are also able to flex their skills by assisting non-profits with entity formation or gaining tax exemption status.

Across all offices, associates can work on asylum, divorce, domestic abuse, veterans and housing matters. Work can be found through the designated pro bono coordinator and, on occasion, the pro bono team will reach out to offer assignments that fit an associate’s interests. “For the most part, when you’re a junior on a pro bono case they let you run with it,” one insider informed us, “I’ve been able to draft briefs and do a lot of that work. That has been really exciting.”

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer is recognized as an Excellent Performer for Pro Bono in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Inclusion

“The firm really values inclusion,” one insider told us, citing the firm’s various inclusion groups as examples, which include women, first-generation attorneys, parents, and LGBTQ+. These groups are open to all associates to join regardless of background or identity.

The professional development team also sends out emails every Friday with suggestions for how attorneys can better their wellbeing and career.