Hogan Lovells Cadwalader

This global superstar knows how to put the pro into pro bono.

About the Firm

*In July 2026, Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader combined to form Hogan Lovells Cadwalader. The below Inside View is written from research conducted with legacy Hogan Lovells associates before the combination.

BigLaw has a certain reputation. The stereotypes tend to write themselves: sharp elbows, sharp billing targets and maybe not much room for much else. But associates at Hogan Lovells painted a different picture. One paused mid-sentence trying to describe the culture: “I’m trying to think of a better word than just… normal.” Another insider noted that “In two years, I haven’t encountered a single bad apple.”

“In two years, I haven’t encountered a single bad apple.”

Yet there are also several ways in which Hogan Lovells goes well beyond the normal – in a good way. Above all, what really distinguishes the firm is its structured commitment to pro bono, with a four-month first-year rotation giving juniors courtroom and drafting exposure early on.

That down-to-earth culture sits alongside serious legal firepower. Hogan Lovells operates on a global platform, with cross-border deals, heavyweight government investigations, and regulatory litigation forming the backbone of its practice. Corporate associates work on strategic M&A and private equity deals for demanding clients, while litigators get stuck into False Claims Act disputes, internal investigations, and parallel government actions.

All that hard work has paid off with extensive recognition from the Chambers USA guide, where Hogan Lovells sits in the top band nationally for practice areas including higher education, life sciences regulation, aviation regulation, REITs, privacy and data security, and several more. The firm is also rapidly expanding its offices and headcount, with an ambitious alliance with Wall Street royalty Cadwalader on the horizon. So, evidently you don’t have to choose between being at a firm with a heart and one that’s got a real head for business.

Summer Program

When it comes to inducting summer associates into its work and values, there’s no doubt that the firm goes the whole hog(an). “It set me up really well, giving me a good insight into who I’d be working with and the type of work” was one associate’s verdict, while another reported that “it was very transparent as to what work you would be doing as a junior associate.” Typical tasks include legal research, drafting internal memos, and working on amicus briefs. Summers also get the chance to attend the Summer Associate Conference in DC, which involves training and networking opportunities over multiple days, and to sample a smorgasbord of social activities ranging from cooking classes to dinners with partners.

Strategy & Future

Hogan Lovells’ strategy centers on growth, and the firm is gearing up to take a huge bite out of the Big Apple. "In our effort to become a premier global law firm, we need a strong offering in the Americas, and we are well on our way to accomplishing that," says Americas Managing Partner Richard Lorenzo. A big step on that journey is the firm's pending combination with Cadwalader, one of New York's oldest law firms, which Hogan Lovells’ leadership views as transformative for the firm's US platform.

The merger is spoken about with enthusiasm. "There’s a lot of energy and excitement around the combination," says Lorenzo, who draws confidence from Hogan Lovells' track record: the successful 2010 Hogan & Hartson/Lovells transatlantic merger which created it. Meanwhile, the Global Head of Recruitment, Georgia Emery Gray, frames the merger as "real positive for our associates” as they will be “working on a platform that is almost second to none globally."

On the horizon beyond the merger sits AI. As Richard Lorenzo put it, "There’s a lot of discussion around how it will shape the legal market, but we are operating on the basis that it is already part of our environment." The firm is investing in curricula, tools, and training, such as their Digi-day in March 2026, treating AI as the latest in a long line of technologies – and something for lawyers to be “excited about rather than concerned by.”

Throughout all this, the firm’s leadership is keen to emphasize that its strategy is not just something to be imposed on associates from on high. “One of the things that differentiates us is how we engage with our associates,” Lorenzo states, noting the existence of associate committees across Hogan Lovells’ various offices and that “We encourage them to have active input with the leadership of the firm.” We should note that several associates did report being surprised by news of the Cadwalader merger, so there may still be some further work to do in terms of bringing everyone into the decision-making loop. Nonetheless, the general consensus among juniors we spoke to was that “the firm has a strong future going forwards,” so clearly there is a good deal of buy-in to its ambitious plans.

Read more from Richard Lorenzo, Georgia Emery Gray, and Carin Carithers under the ‘Get Hired’ tab.

The Work

Whether work allocation operates on a free-market model or a staffing system depends largely on the practice area. Nonetheless, some associates told us that while an availability coordinator can help connect associates to matters, most work flows through relationships built with partners and senior associates: “ninety percent of my work has come from relationships I’ve formed, but the staffing system is there to fall back on,” one reported. The system gives juniors a degree of agency over whom they work with and what types of matters they pursue. “If there’s a type of matter you’re interested in, you can get the opportunity to work on it,” we heard.

“If there’s a type of matter you’re interested in, you can get the opportunity to work on it.”

However, it also requires initiative, as “You have to be proactive and build those relationships.” New associates may need to ask around to understand who handles particular workstreams, which can be a “balancing act at first.” Ultimately, proactive associates tend to thrive and are able to pursue their interests.

Career Development

Career development at Hogan Lovells is a mix of structured training and learning by doing: one associate shared that “you learn by living with the case.” The first-year pro bono rotation on offer was described as a key resource for early growth, as junior associates can “get much higher exposure to things like the courtroom and drafting” earlier than they would with billables. Beyond this, associates mentioned group-specific training, such as intensive deposition sessions, litigation skills programs, white-collar-specific sessions and, in regulatory teams, environmental law boot camps.

Nonetheless, much of the associates’ professional growth happens on real matters, and this tends to favor proactive individuals. Associates regularly work closely with partners and describe being “teamed up” on drafting and strategy rather than operating at arm’s length. The culture is open and accessible, with juniors encouraged to “stop by anyone’s office,” ask questions and seek feedback.

“Raise your hand and the opportunities are there.”

Looking ahead, partnership is viewed as achievable by associates, with more focused conversations starting around the mid-level years (and no reports of a mass exodus occurring at this time). Overall, the message seemed to be raise your hand, build relationships, and use the platform there to support you.

Hours & Compensation

The billable target sits at 2,000 hours, which associates acknowledged as demanding while also consistently describing it as “very achievable.” Workloads vary between practice areas and between matters; corporate teams experience the expected deal spikes, while litigation and regulatory associates speak of “ebbs and flows,” particularly when investigations run alongside active disputes. Core office hours often resemble 9am to 6pm, though evenings and occasional late nights are part of the rhythm. Importantly, few interviewees characterized the hours as chaotic. Work distribution can feel uneven at times under the free-market model, but associates reported being able to meet their targets.

Salaries match the Cravath scale, with first years’ pay being $225,000, rising to $235,000 in second year. The bonus system was described as “very clear and transparent.”

Culture

"It’s so great working alongside people who are kind and care about you..."

The environment is described as collaborative and relatively non-hierarchical at the associate level, without the pressure-cooker reputation that looms over parts of the market. Associates repeatedly described the culture at Hogan Lovells as friendly, welcoming and very team oriented. While, like at any BigLaw firm, you are expected you to put in the hours, associates reassured us that the blow was softened by the collaborative nature of the work – you are “in it with the rest of the team” and people enjoy spending time with each other.

For one interviewee, the highlight of life at the firm was “hands down the quality of the people in terms of intelligence and diligence.” They continued, “It’s so great working alongside people who are kind and care about you as a human and remember things you say outside of the context of work.”

Socially, much of the organized activity is centered in Washington DC, the firm’s largest office and hub, where weekly Thursday gatherings, practice group lunches, and firm-wide events are common. In Washington, an associate reports that “Every Monday I get an email with social events and opportunities coming up this week and there is no shortage.” There is no shortage of other amenities either - one particularly popular feature is the subsidized cafeteria. Some juniors noted that meals end up costing less than if buying ingredients from the grocery store and making them at home. This provides associates with “one less thing to worry about,” as well as a social space to enjoy lunch together.

Culture may vary in other offices; for example, the Boston office is smaller with a headcount of about 40, so this is a factor to look out for. However, the consistent message was that people are approachable, teams work closely together, and the atmosphere feels professional and friendly.

Pro Bono

Pro bono is one of Hogan Lovells’ clearest differentiators – it was frequently pointed to as the main selling point of the firm. The firm offers a four-month first-year pro bono rotation, where all the work they do in those four months is pro bono, and it all counts towards their billables. It gives juniors early exposure to courtroom advocacy, client counseling, and drafting responsibilities, which might otherwise take much longer to build up, and this was described as a “great way to accumulate skills early.”

For many associates, pro bono acts as both skills training and a way to make a positive impact, providing a meaningful counterbalance to corporate transactions and government investigations. Associates consistently emphasized that pro bono is not an added sideline but embedded into the firm’s structure, with a “phenomenal team of full-time pro bono attorneys” and weekly emails highlighting new opportunities. At Hogan Lovells, “it’s more unusual if you don’t do pro bono,” we heard.