McDermott Will & Schulte

Breaking into the big leagues with its healthcare and private capital expertise, newly merged McDermott Will & Schulte balances its rapid growth trajectory with a genuine approach to wellbeing.

About the Firm

Hitting the sweet spot isn’t easy, but from conversations with associates it instantly became apparent this is precisely what McDermott strives for: “It wants to be a market leader, but also make our lives easier,” juniors praised. In the BigLaw landscape, the firm is almost synonymous for its healthcare and private capital expertise, and much more. Take it from our sister guide Chambers USA where it’s recognized as a domestic leader across healthcare and related privacy & data security matters, hedge funds, investment funds (regulatory & compliance), toxic torts product liability, and outsourcing. At home in Illinois, McDermott enjoys further recognition for its employee benefits & executive compensation, intellectual property (trademark, copyright & trade secrets), labor & employment, and tax expertise.

“It wants to be a market leader but also make our lives easier.”

Even with such a large platform, our interviewees spoke highly about the culture at McDermott as a big selling point. “Generally, people are very nice and respectful of life and of boundaries,” one associate highlighted, noting the particular focus on wellness and mental health which permeates throughout the firm. “We want you to come to work and feel energized; we know the work is hard and that it can be stressful, especially when you’re learning, but I’d say our real differentiator is our ambition to be the number one career accelerator in BigLaw today,” chairman Ira Coleman tells us: “We want to achieve this breakthrough performance for our people and do it in a way that is human." In turn, associates highlighted the level of investment put behind their development as well as the welcoming environment which allows young attorneys to find “excellent mentors.”

Across the firm’s 16-office network stateside, most junior associates can be found in New York and Chicago, followed by Washington DC, Los Angeles, and Boston.

McDermott Will & Schulte is recognized as a Strong Performer for Junior Satisfaction and a Strong Performer for Mid to Senior Satisfaction in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Strategy & Future

To say the past year has been busy for the firm would be an understatement: “We had our big merger with Schulte Roth & Zabel, so now we are McDermott Will & Schulte – that has been exciting. We went from being the 38th largest firm in New York to now the 8th largest, which is significant,” chairman Ira Coleman highlights. Integration has been going well, he explains further, “We already know that 60% of legacy Schulte attorneys are working on McDermott matters, and vice versa. It’s creating all kinds of opportunities for people to work with new teams and be part of different structures and learn about each other.”

So, what else is on the cards? Well, a focus on geography, in particular New York and London, Coleman confirms. He explains, there will be a continued focus on being the “number one private capital firm in the world,” encompassing private equity, hedge funds, and family offices, as well as its “power alley" practices such as litigation, white-collar, and government investigations. “M&A private equity, crypto and AI have also been on a great growth trajectory,” Coleman adds, bolstered by the Schulte attorneys with the regulatory expertise to match.

Internally, “We’re really drilling into AI and what it can do,” Coleman shares: “If you’re not thinking of AI as an incredible disruptor and getting prepared – really digging in and spending resources doing it – then you’re missing the boat.” As such, the firm has utilized “the latest and greatest tools,” associates shared, adding, “The firm is proactive about rolling out technological improvements with AI.”

“I really do think transparency is an aspect of the culture,” an insider noted. There are practice group and firmwide townhall meetings where financial performance and strategy is outlined; “I wasn’t expecting to see that,” one divulged, “It’s open lines wherever you turn.”

Read more from our conversation with Ira Coleman under the ‘Get Hired’ tab.

McDermott Will & Schulte is recognized as a Strong Performer for AI Integration in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Summer Program

Summers join the firm in a selected practice area of interest, so they can get a feel for what being an associate in that practice looks like. Those who are curious about exploring work assignments outside their assigned practice area can do so; there is an online work assignment platform where summers can pick up a range of projects. “Come in eager to learn; keep an open mind to learn about the practice of law and the type of work that people do,” an associate advised. Throughout, summers get exposure to a range of experiences from shadowing client calls, research tasks, picking up the pen to have a go at drafting parts of briefs or ancillaries, and even the opportunity to observe hearings and depositions depending on practice.

“The firm puts a lot of time, effort, and money into planning events – not just social events but also professional development events focused on networking across the firm,” sources recalled. There are plenty of events over the course of the summer, from happy hours “where it’s easy to strike up conversation,” to concerts and baseball games and other fun activities. There’s also an all-summer retreat, which most recently was hosted in Chicago.

The Work

At its core, McDermott operates with a free market system. As one associate explained, “There are also assigning attorneys who you can turn to if you are too slow or busy,” as well as a ‘traffic’ light survey indicating associates’ availability to partners. Starting out, “it can be harder for some to get integrated into workflows effectively and ramped up,” insiders noted, but the selling point among associates was the autonomy to pursue their own interests. “It has enabled me to reach out and say I’m interested in this work, and people have been receptive to that,” we heard.

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

Career Development

“There is probably more of an emphasis on learning on the job and learning by doing,” an associate highlighted, “That said, we do have frequent internal trainings!” In fact, training sessions start before associates join the firm in the fall; incoming associates can attend the firm's 'Ready to Launch' program, which covers things the foundations of working at a law firm, including communication and how to prioritize workloads. Upon starting at the firm, associates have an in-person orientation as well as practice-specific bootcamps.

Training sessions continue as associates progress as well: mid- and senior-associates can attend workshops tailored to their practice areas; for example, litigators can participate in annual trial and deposition skills workshops, while health and transactional associates can attend summits focused on how to draft documents and negotiate: “Some are more nitty gritty, page turning exercises going through agreements, and addressing why a provision can be pushed back on or accepted. It’s been really helpful having that more granular focus and real-world application.”

“People aren’t stingy about offering support and guidance to young developing attorneys.”

Fresh-faced juniors are assigned an integration mentor, who is usually a couple years ahead, to answer any questions and help newbies orient to firm life. Associates also have access to a mentorship budget that can be used for coffees or meals to encourage building relationships. “I have so many informal mentors which I appreciate,” one insider shared: “People aren’t stingy about offering support and guidance to young developing attorneys.”

With a two-tier partnership (income and equity), we heard that the path to income partnership “is transparent and attainable; eligibility kicks in after sixth year. The firm is good at communicating where people’s standing is and helping you develop the skills necessary,” associates explained. As for other paths, McDermott has a career coaching team who can connect associates with alumni and in-house opportunities.

McDermott Will & Schulte is recognized as a Strong Performer for Career Development in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Culture

“Everyone at our firm really does value being nice. We do tough work and work a lot of hours, so why would you want to add to the burden of that?” an associate said. This ‘niceness’ attributed to many things, from good recruiting practices and the firm’s Midwestern roots to leadership including chairman Ira Coleman, who “raises the floor and makes you want to commit to being better,” an associate beamed. Others agreed: “The firm definitely wants to stay competitive and is always ‘progressing to be better’. That is a big motto, and they do walk the walk!”

“There is an unspoken ‘no-assholes policy’…”

“There is an unspoken ‘no-assholes policy’ which I think is by and large true,” an insider divulged. As such, our interviewees shared, “someone who is definitely a team player – that is incredibly important – who has intellectual curiosity and is excited about the work they are doing and eager to try new things” would fit right in.

The various events put on by the firm throughout the year proved to be something to look forward to, from smaller scale events including organized socials and “hanging out at lunch or the office for a chit chat,” to enjoying the viewing party of the Chicago river turning green for St Patrick’s day and the annual associate’s retreat (which was hosted in Miami last year).

McDermott Will & Schulte is recognized as a Strong Performer for Culture in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Hours & Compensation

Associates have a 2,000 billable hour target which includes 100 hours for pro bono, 75 hours for professional development (e.g. article writing, conference presentations, and tag-along time), and 25 hours for mindfulness time and JDEI (justice, diversity, equity & inclusion) efforts. With all that, our interviewees agreed it was a realistic and achievable target. They also appreciated the various incentives, particularly the mindfulness bucket for encouraging associates to spend time focusing on their wellbeing. This includes things like attending sessions on how to manage stress, yoga, taking a walk, or spending time with family.

While there is no typical week in BigLaw, one shared, “an average week is probably 40 – 50 billables.” Of course, there can be busier periods with transactions coming to a close or when preparing for and being at trial. “Matters can pick up fast,” one warned, with the occasional weekend work on the table. That said, “people are respectful for boundaries if you have plans made” such as vacation, “as long as you have coverage.”

Associates receive a market rate base salary and bonus for meeting the billable target. To receive the bonus, associates also must average attendance in office at least 1.5 days per week across the year, with the expectation of being in the office three to four days a week. There are an additional two bonuses tied to exceeding billable hours and performance (which the firm calls “role model status”).

McDermott Will & Schulte is recognized as a Strong Performer for Benefits & Quality of Life in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Pro Bono

“Pro bono is one of the most underrated things about my firm,” an associate praised: “It’s very easy to get involved and they’re constantly looking for ways to engage – there’s a big push!” In fact, the firm has a full-time pro bono team focused on expanding transactional and corporate opportunities. Associates are able to credit up to 100 hours of pro bono towards their billable target and can receive a waiver to go beyond.

Associates were pleased with the variety of projects, of which our interviewees described as helping out at legal clinics, assisting non-profits and companies with licensing agreements, housing benefit applications, healthcare access, domestic violence, criminal justice, asylum and immigration matters. “I’ve helped a handful of clients apply for employment authorization cards. Its particularly rewarding meeting the client in person and knowing that obtaining those cards improves their quality of life,” an insider shared. At the same time, it’s a way of developing skills and expertise outside of their practice too. “I’ve had colleagues that have gone to trial on pro bono matters and won, which is pretty cool! I’ve got throw that in there!” another quipped.

McDermott Will & Schulte is recognized as a Strong Performer for Pro Bono in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.