Cleary Gottlieb
New York, NYWashington, DCSan Francisco, CA +1
FIRM PROFILE
Morgan Lewis
- Boston, MA
- Century City, CA
- Chicago, IL
- +12
With More(gan) training development and high-quality work than you could wish for, this Philly native is the place to be.
About the Firm
- 18
- National Offices
- 15
- Overseas Offices
- 885
- Associates
- 682
- Partners
When deciding which BigLaw firm is right for you, your mind likely wanders to the most logical tale of considering each option until your needs have been satiated i.e. Goldilocks. Not following? Stay with us as we explain: A firm should provide substantive quality work but not be so overwhelming; allow associates to be independent and take ownership of their work but also have strong training opportunities; host a culture where people take their work seriously but also house a warm and friendly environment. It can be a tall order, but luckily at Morgan Lewis the firm has hit the balance just right. “There’s no firm of our size and caliber with the breadth and depth that we have,” firm chair Jami McKeon explains, “if you get everything else right, financial success will follow.” What that means is Morgan Lewis is focused on chasing exceptionalism rather than dollar signs, and our sources agreed: “One of the things that people really care about here is excellence, they really live that culture here too.”
“One of the things that people really care about here is excellence, they really live that culture here too.”
McKeon is also keen to highlight the firm’s work output citing that “one of my favorite statistics about our firm is that the majority of our top 200 clients use us in at least six practice groups and at least 12 offices.” Our colleagues over at Chambers USA echo this sentiment, as the firm has rankings in just shy of 150 departments including antitrust, labor & employment, bankruptcy, corporate/M&A, litigation, and more. With all this to consider it’s no wonder that juniors felt they had found the firm that was right for them. “I sound like I’m drinking the Kool-Aid,” reveled one lateral, “but even in a short amount of time the opportunities I’ve been given here have been more than in the last two years of my career.”
Strategy & Future
As for the future, like most, McKeon and the firm are looking ahead at AI and aren’t afraid to do so. “Our mindset is way ahead,” begins McKeon, “nobody knows where this is going to go but I feel really good that we are ahead of the curve.” In practice, this means teaching associates how to use beta products for clients and developing an internal AI and knowledge management team to tackle the evolving technology head-on.
Otherwise, McKeon stresses that the strategy for Morgan Lewis remains the same, in that it wants to be a place which attracts associates who share its values and goals. “When you make this a purely monetary transaction you are driving the wrong behavior,” McKeon explains, detailing what the firm hopes to offer its juniors: “We want our associates to feel like they are a long-term investment. It’s a marathon not a sprint.”
Read more from our conversation with Jami McKeon under the ‘Get Hired’ tab.
Summer Program
- 118
- Summer Places
When it came to the summer program, sources declared: “It’s the best summer experience you could ask for!” Enough said? Perhaps to give a bit more color to that praise, juniors relished the chance to try their hands at a variety of different work areas which helped to “affirm my beliefs of what I wanted to do.” Events were plenty, with associates pointing out that the firm is eager to listen to what the summers were interested in doing. “There were multiple events a week focused on socializing and networking with each other and the firm,” one source revealed, “they did a really good job with it.”
The Work
For work allocation, the firm operates a hybrid model between centralized staffing and free market with a slight preference for the former. “It’s a centralized system that works, and I have the benefit of comparing it to other firms,” one lateraled associate informed us, “they want to make sure the work is evenly divided and they do that well.” Free market appointments still occur, but juniors were relieved that this wasn’t the primary mode of allocation: “free market can be a lot about bias, it’s who you like.”
The work buckets in the litigation practice are diverse and can include general litigation, white-collar work, data privacy, securities, corporate governance and more. “I’m not funneled down a particular path,” one insider informed us, “you can declare if you have a specific kind of work in mind you’d like to do, or you can try out some options.” Clients will often be big financial institutions as well as healthcare and public companies involved in shareholder disputes. We heard there was a lot of global work on offer as well as cross-office collaboration. Work breakdowns may involve business disputes, arbitrations, mediations, and policy work. Juniors observed that as they are “lower on the pecking order” tasks can involve a lot of document review and legal research. Your enjoyment of either may vary but one insider seemed especially keen on the latter as “it feels like my job is to find that one needle in the haystack which is great.” Other tasks include drafting motions to dismiss, analysis, and building legal arguments. “That can be really fun to do because no idea is a bad idea, and you really feel part of the team,” one associate said. Ultimately, sources felt the breadth of their work and experience was a huge positive, “there’s a lot of substantive responsibility, sometimes on the smaller cases you’re running the whole thing with a partner!”
Litigation clients: Vanguard Group, Haleon, Covance, Fidelity National Information Services. The firm represented Phoenix American Financial Services, an investment funds administrative services provider, in an investor putative class action matter.
Over in the corporate group, juniors spoke of the variety in-store for them as they “buy and sell businesses all over the world.” While our sources explained that the group was advertised as middle-market M&A, the reality is far more expansive. “I’ve seen everything from a small deal at $20 million to a deal as big as $1 billion,” one insider recalled, “it’s some of the most sophisticated transactions I’ve ever seen.” Naturally, this trickles down into a wide variety of clients as well, ranging from “mom and pop shops out of the Northeast, to some of the biggest household names we all know and love.” Our sources noted there is a great deal of scope to pick up substantial assignments and get stuck in with qualitative work. Typical tasks include due diligence, preparing checklists, signature packets, drafting memos, marking up principal documents, handling post closings, and client contact. “Morgan Lewis staffs really leanly I’ve found,” one junior was happy to report, “they give me new opportunities to grow, and I love the responsibility I’ve been given so far.”
Corporate clients: Howard Huges Holdings, Arteza, Eureka Capital Partners, MEI Pharma. The firm recently acted for Grover Gaming in the company’s sale of its charitable gaming assets to Light & Wonder Inc.
Career Development
Whether you’re an incoming first year associate or a lateral hire, Morgan Lewis is focused on giving everyone an equal footing when it comes to training. “It’s part of the reason I came here,” one lateral divulged, “there’s a New Lawyers Academy for everyone coming into the firm that’s been really helpful.” For laterals, we heard this was especially useful to “get me up to speed and integrate me quickly.” Otherwise, juniors are exposed to a variety of formal and informal trainings, so much so that some insiders reported that “I don’t have time to attend it all” but “what I do attend has been all-star stuff.”
More specifically, interviewees recalled “cutting edge sessions” on AI training, deal work, and networking. Each junior is assigned an associate and partner mentor who “have been there every step of the way” and who “never seem too burned out to give some feedback or advice.” The firm is also keen to invite incoming associates to practice group events long before they join to get a head start on networking and settling in. As for partnership, sources praised that “you always know where you stand at the firm” and it’s quite common to see lifers here, only bolstering our interviewees confidence that it was an attainable goal.
Culture
Juniors were pleasantly surprised by how warm and kind a BigLaw firm could be, citing that, “I was waiting for the other shoe to drop for over six months, but it never did!” Instead, Morgan Lewis fosters an environment of “friendly, supportive, and collaborative peers.” Associates are expected in the office three days a week, which interviewees pointed to as one of the many reasons it’s easy to make friends at the firm. In smaller offices around the country insiders spoke of “getting to know everyone on a deeper level.”
“I was waiting for the other shoe to drop for over six months, but it never did!”
Each office has its own specific array of social engagements. The Philadelphia office, for example, has a large reception lounge on the top floor of the building for networking events and such, “the building is brand new and has everything you can possibly imagine.” Other offerings include traditional holiday parties and happy hours to keep everyone at the firm connected and involved. After-office shindigs are also common, with one junior highlighting that “some partners throw things at their houses as well which is exciting.” It’s not all fun and games though as our insiders were adamant to point out that one other attribute that bonds colleagues together is the seriousness in which they take their work: “You’ve got to care about that and really want to provide the best service you can for your client.”
Inclusion
McKeon does not mince words when it comes to the firm’s drive for an inclusive environment. “Diversity has become a dirty word because it’s been perverted by some into signifying lower quality,” McKeon begins, “to us, however, it has always signified that having a variety of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences will lead to a far more innovative and successful team.” This sentiment was shared by our interviewees who touted that “the firm is a great place to be for diverse voices to flourish.”
Affinity groups were present and include Veterans, First Generation Lawyers, Black Lawyers, Parent Lawyers, and more. The groups regularly throw events and panels to encourage networking within the firm. “When I was thinking about a New York corporate firm, I was not expecting this level of diversity,” one source admitted, “and that’s true here and across the firm.”
Hours & Compensation
- Undisclosed
- Billable Hours Requirement
Although 1,900 hours was the yearly target we kept hearing from our sources to become bonus eligible, our interviewees all spoke of aiming for 2,000 to keep in good standing and to “show that you’re fully staffed and utilized.” Not that our insiders seemed concerned by that figure as “I’ve had no issue hitting it, there’s no lack of work here,” but for those that do need a little more on their plate, we heard that “they reallocate work where necessary.” Within those 2,000 hours, pro bono work is unlimited for associates.
Hours varied, with work patterns forming around those who have families and other commitments being more likely to log off early but then logging back on again in the evening. “Most standard days look like 9am-7pm,” one insider reported. Both the salary and bonus are lockstep with the industry. On compensation, one frank junior put it plainly: “It’s more money than I need, we’re not left wanting!”
Pro Bono
- 93,970
- Total Us Pro Bono Hours
- 50
- Average Pro Bono Hours Per Attorney
At Morgan Lewis, pro bono is “no joke” and that is demonstrated by the firm’s 20-hour pro bono minimum requirement with no maximum in sight for billable work. Once associates hit that 20-hour minimum, they are awarded with a sticker that they can proudly display to show they’re part of the positive pro bono push. “You’re encouraged to do any work you want,” one junior reveled, “there’s never too much here!” In terms of the work on offer, the firm engages in immigration work, refugee clinics, citizenship cases, housing, and veterans matters. “There’s a heavy humanitarian focus here,” one source revealed, “they’re really serious about it and it’s at the center of our values.” Interviewees also highlighted that the firm is more than open to juniors bringing in their own pro bono clients and are supportive of associates fostering their own relationships where applicable.
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Top Figures
- Washington D.C.
- Largest US Office
- Undisclosed
- Revenue (£m)
- $225,000
- 1st Year Salary
- 29
- Partners Made
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