Morrison Foerster

About the firm

1980s films often featured predictions of future technological advancements: think RoboCop and his biometric data scanning, or Marty McFly taking video calls from his living room… Both were once just ideas, but fast forward to today and they’re part of our everyday lives.

Technological predictions aside, few know the ins and outs of how big tech works quite like Morrison Foerster (MoFo to friends) does, advising a whole roster of tech giants like Apple and SoftBank. As one trainee made clear, “My interest is in tech, and MoFo is one of the best in the business.”

“My interest is in tech, and MoFo is one of the best in the business.”

Indeed, the firm’s got tech expertise in swathes: our colleagues over at Chambers Global give the firm tips of the hat for its multi-jurisdictional data protection, intellectual property and TMT work, while those over at Chambers UK shine a spotlight on its information technology & outsourcing know-how. Nevertheless, tech’s certainly not all the firm has to show for itself. MoFo bags a further two Chambers UK rankings for its corporate crime & investigations and debt capital markets benches, while across the pond, it snags a whopping 76 Chambers USA department rankings.

Partner Trevor James doubles down on this: “When people hear about our firm they think of technology, which is great but that’s not all that we do. There are a lot of other significant practices in our firm that you may not associate with tech as you normally see it but are linked because of the way the world is moving; today tech grabs everything, and even the food that you eat sees technology involved somewhere in its growth, manufacture or distribution.” Certainly some food for thought.

Why trainees joined the firm

Lean teams with high-quality work

Trainees were drawn to the firm’s leaner teams. As one put it, “I liked the fact that they had a small trainee intake and did big-ticket deals; their clients are also high profile which was attractive!” with another adding, “The smaller cohorts mean hands-on experience and great exposure to deals.”

International outlook with close teams

Trainees were drawn to the firm’s international outlook and impressive client base in conjunction with a more close-knit culture: “It has a family feel while being a global firm; you can know everyone but also work on great deals.”

Strong culture

“The firm’s got a fantastic culture,” noted an interviewee: “Everyone is extremely inclusive and friendly; the firm prides itself on hiring people like that.” What’s more, trainees were keen to highlight this was uniform across senior levels, too: “I’ve worked with a number of partners directly; it’s very non-hierarchical. People give you grace and responsibility.”

Trainee satisfaction rankings

Training contract structure

Seat allocation

Trainees are assigned their first seat based on their CV and any previous experience they’ve had. For subsequent seats, trainees rank their top four preferences and write a short summary of why they’d like each seat. The firm then considers these preferences alongside business need and assigns seats accordingly. There are also options to complete split seats, which see a trainee sit between two departments for a rotation. The firm encourages trainees to gain a mix of experience across both transactional and litigious seats.

Client secondments

“We have quite a few,” trainees noted of the client secondments available at the firm. In fact, “during almost every seat there’s been someone on a client secondment,” they added.

International secondments

The firm offers international secondments to the Brussels office, though they’re not offered on a regular basis. “We do have the option, but it’s based on business need,” noted one interviewee: “Some months it’s available, and others it’s not.”

Seat experiences

Trainee life

Culture and environment

Data from our annual trainee survey

“American firms get a bad rep for being harsh and cut-throat, but the people I have met are not like that,” one interviewee made clear, highlighting the firm’s supportive culture. As one source put it, “you’re expected to work hard”, but trainees emphasised that doesn’t get in the way of a positive environment.

If you’re looking for a “swanky, high-spec” office, you may just be reading the right feature. To make maximum use of the premium space at The Scalpel, trainees noted the firm has a lot of in-office events: “There’s always something going on, and as a trainee, you’re always invited.” The one qualm some insiders had was the lack of a canteen, though they were keen to note the fridges were always fully stocked!

Working patterns

Data from our annual trainee survey

The firm has a three-day in-office requirement, though sources noted that there is sometimes the expectation to come in on additional days when training sessions are scheduled. With regard to working hours, sources noted that there can be some longer shifts. “Some days are busier and later than others,” said one, adding that there are occasions where trainees may have to log back on at home later in the evening: “Sometimes you just have to do that for an hour or two.”

“It’s part of what you signed up for, but on the whole people are good at making sure you’re managing and not overworked.”

These longer hours came as no surprise to our interviewees though, who noted, “It’s a top US law firm: you will have a lot of work. It’s part of what you signed up for, but on the whole people are good at making sure you’re managing and not overworked.”

Pay

Data provided by firm and our annual trainee survey

Interviewees had no complaints when it came to matters of compensation. As one insider pointed out, “It’s one of the best in the market!” The caveat, as one trainee noted, is “obviously the hours are tough”, but there was solace to be found in the fact that they “don’t have to work every weekend”.

Supervision and training

Data from our annual trainee survey

“A training contract is like starting a new job every six months,” said one junior, pointing to the six-month rotations across departments. Thankfully, though, according to trainees, supervisors are on hand to make the transition as smooth as possible: “They are willing to help and are understanding that it’s new to us; they understand that things are different and you might need guidance.”

“You get the responsibility and volume of work that is advertised when you apply to US firms with lean teams.”

Alongside praise for the support they received, trainees were also big fans of the substantive nature of their work: “You get the responsibility and volume of work that is advertised when you apply to US firms with lean teams.”

James adds to this, noting that what trainees “don’t do is spend a whole day photocopying or proofreading as there’s technology to help with that”. Instead, he notes, “What they’re required to do is, firstly, get an understanding of the transaction or case they’re working on, as you can’t advise the client unless you understand the subject matter and industry.”

Inclusion

Trainees had nothing but praise for the firm’s inclusion efforts. As one stated, “That’s one thing no one would ever doubt MoFo for; it’s really focused on equality and inclusion.” The firm has a number of policies, schemes and affinity networks, including MoFo Proud, MoFo Women, MoFo Together and MoFo Access, to name a few.

Sources noted that this ethos of inclusion is shared throughout the firm: “When you speak to partners, they really are wanting to improve the diversity of thought.”

Pro bono & CSR

“Pro bono is really big for MoFo; it’s something that attracted me to the firm in the first place,” one interviewee headlined. The firm encourages all trainees and solicitors to complete at least 25 hours of pro bono work each year; in fact, “for trainees, they encourage you to take on as much as you can!” an insider noted.

Opportunities include:

• Legal clinics

• Rehabilitation for prisoners

• Assisting individuals with accessing/receiving benefits

• Not Beyond Redemption (free family law advice and representation for mothers in prison)

• Z2K (anti-poverty charity)

Qualification

A list of NQ job roles is released two months into trainees’ final seats, and second-years are invited to apply to two roles. The application involves a 500-word statement explaining why they want to join that particular team; the rest of the process varies depending on the department. Departments which receive more interest will typically have a formal interview and, in some cases, a test, whereas other practices may only require an informal interview.

MoFo FoMo…

If you have a competitive streak, you won’t want to miss out: MoFo has an inter-office pro bono competition called the MoFo Pro Bono Pentathlon, with winners taking home the coveted ‘Lady Justice’ trophy. “Everyone goes crazy and gets incredibly competitive!” James highlights.