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3. Former law firm partner censured over sex…

Ethics

Former law firm partner censured over sex with associate and legal assistant, stay-quiet offers

By Debra Cassens Weiss

February 26, 2025, 8:55 am CST

A former partner at a Boise, Idaho, law firm has been publicly censured after he allegedly tried to entice an associate and a legal assistant to keep quiet about an incident in which he had sexual relations with them at the office.

The Idaho Supreme Court publicly censured Boise lawyer W. Dustin Charters in a Feb. 6 order, the Idaho Statesman recently reported.

The enticements involved money and a lightened workload, according to the public censure.

Charters was a mentor for the associate and supervised her work. She had joined the firm in August 2023, the month before the sexual incident, according to the censure order. The associate was 26 years old, and Charters was 37 years old, according to allegations cited by the Idaho Statesman.

Afterward, the order said, Charters offered compensation to both women if they did not report his conduct. He also offered to complete work for the associate that she could bill as her time and suggested that she falsely bill his completed work on a case as client development, according to the order.

Both women turned down the offers, and the associate did not falsely bill her time. They reported Charters’ conduct to the firm Sept. 26, 2023, three days after the incident, according to the allegations. Charters was fired two days later.

A stipulation in the case said Charters had no previous discipline and had acknowledged his misconduct, according to the Idaho Statesman. The stipulation also said he had received counseling and agreed to perform 100 hours of community service.

Charters did not immediately respond to the ABA Journal’s request for comment made in an email and a voicemail.

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3. 2 BigLaw firms flip-flop on associate special…

Lawyer Pay

2 BigLaw firms flip-flop on associate special bonuses, agreeing to pay market rate

By Debra Cassens Weiss

January 6, 2025, 3:48 pm CST

Hogan Lovells and Perkins Coie have decided to pay special bonuses at the market rate of $6,000 to $25,000 after associates were initially told that they wouldn’t receive the money as a matter of course.

The special bonuses will be paid in addition to year-end bonuses ranging from $20,000 for the class of 2023 to $115,000 for the most senior associates, report Law.com and Above the Law, which published the new bonus memos here.

“It’s not the first time a firm has changed its mind about associate bonuses,” Law.com reports, “and it likely won’t be the last. Backlash from associates, concerns from partners about losing key associate talent, and peer firm pressure are just some of the reasons why a firm may reverse a decision when it comes to associate bonuses, according to legal industry observers.”

Hogan Lovells initially said it wasn’t paying routine special bonuses but it would give additional money to associates who exceed minimum hours. Now, it will pay special bonuses “on top of the other associate bonuses awarded,” a spokesperson told Law.com. “This means that many of our associates who qualify for the hours-based bonuses can earn bonuses above the announced scale of many other top firms.”

The spokesperson told Law.com that Hogan Lovells decided to match the market rate for special bonuses “following discussions with associates, partners and other stakeholders. An important part of our culture as a firm is that we listen, and we have made this decision after careful consultation.”

A Perkins Coie spokesperson told Law.com that its decision “is consistent with our commitment to paying market-competitive compensation and reflects the firm’s strong financial performance this year.”

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3. Which law firms scored highest in summer…

Associates

Which law firms scored highest in summer associate surveys? And which had memorable events?

By Debra Cassens Weiss

September 27, 2024, 9:19 am CDT

The law firm with a No. 1 ranking by summer associates is either Dentons or Paul Hastings, according to surveys by Law.com and Law360 Pulse.

There was just one overlap in the top 10 rankings: Morgan, Lewis & Bockius was ranked third in both surveys. In fairness, however, the two rankings measured different criteria.

Summer associates were well-compensated, with average weekly pay of $4,543, according to the Law.com report on the American Lawyer survey. Associates also valued access to meaningful work and mentorship in their positions—even more than fun outings offered by the firms. Those kinds of positive experiences were also reported by associates responding to the Law360 Pulse survey.

But summer associates told of many memorable events. Summer associates responding to the American Lawyer’s survey reported parties on a yacht and in the Hamptons (Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton), an exclusive outing at the Central Park Zoo (Cravath, Swaine & Moore), an exclusive visit to the Museum of Modern Art (Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison), a trip to see Hamilton in orchestra seats (Simpson Thacher & Bartlett), visits to the Tony Awards and the NBA draft (Proskauer Rose), and tickets to a Dallas Mavericks game in conference finals (Weil, Gotshal & Manges). The Law360 Pulse survey also mentioned a trip to Disneyland.

There were also events with a personal touch, including a visit to see a partner’s cover band and a party at a partner’s home, according to Law.com. An event with an Olympics theme included baguette fencing and legal textbook shot put.

The American Lawyer’s survey of 3,077 associates at 71 firms asked associates to rate their satisfaction on a five-point scale.

The top 10 firms for associate satisfaction were:

1. Paul Hastings (rated by 37 respondents)

2. Clifford Chance (35 respondents)

3. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius (103 respondents)

4. Baker McKenzie (17 respondents)

5. Duane Morris (26 respondents)

6. A&O Shearman (55 respondents)

7. Fenwick & West (19 respondents)

8. Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft (13 respondents)

9. Proskauer Rose (58 respondents)

10. Blank Rome (24 respondents)

Law360 Pulse’s survey had responses from 583 summer associates. The publication ranked firms based on four program areas: confidence-building, networking and mentorship, compensation and fun programming. Firms without five respondents weren’t included.

Law360 Pulse’s top 10 firms were:

1. Dentons (rated by 5 respondents)

2. Norton Rose Fulbright (8 respondents)

3. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius (30 respondents)

4. Weil, Gotshal & Manges (53 respondents)

5. King & Spalding (22 respondents)

6. Eversheds Sutherland (14 respondents)

7. Holland & Knight (25 respondents)

8. DLA Piper (34 respondents)

9. Kirkland & Ellis (11 respondents)

10. Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton (34 respondents)

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3. These law firms are tops for midlevel associate…

Law Firms

These law firms are tops for midlevel associate satisfaction; how were their tech ratings?

By Debra Cassens Weiss

September 5, 2024, 12:02 pm CDT

BigLaw’s midlevel associates have spoken. The top law firm for midlevel associate satisfaction is O’Melveny & Myers, according to results from the American Lawyer’s 2024 Midlevel Associates Survey published by Law.com.

“We’re given a lot of autonomy over our assignments, which means we can take more ownership over the final product and our schedules,” said one O’Melveny associate whose comments were published in another Law.com article. “It’s also a ‘mature’ firm, in that everyone understands, expects, and respects the fact we have lives and obligations beyond the firm.”

O’Melveny was also near the top in the 2024 Midlevel Associate Tech Survey, receiving a No. 2 ranking, according to Law.com. Indeed, the five firms on top for overall associate satisfaction also had high technology ratings.

The satisfaction and tech surveys were sent to BigLaw associates in their third, fourth and fifth years at 72 firms.

The satisfaction rankings consider 12 factors, including compensation, training and guidance, relationships with colleagues, work satisfaction, billable-hours policies and management transparency.

The top five firms on the midlevel associate satisfaction list, along with their tech rankings, are:

1. O’Melveny & Myers, ranked No. 2 for tech
2. Blank Rome, ranked No. 1 for tech
3. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, ranked No. 3 for tech
4. McDermott Will & Emery, ranked No. 4 for tech
5. Proskauer Rose, ranked No. 20 for tech

The fifth-ranked firm for tech, Baker & Hostetler, was ranked No. 9 for overall associate satisfaction.

Steptoe was in last place for overall associate satisfaction, while Covington & Burling was ranked last for tech.

One Steptoe associate complained about a failure to set expectations and provide constructive feedback. Covington associates complained that its tech is “abysmal” and “is still quite poor for a firm of its size.”

Will Drake, Steptoe’s professional development committee co-chair, told Law.com in a statement that the firm is committed to “cultivating an environment where our associates can thrive.” The firm’s recent efforts included a summer associate retreat, focus groups, one-on-one sessions and a new talent team, he told the publication.

Covington did not respond to Law.com’s request for comment. One associate said the firm attributed its poor showing to a low response rate to the survey.

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3. Which BigLaw firms are increasing lateral…

Law Firms

Which BigLaw firms are increasing lateral associate hiring the most? One made legal headlines last year

By Debra Cassens Weiss

April 4, 2024, 11:24 am CDT

As a whole, BigLaw firms have reduced lateral hiring of associates over the last two years, a phenomenon documented in a report by the National Association for Law Placement.

But some high grossing law firms are bucking the trend, Reuters reports in a story that relies on data from legal data intelligence provider Leopard Solutions.

No. 1 for raw numbers in lateral associate hiring is Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, which had to grapple with the loss of 140 lawyers who left to start a new firm last year.

Lewis Brisbois hired 279 lateral associates in 2023, an “uncharacteristically high” number, the firm’s managing partner, Greg Katz, told Reuters columnist Jenna Greene in an email. The firm has also improved its management structure and is bringing on “top talent of every experience level,” Katz said.

Despite the new hires, Lewis Brisbois had 48 fewer associates at the end of 2023 than at the beginning, when there were 659 associates, according to Leopard Solutions, which collected its data from the websites of the nation’s 200 top grossing firms.

But the new firm made up of former Lewis Brisbois lawyers fared much worse. It imploded amid revelations that two of its leaders had sent offensive and derogatory office emails.

Other BigLaw firms increasing lateral associate hiring are Jackson Lewis (which hired 130 lateral associates last year) and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison (which hired 113 lateral associates in 2023).

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3. Flush with incoming associates, law firms…

Law Firms

Flush with incoming associates, law firms pulled back on 2024 summer associate hiring, rivaling Great Recession levels

By Debra Cassens Weiss

March 12, 2024, 12:22 pm CDT

Law firms that recruited law students in 2023 for summer associate programs in 2024 took a cautious approach, resulting in one of the softest recruiting seasons since the Great Recession, according to a report released Tuesday by the National Association for Law Placement.

The offer rate for summer 2024 programs for second-year law students was the lowest recorded since 2012, according to a March 12 press release and the NALP report, Perspectives on 2023 Law Student Recruiting.

Forty-six percent of callback interviews in 2023 resulted in offers for 2024 summer associate positions, a decline of 6 percentage points from 2022. The acceptance rate, on the other hand, was 47%, an increase of 6 percentage points from 2022 and the highest ever recorded by the NALP, indicating that students were receiving fewer competing offers.

The median number of offers extended by law offices to 2Ls for summer 2024 programs was seven offers, the lowest figure since the recruiting cycle for summer 2010 programs.

The softened market for 2024 summer associates follows a record number of 7,570 second-year law students participating in summer associate programs in 558 law offices last year. Among that number, 7,294 of the summers accepted associate offers.

“Recruited in the midst of the post-pandemic hiring surge, the total number of students participating in 2023 2L summer programs was the most ever recorded by NALP and resulted in over 1,100 more students receiving associate offers this year than in 2022,” the NALP report says. “Now facing the prospect of all these new lawyers flooding their offices in the fall, firms may have growing concerns about absorbing additional new talent if client demand does not increase to keep pace and they continue to carry excess capacity through 2024.”

The report also found that the traditional vehicle for hiring 2Ls—on-campus interviews—is declining as a recruiting strategy. Only 53% of summer associate offers for 2024 programs were made through this process.

“What the data suggests is that OCI is still a valuable recruiting tool,” said Nikia L. Gray, executive director of the NALP, in the press release, “but that firms are increasingly viewing it as a vehicle to ‘round out’ their summer programs after engaging in a vigorous round of pre-OCI recruiting to secure their ideal candidates.”