Alston & Bird Reviews

Pros

Alston provides associates with plenty of opportunities for early experience. They trust their associates and reward good work with additional responsibility. The pay is a bit less than market for the work required.

Cons

Alston works their associates like a NY firm, but still has a pay structure of a "lifestyle" firm. The opportunities for advancement are not always clearly communicated.

Advice to Senior Management

The firm needs to more clearly communicate advancement possibilities and needs more transparency in hiring and salary decisions. Also, if the expectation is to work NY hours, the pay should match NY.

Pros

Very competent attorneys throughout the firm, and lots of fine people -- outside of senior management.

Cons

The place is run for the benefit of the managing partner, the partners committee, and a small number of equity partners. Everyone else is there to make them money.

Advice to Senior Management

Pay more attention to attorney retention and less to getting to that $1 million per equity partner number.

Pros

People are generally nice and there is an onsite daycare center in Atlanta.

Cons

Work/life balance does not exist. Staff/secretaries are less than competent.

Advice to Senior Management

Stop focusing on Fortune 100 Best Places to Work for staff and make it Best Place to Work for associates.

Pros

Money is the best reason to work there

Cons

There is no job security

Advice to Senior Management

None

Pros

$$$; nice office; respected law firm.

Cons

Long hours; sweat shop; support staff not competent.

Advice to Senior Management

Work life balance not good.

Pros

Decent salary (at least in NYC office) and benefits (though they are trending toward the less generous).

Cons

Southern inferiority complex manifested in constant self-promotion exercises. HR and admin. staff have standing and authority out of all proportion to their value. Inordinate amount of staff time/energy wasted on Mickey Mouse HR exercises. Staff constantly bombarded with primitive industrial psychology babble from HR and admin staff. The weak-minded thrive. The independent-minded go underground or depart.

Advice to Senior Management

De-fang HR, or at least dial back their ridiculous dogma. Invert current emphasis on form over substance.

Pros

Great people; best firm in Atlanta
Sophisticated work for Southeast

Cons

Cons are true across all of biglaw - no work/life balance
Harder to move up the ladder and make partner

Advice to Senior Management

Rethink the business of practicing law - the world is changing!

Pros

Good benefits and salary pakcages

Cons

Good work and good people

Advice to Senior Management

Keep up the good work

Pros

Great benefits package. On-site child care for staff in Atlanta. Reasonable job security in this perilous economic time. Company is adverse to lay offs, they will try to move an employee to a new role instead.

Cons

Compensation was substandard in relation to other AMLAW 100 firms. Salaries were also lower then other industries. Staff employees can expect to be treated as second class employees.

Advice to Senior Management

Stop focusing on your ranking in the Fortune 100 best jobs in America and focus on the needs and welfare of your employees.

Pros

Good benefits, cookies on Friday, events for holidays. The attorneys themselves are very nice, helpful, accommodating if needed.

Cons

HR has no regard for the staff, unless you are an attorney. There were a few attorneys that who did obscene things and HR looks the other way. The starting pay is lousy compared to other large firms.

Advice to Senior Management

HR has no regard for the staff, unless you are an attorney