Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll Reviews

Pros

Processes have been updated so that the firm runs cohesively

Cons

No room for growth for administrative staff. Unfortunately, it's like that in most firms.

Advice to Senior Management

Look for ways to utilize the administrative staff more effectively. The firm has strong, smart people working for them.

Pros

Law firm bebefits are pretty good except you have pay a lot if you have a family. Computer systems are pretty good and so it the software training.

Cons

Bad management of support staff. Period. There is a lot of favoritism to the long term employees and they rely on them to spy on the new people. Management says that that you can come and speak with them with any problems but either the requests are ignored or they side with the long term employees. Company has paid maternity leave for attorneys and paralegals but not for the support staff which are mostly women. Benefits costs are extremely high for employees with familtes. OT is not paid until 40 hours, even though we work a 35 hour work week.

Advice to Senior Management

Treat support staff with respect and not make them scared to speak their minds against the long term employees.

Pros

Of the large firms in Philadelphia, few have as much heart as Ballard Spahr. If you want to work at a big firm in Philly, this is the place to be.

Cons

The downsides of working at Ballrd Spahr are no different than the downsides of working at any large firm. The demands are intense and do not allow for a reasonable work/life balance.

Advice to Senior Management

The only advice I would give to management is to increase the number of performance reviews per year so that employees actually have an opportunity to improve their prerformance before the end of the annual review period.

Pros

Terrific reputation among peers in the industry, leader in the field, prominent community participant. Benefits are pretty good, and their seemed to be a team approach to opportunities

Cons

Department head had no people skills and hired a sub-head that was erratic, undisciplined and unprofessional. Senior management failed to acknowledge the many signs of the department leadership's incompetence and instead allowed many talented contributors to the firm's advancement to seek more enjoyable working environments.

Advice to Senior Management

Be willing to acknowledge and correct hiring mistakes. Rather than grin and bear incompetence and complain about it within conference room walls, step in and correct the problem for the betterment of the firm.

Pros

Software and applications available to complete tasks are good. Benefits are the standard, but the firm could go over an above to attract higher caliber of employees.

Cons

Lack of communication, lack of problem solving by management, lack of team work attitude, lack of growth, extremely low morale and nothing being done to address or correct it, extremely high turnover rate, inconsistent. Seems like everyone shows up to collect a paycheck and doesn't care about work product or providing the best possible service. Those that do provide the best work product and service end up feeling neglected, undervalued, and leave the firm. All in all, the firm's environment needs to change. No tuition reimbursement or vision. No accountability for bad work product or errors.

Advice to Senior Management

Learn to treat your superstars well and solve problems.

Pros

Collegial, respectful atmosphere with top tier clients. Flexible in allowing unique contributions from all attorneys. National reach with local offices allows intensive engagement with local clients and national practice. Firm's business model is designed to retain associates and build them into partners.

Cons

Current top leadership has been unsteady with multiple mixed messages during the recent downturn. There is significant centralization of power and decision-making in Philadelphia, despite very successful offices all over the country. Top management does not seem to understand the rapid changes coming to the legal profession, and typical work conditions are not necessarily conducive to younger attorneys' work styles (though one-off arrangements are possible).

Advice to Senior Management

Decentralize decision-making to those who interact with clients and the local offices. Explain issues and conditions directly with the associates. They can handle the truth. And address the compressed salaries of associates - senior associates make a substantial sacrifice to stay at the firm compared with comparably high-profile firms.

Pros

It is a very employee friendly firm. The Los Angeles office is just over a year old. The relaxed atmosphere makes it a pleasant place to work. The management is very concerned about employee satisfaction. Full benefits are offered and employees get 20 days of vacation beginning the first year of employment. The employees also have a good support system in Philadelphia.

Cons

Some of the systems are not efficient: For example, two different timekeeping programs are being used. One of them is used by staff and is old and should be discarded. The other one, which is used by attorneys who enter their own time is the better one and should be the one used by everyone.

Advice to Senior Management

Streamline administrative procedures. At times it is not clear what process needs to be followed or what forms need to be completed.