Bingham McCutchen Reviews

Pros

Extremely happy with position, compensation, benefits and overall work environment. Huge commitment by Sr. Managment to foster healthy, family-friendly working environment.

Cons

Difficult to advance beyond present position. A little top heavy with respect to Sr. and Regional Management. Questionable leadership qualities among some managment/leaders.

Advice to Senior Management

Every company has their positive and negative points. Perhaps just the nature of big business. Clearly their is a commitment here at BM to ensure the positives far outweigh the negatives. Very difficult to consider moving on with such a strong leadership from the top. Only wish middle management completely fell in line and bought into J-Zim's principles.

Pros

Great benefits relative to other big law firms. Competitive salary. Interesting mix of coworkers. Beautiful office space and good technology.

Cons

Upper management is fat with examples of Peter Principle. Creativity and independent thought are not rewarded. Opportunities for advancement are limited unless you are in Boston and/or a former associate now in a management role. Too many unqualified followers at the top.

Advice to Senior Management

Get rid of the sycophants. Recognize that dissent does not mean disloyal. Allow strong, intelligent employees to have access to the same opportunities you give to unqualified former associates and paralegals playing at director roles.

Pros

This is a great place to work. People are interactive, information sharing & helpful. I think it takes a great employee to get hired. I am proud to be one of them. Benefits are top notch.

Cons

Raises I think use to be good. However, over the last two years, they stunk. To get more pay, you have to leave.

Advice to Senior Management

do a salary review and adjust.

Pros

this is the best place to work...great people and managers

Cons

there are no cons that i can think of?

Advice to Senior Management

work hard and try harder

Pros

Great, smart people. Pretty easy-going for a big law firm. The clients are high profile and you will get exposure to interesting cases. Pro bono possibilities are legit.

Cons

Bingham Palo Alto has a problem as a satellite office. They do not bring in their own work and tend to rely on SF for cases. No problem for a junior associate, but problematic as you need meatier assignments to develop as a senior associate and position yourself for partnership.

Advice to Senior Management

Do more to develop the careers of associates in satellite offices or else be more honest with them about long-term prospects. Consider putting together a more robust placement program to send those associates in-house.

Pros

The partners are people, and they treat associates and staff with respect. I have friends and work at other places and they don't have nearly as much fun.

Cons

Like all other big firms the hours are killer. But the partners tend to not give you assignments where you have to work on the weekend, unless its absolutely necessary.

Advice to Senior Management

I would suggest to the extent possible to let people know about the various factors that go into making decisions. I think most of the people that complain tend to not understand how business opperate.

Pros

Good compensation and benefits. Chique Park Avenue address. Associates are very nice and down to earth, good camaraderie among associates. Chances to get client contact much earlier than usual (depending on practice group).

Cons

Competency of management depends on practice group. Management (partners) is stuck in old-school law firm work/life expectancy.

Wants to be a market leader, but is really just a follower in terms of setting the lives of associates.

Advice to Senior Management

Different generations want different things. Don't beat on people in a bad economy, we don't forget. There should be management policies across practice groups to ensure all associates have a similar experience.

Pros

Interesting work, especially pro bono opportunities.

Cons

Long hours, last minute assignment, but that is the life of an associate.

Advice to Senior Management

Encourage more opportunities for feedback

Pros

A Boston based law firm that is a well recognized law firm that is continually making acquisitions and expanding nationally and globally. All the staff and management within the support community of Bingham are very friendly and approachable. Management creates a nice environment and during every holiday employees are encouraged to leave early to get a jump start to their weekend holiday. Employees are encouraged to communicate their ideas to management so that things can be run more smoothly and more efficient. There are activities that people can choose to participate with members of Bingham such as basketball or hockey.

Cons

There is very little contact with some of the lawyers especially the partners as they are often very busy and working more than 60+ hours a week.

Advice to Senior Management

Management within the records department always did a good job in keeping up with the status of its workers. Whenever they went on a business trip or was on vacation they would always bring something back to share with all the workers.