Dechert Reviews

Pros

Middle management was extremely approachable and was much more mentor than dictator. Overall a very friendly work environment. Relatively strong communication between departments, though dealing with lawyers could be frustrating at times.

Cons

Almost no growth potential. Severe job cuts during tenure led to somewhat more hostile and tense work environment as retained employees fretted about job security while shouldering heavier work burdens.

Advice to Senior Management

Operations is by no means the main function of the business, but if you want the back-end employees to be happy, you must incentivize them with something more than a mediocre paycheck. Company outings, bonuses, and most importantly promotion opportunities would foster a more productive work environment.

Pros

Solid company
My manager takes the time to teach me as much as possible
Great exposure to multifaceted international accounting

Cons

Bonuses and advancement opportunities tend to go to those that are favorites of management
Pay is below average
Management makes excuses for advancement and increases for admin positions

Advice to Senior Management

Employees could use a moral boost - It is hard to keep a positive attitude when so many employees are disgruntled. Opportunites should be fair.

Pros

The support staff can really be great and I have been lucky enough to make some very long lasting friendships. The upper eschelons of the staff structure are a mixed bag though.

Cons

Everything is hidden and not transparent whatsoever, leading everyone to be ultra secretive about everything unnecessarily. Upper management only cares about themselves and play a grovelling game to heads of infrastructure. It's a sick depressing place to be right now.

Advice to Senior Management

Change radically. The system that is currently in place is not only obsolete, but classist and unfair. Everyone is miserable. The attitude "don't let the door hit you on the way out" is a disgusting way to conduct business.

Pros

TGIT is a nice touch, most junior people who work there have good intentions. Office is very nicely designed, everything is new.

Cons

being laid off by a poorly run firm, who raised their rates to a top 5 firm while not providing commiserate service.

Advice to Senior Management

being laid off by a poorly run firm, who raised their rates to a top 5 firm while not providing commiserate service.

Pros

Great flexibility and work community with good leadership opportunities

Cons

Long hours, but standard for the industry

Advice to Senior Management

N/A

Pros

Friendly staff. Intelligent and knowledgeable secretaries and paralegals. Nice office building in good location. Managing Partner treats employees with respect.

Cons

Poor support from corporate. Lack of consistency across offices. The bottom line seems to be more important than the employees.

Advice to Senior Management

Be upfront and honest with employees. Create standard practices across the offices. Hire knowledgeable managers who have something to teach their employees.

Pros

Firm offers competitive salary levels.

Cons

Input from remote offices is often disregarded. Too much emphasis is put on who will blindly follow orders without question vs. who is capable, knowledgeable and willing to contribute in their area of expertise.

Advice to Senior Management

Administratively - hold long term employees responsible for their actions or lack thereof and listen to advise from remote offices.

Pros

The staff, especially the old timers who have been at Dechert for decades and want to pass the baton of knowledge to new employees.

Cons

The attorneys receive very little substantive training and, more often than not, are conceited. If you are not an attorney, do not assume you will be treated decently as a human being. If you are lower on the hierarchy, your recommendations will not be listened to. Even if you've done the task at hand a million times and it's your boss' first time doing it.

For example, it took 1 senior attorney, 1 junior attorney, a paralegal working overtime AND a night time secretary working overtime to send out five (5) packages for shareholder approval. When the paralegal and secretary made suggestions on how to manage the logistics, they were dismissed. The paralegal had managed shareholder mailings with hundreds of shareholders before.

Most attorneys forget that staff is there to support them. That's staff's job - we don't want to be attorneys. We want to contribute to the work and not mistreated because attorneys assume they're the smartest people in the room.

Advice to Senior Management

Dechert took management out of the hands of supervisors who were on the ground and doing the work on a day-to-day basis. The new management doesn't necessarily have working knowledge of what is going on and are all the more power hungry because they're insecure about their lack of knowledge.

It might save money, but it's not very productive.

Pros

The coworkers are great. It's not difficult to cultivate strong working relationships here because most of the employees have respect for one another. There are opportunities to make networking contacts. There are some fun perks to the job, such as event tickets. And, the firm does a nice job with hosting events like the Christmas party. The firm also sponsors a softball team that competes in the New York Lawyers League, which is a great way to bond with other employees with whom you wouldn't normally come into contact. The location of the New York office is very convenient. I would consider the IT department a strong suit for the firm. They are always available, and very knowledgeable. They keep the office up and running.

Cons

The firm seems to be more concerned with recruiting people that went to top schools rather than recruiting solid employees who would contribute to a healthy organizational culture. Some of the partners and associates think nothing of their disrespectful treatment of other employees.
The management leaves a lot to be desired. I have more education than my direct supervisor, who also possesses absolutely no communication skills. Complaints about working relationships are only taken seriously when the offending party is low on the totem pole, and bad behavior is tolerated by those with seniority and partnership. There is plenty of training offered and required for legal support staff, but none for attorneys unless they request it. The culture here could be greatly improved if everyone at the firm were all on the same page when it comes to simple things like document production.

Advice to Senior Management

Get rid of the secretarial supervisors. Let current secretaries meet with potential candidates and listen to their feedback before making a hiring decision. When you ask for feedback with regard to issues with the job/firm/teams, LISTEN. Require all employees to attend technical workshops. Offer and require attendance at workshops focused on treating all employees, regardless of job title, with respect. When there are complaints about associates and partners, take the complaints seriously, and take active steps to correct the problems. You will have happier employees, a more productive work force, and a better office environment.