Jones Day – “Tried the Rest, Settled for the Best”

Pros

The Firm is run in a very business-like manner. Every penny is accounted for, every t crossed and every i dotted. Everything is above board. No real skeletons in the closets. Firm culture appreciates and recognizes efforts made by staff and associates, not just partners. We are a team, a family and finally a firm. There is little to no us-them mentality commonly found at other medium and large firms.

As old-school as some things may seem at Jones Day, the Firm sets the standard for being progressive in the right ways (family leaves, domestic partner benefits, community commitments, to name a few). Benefits for staff members are second to none.

Cons

Trying to standardize things across the globe makes for some interesting decisions at times and slows execution of improved procedures. More systems are being implemented on-line, taking a little of the "cleveland" flavor away with it. Morale can be an issue in large companies -- Jones Day does what it can keep things on an even keel but it's not perfect. Issues with workloads, perceived favoritism, etc. can and do occur. Accounting for every penny, crossing every t and dotting every i can be monotonous at times. In some cases, it's probably time to reevaluate the cost effectiveness of these measures.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep up the old-fashioned, conservative business approach. We have seen a great deal of growth over the years even at this conservative clip. Though cumbersome at times, accounting for costs and stong management of our product (billed lawyer hours) is key to our financial viability and proves times and again to be the most successful means of keeping this 'family' safe and sound. Finally, deviating from this plan, we need to develop greater sensitivity with respect to alternative billing arranges, particularly when it comes to rates.