Fenwick & West Reviews

Current Employee – been working at Fenwick & West full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – Work Life Balance, Bay Area Location, Great Clients

Cons – Law Firm Atmosphere, Can be Long Hours Depending on Practice Group

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at Fenwick & West full-time for more than a year

Pros – Fenwick management is typically rather positive and encouraging. The pay is highly competitive, but the workplace atmosphere is more incusive than divisive. Fenwick employees work as a team to exceed client expectations and everyone seems to always be looking for ways to help the firm grow and succeed.

Cons – With the firm growing it seems there is a lack of space in the building causing some people to be put in small cubicles, but more spaces are being built to fix that.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Former Employee – worked at Fenwick & West full-time for more than a year

Pros – Very amiable and efficient work environment.

Cons – The division of departments within the office building could be improved.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Fenwick & West full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – I feel valued and supported by my management and team. I am quite happy with my compensation and the work I am doing is exciting and challenging. The culture here is very diverse and very unique. I really think this may be the best place that I have ever worked and its definitely not my first. Fenwick is committed to using cutting edge technology and doesn't skimp on technology resources for its employees. Event our onsite datacenter is world class and leed platinum certified.

Cons – We get moved around a lot. I guess we are running out of space here..

Advice to Senior Management – Stay calm and party on!

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at Fenwick & West

Pros – The people are fantastic. Everyone is kind and friendly, and even the most important partners take an interest in the associates. We also have really great tech clients and we are involved in some of the largest deals in the silicon valley.

Cons – Like every big law firm, the hours are very long, and you are "on-call" all the time. Since we are on number of clients/deals at any particular time, there is a lot of juggling involved.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Fenwick & West

Pros – Fenwick rocks. It's a fun, supportive, caring place. Regardless of your position, you are valued as a mamber of the team. Upper management values diversity, and people are allowed and encouraged to be themselves. People at this law firm don't take themselves too seriously. I've been at other law firms where partners slammed doors and swore at the staff. Here, that doesn't happen. The Chairman won't allow it. We also don't have a million policies and rules for everything. People are expected to do their best, and they are trusted and given the latitude to make decisions and take risks. There is a lot of reward for doing so. We celebrate our successes every year at what we call State of the Firm. It's two hours of skits and performances and it features a wide range of people in the firm, from all our offices (San Francisco, Boise, Seattle and Mountain View). It's a highlight of the year. I've been here 11 years and I can't imagine going anywhere else. The firm recently won the Alfred P. Sloan Award for Workplace Flexibility, and we always win the Best Places to Work Award. No one here is ever surprised.

Cons – Sometimes the onsite gym is crowded. And sometimes there isn't enough food at the Friday "Beer's Here" happy hours. Seriously, sometimes there is a lot of pressure. Working in a busy law firm, for clients who have very high expectations, can take its toll. But the people I work with are supportive and understanding, and we care about one another. We pitch in and help one another. When someone is having a hard time there are a dozen people who jump in to help him/her. There is some anxiety right now because of the economy, and many companies are having layoffs, but I think that's everywhere, not just at Fenwick.

Advice to Senior Management – Keep doing what you're doing to build the firm and keep it strong. Continue to communicate with employees throughout the firm so we can all work toward achieving Fenwick's strategic goals.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Fenwick & West full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – Room to learn, value employees. Good place to career.

Cons – Stuck in the same position, no room for advancement.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Fenwick & West

Pros – Fenwick is a great and fun place to work. Employees are treated fairly, pay and benefits are good. They are on the leading edge of business technology and always looking to improve. The workload can be heavy at times, but is well balanced.

Cons – One could almost say good to a fault... The employees tend to stick around a long time, so there may not be a ton of room for advancement fresh ideas coming in.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Fenwick & West

Pros – Interesting and unobjectionable clients.
Creativity and client service are valued over sheer quantity of hours worked.
Employer's attention to professional development, diversity, and need for life outside of work.

Cons – Like any firm this size, there are occasionally very busy periods that demand a lot of accommodation from employees' families.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Fenwick & West

Pros – My co-workers are very warm and caring people. I am open to ask questions to my managers and get suggestions/advice/answers. That is completely different from the last firm, question for a question that ended up making me feel stupid. The benefits of kitchen things like milk, half & half, coffee (Peets and Starbucks), sodas always a plus. Beautiful building with great views of Mountain View, CA.

Working for an amazing and inspiring legal firm in the bay area. You can learn a lot from management, the work that you are involved in, and be inspired by management skills. Big clients, internationally involved, very green, and great people to share ideas and learn from everyone.

Cons – No growth opportunity yet in my department.

Advice to Senior Management – Keep up the great work. I enjoyed my temp position and hope to be perm in the near future. Proud to work for Fenwick & West.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend