Heller Ehrman Reviews

Pros

Staff retention programs, friendly team atmosphere

Cons

Sudden dissolution was unexpected and poorly handled

Advice to Senior Management

na/

Pros

Relatively early in court and on the ground experience. Very open with information and tolerant of associate complaints. Pay scale good.

Cons

Long hours, and not many trial opportunities. Dissolving and then going bankrupt and not paying claims. Too much focus on IP.

Advice to Senior Management

Don't leverage too much debt so that when the bank calls your loans because too many partners have left, you have to dissolve and lay everyone off.

Pros

The associates are generally very intelligent, interesting and fun, and the partners are generally human; however, it doesn't take more than a few who aren't to ruin your life, and there are certainly more than enough of those too.

Cons

Top-level management seems to be totally clueless about what the firm really is, or if they aren't, associates don't know it. Talk of a merger has dragged morale down for a long time. The firm markets itself as a good work-life balance type of place and that's true to some extent, but if your department is busy, it's probably no different than any other firm in the city.

Advice to Senior Management

There are a few things that need improvement, fast: (1) defining what the firm is and where it is going to excel and sharing that with the associates, (2) institutionalizing knowledge, and (3) ensuring that partners actually care that their associates have other stuff going on, at least sometimes.

Pros

Heller has a good IT Department and uses and develops technology wisely. The technology is used uniformly throughout all offices. There are many talented people and collaboration is good among peers.

Cons

Merger rumors and a considerable shareholder exodus has created a very depressed environment. Many people are looking for positions outside the firm as a result of considerable uncertainty. Lots of turnovers in mid-level management in some departments has left wide gaps in experience and ability. The old Heller culture is nowhere to be found.

Advice to Senior Management

The lack of feeling respected and valued by staff is rampant. The recent assurances sound hollow and insincere.

Pros

Heller Ehrman is a well known firm with 35 practice areas. The associates and shareholders are paid well. It is conveniently located in the financial district of San Francisco. The benefits are good including medical, dental, vision, 401(k), free coffee, etc. Some departments have a relaxed dress code; wearing jeans to work is great!

Cons

There is a severe lack of communication between management and professional staff. Promotions are hard to come by unless you have been at the firm for years. There is definitely a sense of the old boys club. Professional staff is not paid up to market standards and they are not recognized for the efforts they put in.

Advice to Senior Management

Communicate more with the firm rather than bs marketing meetings. Recognize that professional staff keeps the firm running.

Pros

The Menlo Park office is beautiful. When there isn't a filing, the hours are flexible and time off is permitted whenever you would like it as long as your team isn't facing a deadline.

Cons

The senior management is very snooty. I thought that the attorneys looked down on the support staff. Paralegals definitely take a backseat to the secretaries, who are treated like princesses. There is a lot of gossip, and I mean a lot!!!!

Advice to Senior Management

Be more understanding of your employees. They are people, just like you. Just because you are management does not make you better than anyone else. The attitude that exists there is unbelievable.

Pros

Benefits, 401k, holiday party, GLBT friendly

Cons

Difficulty in communicating throughout firm, too many different people who you have too seek out to get things done, negligible bonus, you can feel totally neglected/ignored by people around you, shareholders are often indifferent to people and often seem offended by the slightest hesitation

Advice to Senior Management

Please pay more attention to staff, look more carefully at people besides numbers or whatnot because there are quite a few people who do nothing at all and are still getting paid when good workers are getting let go.

Pros

It is one of the oldest and most prestegious firms in San Francisco. There is a huge recruitment on college campus' for new associates, however nothing for the admin staff.

Cons

Management doesn't seem to look out for their employees, nor care for their happiness in the workplace. People were promoted based on "sucking up" rather than for their work performance.

Advice to Senior Management

Pay attention to the administrative side of the house or else your firm will continue to slide. You senior managers have no idea what they are doing for the most part, and none of the attornies seem to care, or can do nothing about it.