Morrison & Foerster Reviews

Pros

One of the best reasons to work at Morrison & Foerster is the quality of people you work with. The staff is very nice and on occasion the attorneys will even speak to you on the elevator(HAHA). They have a variety of activities that appeal to the staff and are always offering opportunities to learn something new.

Cons

There is very little room for growth. As a matter of fact, I do not think that leadership is encouraged or valued. They (supervisors) want you to take responsibility for your work and want you to demonstrate leadership and forward thinking, however they are not rewarders. The merit increases are very small and promotions are few and far between.

Advice to Senior Management

Offer more opportunities for leadership and then pay appropriately. It is ludicrous to offer such a paltry pay increase for a floor coordinator position. Why would someone want to take on such a huge responsibility for such a little amount. No incentive there. Also, treat your secretarial staff with as much respect as you do a partner. We are all in this together! But maybe not...

Pros

(1) The pay is very good and more than makes up for the long hours you need to put in. Those who work for the top tier firms might not necessary agree, but you get paid very well for what you do. Some are not happy with the way in which bonus scheme operates, but in the overall scheme of things, you are lucky to be paid what they pay!

(2) Despite being a small office of a large US firm, it manages to be more than a mere 'satellite office'. If you are willing to put in the hours, there are opportunities to get your hands dirty on good interesting work early on in your career, including the opportunities to work with clients/colleagues from outside the UK. If you are a motivated self-starter, you will go far in this place (but like any other competitive workplace, this is not a place for those who prefer to be spoon-fed).

(3) Generally speaking people are friendly, laid back, easy-going, and approachable. There are the odd difficult personalities, but on the whole, nice people to work with, from the IT/facilities staff up to partners.

Cons

(1) Career prospects for Associate at mid/senior level is very limited. After all, you need to have a business case to be 'made up', which can be difficult to establish as a member of a small London office of a large US firm.

(2) This might vary depending on which department you are in, but partners don't seem to be very good at mentoring or succession planning. At least as I perceived it, there was a lack of willingness on the part of partners (and perhaps to an extent the Associates) to engage in career development of Associates.

(3) Over the past few years, the London office has lost some of the nice, cozy small office feel it had. The way in which people's loyalty is rewarded can be a touch too "cold", even though it is a business decision.

(4) The relatively high charge-out rate means that the sort of "bread and butter" work you need to do as a junior/mid-level Associate can be lacking (because the work will be won by 'cheaper' firms), especially in terms of exposure to end-to-end life cycle of deals.

Advice to Senior Management

Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant, as someone once said. Associates need to be better led, managed, and inspired.

Pros

You will work with very professional people. The compensation is very competitive as well. Promotion is a little difficult to obtain.

Cons

It is very hard to make a partner at the firm. If you are looking for a place to make partner, you have to rely on luck!

Advice to Senior Management

It is a very good place to work, with some truly amazing leaders in the field. Keep up the good work.

Pros

good name / great for the resume / good way to start out in the legal world

Cons

compensation is below market with what you are expected to handle. Dead weight 3rd tier folks and lack of training / movement. Impossible to climb the ladder - you'll still be on the last rung after 5-7 yrs unless you know the right folks. Seems like people are getting it better with change of management

Advice to Senior Management

appreciate your overworked IT staff and compensate them properly. Some of the brightest people in this company but you need to trim the dead weight and reward the good ones.

Pros

Great staff; some truly go out of their way for each other and have team spirit.
Convenient location can't be beat.
Decent salaries.

Cons

Mentoring is non-existent.
Review system is poor.
Bonuses/raises are unsatisfactory, especially when we're told the firm is doing well.

Advice to Senior Management

Partners should treat staff with respect. Staff should be properly compensated for working hard. Reviews should be given at least twice a year.

Pros

Prestige of working in one of the premier global law firms
Benefits are ok
Smart people among the staff
Conveniently located

Cons

Insincere senior managers and directors whose management style can be compared to dictators of 3rd world countries.
Unqualified management team who manages more towards perception.
Review process in soliciting feedback needs a closer look as people can pick and choose who can provide input in annual evaluation.
Perceived sliding scale in judging performance of staff that puts a burden on those who actually do pull their weight.

Advice to Senior Management

Honesty is a virtue that is easily overlooked. We are smarter than you give us credit for. If you pat us in the back for a job well done, do so with sincerity rather than rolling your eyes as soon as we turn around.

Pros

For those who work for power players things never seem to go south. It can certainly be a place where who you know matters. For those who think they're irreplaceable, think again. If it is possible for your duties to be absorbed by someone else then it will likely happen. If you learn to do too much of another person's job, watch out - if that person leaves you'll find yourself absorbing those duties, and without an increase in salary to go with the increase workload and responsibilities.

Cons

After working for over five years and advancing into a salaried position the firm recently converted a group of IT staff back to non-exempt status. They were generous by not cutting pay scales and now since we receive overtime we are making more money but it seems they are treated as persons of a lower stature now.

Advice to Senior Management

If management wants to hold people accountable for things those people need to have both responsibility and authority to enable them to do a good job. Management seems to skimp on outlays for improvements but the local support staff has to make do with what is available. Firm Management doesn't seem to want opinions from anyone below a certain level very often but if they do request it, it seems to be ignored.

Pros

The support staff is comprised of a good group of people. The friendships you make will last long after you leave.

Cons

Morrison and Foerster reported their "best year ever" in 2010. That being said, all attorneys, even new associates received great bonuses. The US staff review process just finished and raises and bonuses were horrible. The firm did not even provide a cost of living increase to it's support staff. Management tried to "Make people feel better" about the review process by saying things like "you are doing a great job." and "Keep this up and next year, you will get a good raise." A lot of talented staff has already started to look for new jobs. For a firm that prides itself on "client service" it's support staff is getting the shaft.

Pros

Benefits are great. Salary is average. Some fantastic people to work with and for.

Cons

Poor leadership of the upper management (SF managing partner and CEO). Lack of HR presence and supervision when lay off and/or firing are taking place. Unfair distribution of the work. Staff and associates are being treated poorly and unfairly. A good name to put on a resume, but not a place to stay for long term.

Advice to Senior Management

Value the people at every level, otherwise you will end up with people with lower skills and talents. Revisit your strategy on how to run a corporation (law firm). Why is Google so successful? Why do we have so many people wanted to work for Google? Learn.

Pros

Good benefits
Casual dress
Easy to work overtime

Cons

Management has become horrible
All about the numbers now, could care less about retaining talented staff or paralegals
Management is incompitent
Toxic atmosphere
Hostile enviroment.

Advice to Senior Management

Hey how about replacing someone after they leave the firm? The partnership is making a nice check, how about rewarding the staff for the 15% profit instead of looking for more ways to cut the staff.