Orrick Reviews

Pros

Orrick culture is very friendly and informal for a law firm. Everyone tends to maintain a sense of humor even in difficult situations. The senior attorneys are approachable and take time to talk to staff. They make deliberate efforts to involve junior staff and are willing to give you opportunities you may not get at other big firms. If you are very ambitious, there is room for growth.

Cons

The pace is exacting. Expect to work your ass off. Senior employees work very hard and you will be expected to match them.

Advice to Senior Management

More options for work/life balance. It's an all or nothing proposition.

Pros

Nice people. Good surroundings. Good coffee. Free parking. Interesting cases. Good dress code. Free CLE. Great IT department. Update computers with large screens

Cons

Too much in-breeding in direct supervisors. They choose favorites. They play power games and become intimidated if a doc review attorney out performs them, even if their perception is wrong. Management stunts grow of program and makes sure the reviewers with talent beyond the computer don't get asked back

Advice to Senior Management

Fire the staff that is running doc review. They have been there way too long and are entrenched. They decide if they like you and will allow you to stay. So you have to kiss up to the non attorney managers and the staff attorney leads. This does not promote based on merit but rather favoritism. Program has great potential. Just inept management.

Pros

Downtown, good location, secure building

Cons

Big firm (sometimes feel lost in the shuffle)

Advice to Senior Management

NA

Pros

Great place, great people, great reputation

Cons

Growing too fast, not sustainable

Pros

it paid well, it had decent benefits, it had many nice and decent people to work with, and there was almost always a way to make extra money working over time.

Cons

it did not have up to date hardware or software, it was hard to get equipment or other items when required, there was a lack of appreciation of the paralegal support staff.

Advice to Senior Management

Have a more merit based award system, treat the staff with more respect, balance work loads better, stop micromanagement and improve technology tools.

Pros

Emerging, attempt to be innovative

Cons

Cut throat environment. Non-supportive, lack of team.

Advice to Senior Management

Speak with rank and file. It is a different organization.

Pros

Orrick is comparable to other large law firms. If you have a busy practice you will be left alone.

Cons

The firm has had growing pains with its several acquisitions. Integration of those employees is often at the expense of the older, native employees. Orrick's new "talent model" means lower base compensation for all attorneys more senior than 6th years.

Advice to Senior Management

Review area office function and management.

Pros

Pay is still high, but doesn't match market anymore (we've been told that "we don't follow market").

Cons

Soul crushing. Partners and management feed the associates b.s., and then seem surprised when we see through it.

Advice to Senior Management

Don't treat associates as if they're stupid. We can do basic math, and know we're not being compensated at market levels. Stop spinning the new "talent model" as anything other than a cost-cutting measure.

Pros

The compensation, which is about 10% below market but still a very good living. Further, Orrick's top practice areas (including IP and white collar) are well respected and ensure high quality work and good resume appeal. There is little pressure for face time.

Cons

The hours can be brutal. Teams can be haphazardly run depending on the partners on charge of a particular case. There is quite a wide variation between teams.

Advice to Senior Management

Reign in on expansion and focus on developing talent in-house. I think that the recent economic setbacks the firm has encountered have been caused in part by the dramatic expansion over the last decade. This expansion has made it impossible to filter people effectively against Orrick's core values - a process that rightly takes years - and, I think, diminished the culture of the place. Ultimately, the firm will benefit more from investing in culture than in short term benefits to profits from lateral expansion.

Pros

The lawyers treat staff as respected and competent partners in the business. Functions such as Marketing, Communication, Information Technology, etc. attract talented people. The firm, and firm leadership, truly does have its heart in the right place. Diversity and work/life balance are important to the firm. Until the current economic crunch hit, the firm supported professional development at a significant level - hopefully that will happen again in the future.

Cons

Leadership cares more about appearance then substance. Comparisons to peer firms in publications like Am Law are more important that the actual profitability of each office or practice group. The accomplishments of non-lawyers are undervalued.

Advice to Senior Management

Too many chiefs, especially in marketing/communications/finance.