Perkins Coie Reviews

Pros

Staff, for the most part, are very helpful and stick together (safety in numbers, you know).

Cons

Actionable, abusive behavior by senior attorneys toward their subordinates is ignored by management. They'd prefer that you quit and if you don't, you are transferred again and again to different departments or office locations until you do.

The benefit package is extremely stingy in comparison to what other large firms offer. Yet, you will receive a yearly statement from Perkins showing how much money they spend on benefits as if they are doing you a favor by providing something that is a given in this competitive market. Considering that they only hire from the top tier, their overall disdainful attitude is pretty appalling. If they haven't bled you dry after a few years, you start to understand why partners are such monsters.

Advice to Senior Management

Pull your head out.

Pros

The co-workers are friendly toward each other; they're genuine.

Cons

The corporate culture where it is okay to lie to everyone and management makes promises that they have no intention of keeping. When there is a huge problem and they lose staff over and over again, management will call meetings and act like they care. But then you find out that they've fed the same lies to previous people who walked out of this revolving door.

The "Best Place to Work" moniker is a joke. They are extremely cheap with staff health issues and supplies. For example, when a medical device is needed for staff safety, they will ask you to find something from the supply room. There's constant turn-over because they tolerate whacko attorneys who like to scream, blame and lie.

Management is aware of the problem attorneys, but will not do anything about them because they are friends outside of the office. Or because the much-complained about attorneys are from wealthy families. Training is terrible.

Don't believe anything management tells you. They're good people enough, but have been brainwashed into accepting deplorable behavior.

Advice to Senior Management

Follow honest, professional policies. Get rid of the terrors in the attorney ranks and properly train the attorneys so they don't rip off paralegals' knowledge, try to pass it off as their own, and then denigrate the paralegal who gave them a solution to their problem.

Pros

Staff Benefits including free health care, 37.5 hour work weeks, half priced parking or bus passes and 15 days of PTO to start. They offer many volunteer opportunities within the community. It is the most well known law firm in the Northwest. Lots of company events for families, environmentally conscious and responsible firm. Number of offices in different cities nationally and few in China.

Cons

Lower pay compared to other law firms for staff. You have to deal with the unfortunate politics of a large firm. Management mainly focuses on satisfaction of the partners rather than the staff, who are the majority of the firm. As a staff member, it is hard to move forward from your current position. There are definite set limitations for the staff.

Advice to Senior Management

Manage to keep everyone happy not just partners

Pros

Working hard does not equat to fair raises. Perkins pays enough to keep it's employees from jumping ship, but not enough to deal with the stress and bs.

Cons

Overtime, overtime, and more overtime. Little recognition for hard work. Communication and specific job training does not exist. Many people are set up to fail due to the lack of training. Either you make it or fail. Very high turnover due to communication and training issues. Very poor management.

Advice to Senior Management

Wake up.

Pros

The benefits are great and there are options for a flexible work schedule. Downtown location is nice.

Cons

As a paralegal I have more responsiblity and a huge workload, but my salary is not any more then a legal secretary. Plus as a paralegal you get little to no bonus. My current department has little to no management. There's a manager for the secretaries, manager for docketing, manager for paralegals, manager for paralegal assistants - too many managers makes for a very un-cohesive work environment. It's not team oriented and very chaotic.

Advice to Senior Management

Need to create a team environment. Need to have a better salary and bonuses for paralegals - the people who actually do bill there time and bring in a lot of money for the firm.

Pros

Very fair pay compared to other local law firms of a similar size. Perkins is open to flexible work schedules. Up to a 3 month paid sabbatical at 13 years of employment.

Cons

The company seems to have a hard time letting go of under-performers. The technology is a little lagging. Senior management seems a bit out of touch with staff.

Advice to Senior Management

Get down in the trenches sometimes. Learn some names!

Pros

Many chances to grow and contribute. Lots of great people to work with, usually with good humor.

Cons

High expectations sometimes without adequate resources to produce the desired results consistenyly or with fairness to people's personal lives.

Advice to Senior Management

Recognize that organizational growth requires support and sometimes a change in model. Work on developing communciation flows that get needed details to people performing the nitty gritty.

Pros

Perkins has strong leadership and management, amazing talent with a good position to attract more, and a strong brand and network. Particularly in a leadership position in many of its markets in Corporate Finance and Emerging Companies, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Hotels and Leisure, and White-Collar Defense. It is focused on doing high-quality work and providing excellent client service, and has extensive diversity of practice areas. Staff support is uniformly strong. Perkins has a useful geographic footprint.

Cons

In tems of size and geographic distribution, Perkins can't decide what it wants to be when it grows up. Perkins is coming a bit late to succession planning and top-caliber professional management personnel.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep it real, y'all.

Pros

Prestigious place to work and great benefits package. Cutting edge legal work. Good team atmosphere.

Cons

High pressure with high expectations. Slackers need not apply. Constant deadline pressure and a lot of work to do.

Advice to Senior Management

I appreciate management protecting all employees jobs even in the face of a recession. Too much emphasis on making a lot of money for the partners.

Pros

They have wonderful benefits and pay, and have an onsite cafeteria with good food that is cheap. They have good technology and excellent training and orientation.

Cons

I worked in the patent department and management in the patent department was horrible. I understand that other work groups in the firm are much better. The interior of the workplace is drab and old. The carpet is torn and a horrible dirty color, as are the walls. It is very depressing. A little paint would be in order. I worked in the patent department, and management is that department was horrible, and borderline harrassment.

Advice to Senior Management

Get rid of the department manager of the patent department. It was and still remains a revolving door of employees because of that person.