Sidley Austin Reviews

Pros

The people I worked with were awesome
Fun environment

Cons

no control over the images put onto the laptops
higherups dont listen

Pros

The staff was very experienced and worked well across the shifts, information was shared freely and there was an atmosphere of ease.

Cons

Sometimes we didn't have all of the equipment to do the job satisfactorily. Implementation of new software could take a long time.

Advice to Senior Management

Outsourcing may save a little money initially, but it is demoralizing to the morale of the remaining workers and it

Pros

Relaxed office environment, business casual dress code
Flavia coffee/tea machines in pantry
Full-service in-house cafeteria
Holiday and merit bonus
Holiday party recently combined staff and attorneys

Cons

No 401k matching(but they offer financial advising)
Limited advancement opportunity for transferring positions within the firm
Cafeteria prices have recently gone up with the new Aramark contract
Clique-y staff
Managerial supervision varies

Pros

Good benefits. Good mandatory hours (35/wk). Lots of time off (max 30 days for starting people, goes up to ~2 mos max).

Cons

Overtime is pretty constant. I've never worked 35 hrs, and constantly go over 40.

Pros

Pays well and provides excellent benefits.

Cons

No job security and low staff morale.

Advice to Senior Management

Listen to your staff and reward them by supporting them.

Pros

Great rapport with colleagues. Employees work hard and play hard. They try not to let the work tie them down too much. They find a way to cope.

Cons

I can't honestly say there was a downside. However it could be dealing with some of the attorneys who can either make your job enjoyable or make it more difficult.

Advice to Senior Management

Sidley has maintained strong leadership over the years despite mergers and acquisitions. They know how to bounce back from difficult situations.

Pros

Great pay for work being performed
Great hours (35 hours/week), very little overtime required
Smart managers and senior management
Firm has a great reputation

Cons

Working as a non-attorney in a law firm greatly limits growth opportunities and skills development
Limited professional growth

Advice to Senior Management

I was there at the beginning of the recession. Management was great at keeping staff informed through their decision making process. They limited their number of layoffs and were very fair to those they had to let go - 6 months severance pay with full benefits.

Pros

Sidley Austin provides a good benefits package.

Cons

Everyone has his or her place: it's too hierarchial.

Advice to Senior Management

Create more of a team environment in which there is better communication with staff. Make fewer general assumptions about staff and staff capabilities.

Pros

A lot of time off.
Nice work space.

Cons

Challenging to get things done as senior management is at the whim of partners.

Advice to Senior Management

Set expectations for Partners instead of having Partners dictate business practices for which they have little knowledge

Pros

More user friendly than most biglaw.
Good place for experience on complicated deals and cases
Partnership is a possibility for many

Cons

Bonuses are not at market.

The firm is slow to make needed changes.

Litigation is main focus of the firm.

Advice to Senior Management

More communication is needed