Skadden Arps Reviews

Pros

smart people, interesting work, important clients and matters, true meritocracy where you will be given the opportunity to progress as quickly as your skills merit

Cons

Extremely long hours at times (depends on assignments and, somewhat, department), significant travel commitments (depends on partners you work for and practice areas), some deadweight allowed to stick around longer than they should (at least before downturn)

Advice to Senior Management

Continue doing what you are doing, as Skadden is an excellent place to work. Award your winners disproportionately with good work and opportunities for responsibility and advancement.

Pros

- Competetive salary
- Supportive colleagues
- Exposure to big law at one of the top corporate law firms in the world
- Exposure to a variety of businesses

Cons

- Menial and tedious work
- Not sure why you are being asked to do what you are doing
- Demanding hours - working on weekends is not uncommon

Advice to Senior Management

Better communication between management and legal assistants is required.

Pros

resume building, alumni network, base salary

Cons

partners are not diverse (race, gender, sexuality). partners unable to change or take constructive criticism; they would rather you leave than them change. mostly good old boys at the top. some partners have refused to train or work with women or junior associates. respectful of some religious holidays and not others.

Advice to Senior Management

take constructive criticism. create team collaboration instead of hierarchy. train and tame unreasonable clients. handle stress better.

Pros

Vacation pay is pretty good

Cons

Does not promote from within; has a very impersonal and uncomfortable day-to-day work environment; does not reward based on performance or merit; staff members are treated very unprofessionally compared to attorneys; overall a very sad group of people to be around every day

Advice to Senior Management

Invest in much more professional training for software developers; provide private office space for all developers instead of cubicle spaces for developers, or at least provide the same type of space for all developers

Pros

-super smart people
-dedication to quality legal work
-beautiful offices
-lots of resources

Cons

-poor attorney development from partners
-true commitment from firm leadership to care about associates...it's all talk

Advice to Senior Management

Firm needs to focus on creating a greater sense of firm.

Pros

Getting involved in high profile deals

Cons

Limited scope for personal life

Advice to Senior Management

Use more effectively senior attorneys who are not yet partners

Pros

Looks great on resume; Good co-workers--attorneys, legal assistants, other staff; Learning opportunities; Competetive salaries and benefits; challenging and interesting cases and tasks.

Cons

On call 24/7; No work life balance--time off only approved if you agree to be reachable by phone and blackberry. No opportunities for advancement; Raises and bonuses combined below cost of living increases. No transparency or disclosure between management and staff or management and attorneys.No focus on positive contributions; heavy focus errors or issues--even small items.
Favoritism between management and chosen staff. Almost impossible to trust anyone.

Advice to Senior Management

Everyone needs some downtime occasionally--a vacation tied to a blackberry is not a vacation. Learn what your staff actually does. Offer positive feedback. Provide support to the support staff: they are providing support to all of the attorneys.

Pros

You work with the best of the brightest and are constantly learning; the firm treats you like an adult and there is no face time required; low billables requirements takes the pressure of you to bill and hit certain targets; people are fantastic and many are lifelong friends

Cons

Demands on your time are incredibly difficult; lack of predictability as to when you will be working is the hardest component of this job; more often critiqued for where you failed as opposed to praised for where you succeeded

Pros

As a attorney it is one of the best place to work.

Cons

Just about everything, No career growth, No exposure, employees don't trust there immediate managers.

Advice to Senior Management

None.

Pros

- Good pay and bonus
- Good benefits
- Resume builder
- Lots of resources
- Adequate training opportunities
- A good place for summer associates
- No stated minimum billables

Cons

- Long hours
- Expectation of constant availability
- Competetive
- Some partners can be very demanding and unreasonable

Advice to Senior Management

Be more clear about expectations.