Sutherland Asbill Reviews

Pros

Stable. You are appreciated. Lots of perks such as food, sports tickets, company holiday lunches. Friendly environment. 4 weeks of vacation time.

Cons

People tend to stay there for their entire career so moving up is hard.

Pros

There truly appears to be a "no jerks" policy. Almost without exception everyone here is very nice. As large as the firm has grown, it still "feels" like a mid-sized firm.

Cons

The pace of the firm is pretty slow, and can feel stagnant and boring. The firm seems not to understand its size/heft and operates like an old-fashioned firm sometimes. Technology is improving, but there is a long way to go.

Advice to Senior Management

Management needs to do something to inject some energy and vitality into this office. I think that getting some younger, more aggressive partners would do the trick.

Pros

good benefits, good retirement pckage

Cons

attitudes...poor management skills of many people

Advice to Senior Management

need to work with people

Pros

Close contact with partners, impressive clients, small perks (depending on the office), lots of folks who've been around for twenty or thirty years.

Cons

The satellite offices are complete afterthoughts; Atlanta runs the show. Plus, the more powerful the partner, the more they have a say in management--no matter what their opinion is. Unclear communication leads to low morale among lawyers and staff.

Advice to Senior Management

Be consistent in words and deeds. Don't worry so much about how something will come across. Act in the firm's best interest and forget everything else.

Pros

Compensation at law firms in general are pretty good, and my offer was no different. I was paid time and a half for overtime so money was not really an issue. Salary was generous.

Cons

No work/life balance, especially at the associate level. Trouble rolls downhill so inevitably everyone was affected by an extremely high-pressure environment. (I was a paralegal.) I would also say that Sutherland is not a good place for women, especially minority women, to thrive. There was almost a conscious effort to overlook employees of color.

Advice to Senior Management

I don't know if i could tell them anything, per se. It was more an issue of their personalities, or lack thereof. As a rule, I dislike ruthless careerists, and Sutherland was chock-full of desperate associates and ego-maniacal partners. But maybe that's just law firms in general, and also why I'm never working in one again. But if you like money, law firms are where it's at.