Wilson Sonsini Reviews

Pros

Very intelligent and dedicated co-workers; incredibly nice and competent support staff; challenging work; great opportunities for professional growth if you work hard; good policies to support women attorneys as they start their families

Cons

Turf battles among partners can be demoralizing; at least some junior partners are not really on board with the policies designed to retain women attorneys

Advice to Senior Management

Do not tell first-year attorneys that they should not get involved in firm issues. You need their input; and they need to be more engaged in the firm.

Pros

Good training was available when I first started there many years ago, but deteriorated over the years. Made some friendships in the team environment. Worked with some people who had some amazing skills. Pay and benefits were exceptional.

Cons

Management of our team was terrible. There was no recognition of skill, talent, loyalty. It's almost too sad to even talk about.

Advice to Senior Management

Stop being bean counters and notice the talent, dedication, skills and loyalty of your workers.

Pros

It's big and resourceful. You can also get help from different departments.

Cons

it's too big, sometimes you feel lost.

Pros

Very diverse selection of clients in the High-tech and biotech industries. WSGR also provides a relatively unique opportunity to work with small clients/venture capital clients such that you gain experience in areas of early finance, evaluation, diligence, business development and an IP perspective from that segment of the business community.

Cons

Very compartmentalized law firm, with each partner and practice group jealously guarding their projects (even when they do not have the competence or expertise to truly address the legal matter at hand). Additionally, the IP practice has high turnover with highly political management.

Advice to Senior Management

Just barely making the money targets (or even somewhat better than average money targets) shouldn't justify bad management of associates and conflicts of interest

Pros

They certainly have great potential, with several offices around the country. However, I was greatly dissatisfied with the performance of the management in the Seattle office.

Cons

The management was in great need of some public relations help. Often they would try to present things to the employees that would just backfire. When things were going bad for the firm, we were made to feel that we were to blame.

Pros

I dont have much to say about this place. Its ok if you want to retire here. not much of a challenge.

Cons

too many politics. people been here too long and are not up to date on whats going on out there

Advice to Senior Management

I have nothing to say. Its the culture and always will be. nothing can be changed about this place unless a complete change of upper management

Pros

Salary and benefits are standard compared to other firms. Depending on the group you're in there are some big name clients

Cons

Absolutely no training, mentoring or support is available to young associates. Very tough up or out model all but guarantees you'll be tossed out at some point. Hours are painful, even by biglaw standards.

Pros

Good benefits, good pay (but you have to earn it!); offers advancement training, personal support courses on health and family; management tries listen to staff complaints and tries to make improvements; some of the members are out going and very friendly to all people of all levels of employment; interesting work

Cons

When there is an economy crunch or any kind of downsizing, staff pays for it. People that don't lose their jobs have had to hear that "they are lucky they still have a job in this economy" and if you complain about being burnt out by way to much work, you may hear "think of the alternative". That's all fine and dandy, but when people are laid off and the people that are "lucky" are picking up workloads of 2 or 3 other people that are laid off aren't actually feeling "lucky" but are actually depressed and feeling demoralized and backed into a corner. They don't want to complain In order to keep their job, they must do all the added work and like it!

Advice to Senior Management

Management may listen to staff complaints, but they work around the obvious solutions and try alternatives to avoid having to hire more man power where it's needed which leaves the staff feeling more frustrated and moral very low. People want to do a good job and job satisfaction and pride of job is hard to come by if you are pushing paper out the door just to get it done. It doesn't help if management doesn't even understand what we do in jobs on a daily basis and try to get problems resolved in a timely manner. People are only numbers at WSGR.

Pros

hard work but learn alot

Cons

extremely hard work and time consuming

Advice to Senior Management

sa

Pros

The work in the office I was in was varied and interesting. Working with start ups can be fun, even while working horrid hours.

Cons

It's a law firm. You work. A LOT. The firm really needs to work on annual reviews that mean something. If you're doing well (and especially if you're not) a partner should let you know.

Advice to Senior Management

Do regular reviews of associates and don't make them fluff meetings.