Foley & Lardner LLP - The Inside View

On the BigLaw stage, Foley & Lardner has firmly cemented itself as an old player; it’s a firm with just under two centuries of expertise under its belt. “There isn’t anything we don’t cover here,” an associate pointed out. With over 1,100 lawyers, 25 offices worldwide, and over 40 departments decorated with Chambers USA accolades, it’s hard to argue with such a statement! In fact, the firm’s got a four-sector focus across energy, healthcare & life sciences, manufacturing, and innovative technology which ensures there’s no corner of law it doesn’t touch.

“…being from the Midwest, Foley shone through.”

Foley’s come a long way from it’s humble Milwaukee roots, but it’s clear the firm still rules the roost in it’s hometown when it comes to corporate/M&A, intellectual property, general commercial litigation, natural resources & environment, and real estate work. Beyond its home turf, the firm’s corporate M&A & private equity practice in Florida, and Texan insurance remit also stand out, meanwhile on the national stage, Foley shines for its public finance work.

And while today’s Foley has got a reach from east to west, the firm’s not lost its Midwestern twinkle. “At interviews, it felt less like they were analyzing whether I was smart and capable, and more about uncovering my personality. I was wondering where I was going to be happy and, being from the Midwest, Foley shone through,” an insider reminisced. Across its 22 office network stateside, the majority of juniors can be found in the firm’s Milwaukee, Chicago, and Boston bases.

Strategy & Future

Quarterly updates are held to inform associates of the firm’s plans. As such, our sources were well clued in on the firm’s sector-based approach (a new strategy phased in last year) which covers four core sectors: energy; healthcare & life sciences; manufacturing; and innovative technology. Juniors are able to join sector-specific groups – and they’re not just limited to one. “If you want to explore something else, you can,” an insider told us. “It’s a great way to localize our resources, and it helps us identify what people specialize in and unite us!”

Of the decision to move towards a sector-focused model, Foley’s chairman and CEO Daljit Doogal explains, “As the legal profession evolves, firms need to be known for their work in certain areas. We are known in our four sectors for being a partner to our clients [...] people have coalesced around that, and our brand recognition has increased.” To support this focused growth, “We’ve hired over 50 lateral attorneys this past year in our strategic areas like Miami, Denver, Texas, and northern California. We’ve focused in on those sectors in which we are strong, like healthcare, energy, innovative technology and manufacturing, corporate, and private equity,” Doogal tells us. “Real estate in Texas has also been a good growth opportunity for us,” he adds.

The Work

The majority of Foley’s associate population can be found in the firm’s business law practice, followed closely by litigation, and intellectual property. Across these practices, work allocation is generally free market, though newbies are initially given a helping hand: “People know you’re coming in and will put you on matters. It works well as you get staffed on a variety of work with different people, and as you work on more projects you can express what you’re interested in,” an insider explained. The free market system undoubtedly involves some foresight from associates, who explained, “No one knows how much work I have on, so I have to gauge whether I can deliver on time or take on a new project.” Luckily, juniors are also supported by a system whereby they’re able to log their availability for the coming week.

The firm’s business law practice includes groups such as finance; government solutions; healthcare; insurance; real estate; and transactions. As to be expected with such a broad group, clients here range all the way from “individuals forming startups, to public companies, and countries,” and newbies are by no means left working on piecemeal tasks. “Even if the client is big, as a junior, I’ve been able to have direct contact with them,” one interviewee shared. On the transactional side, the group does “everything including corporate formations, venture capital, private equity, and lots of mergers and acquisitions” – a number of which are in the healthcare and energy spaces. Alongside the all-important assignment of due diligence, juniors reported having “good ownership of tasks early on, including managing deal flow, and drafting ancillary documents, voting agreements, investor agreements, as well as drafting main transaction agreements.” The firm’s expansive portfolio means juniors dabble in international deals, too, and can make good use of additional language skills. “It’s something the firm recognizes, so I’m very well utilized. On one matter I worked on, my language capabilities were crucial to the transaction!” a multilingual associate beamed.

Corporate clients: Samsung Venture Investment Corporation (SVIC), Processa Pharmaceuticals, Rockwell Automation. Represented nVent Electric, an electrical connection and protection provider, in its $1.1 billion acquisition of electrical product provider ECM Investors.

Over in the litigation department, the firm does “a bit of everything across healthcare, manufacturing, innovative technology, and life sciences,” one insider helpfully summarized. Subgroups here include business litigation; labor & employment; bankruptcies; securities enforcement; and government enforcement defense and investigations (GEDI). “It’s truly as all-encompassing a litigation practice as you can get!” an interviewee enthused. Responsibility-wise, while a junior’s day-to-day will typically include plenty of doc review, there’s also lots of drafting to be done, as well as work on pre-trial procedures, like discovery and deposition prep. “They want to make sure you’re getting substantive experience,” one associate made clear. “You’re not just doing the grunt work – you’re also on calls with clients and engaging with the heart of the matter.”

Litigation clients: Harvard University, T-Mobile, Herman Miller. Represented Zions Bank in a series of securities class actions and individual lawsuits alleging the bank aided and abetted a Ponzi scheme.

“…translate the science into legal speak.”

Foley’s intellectual property department gives juniors the opportunity to “translate the science into legal speak.” The practice encompasses IP litigation; trademarks & copyright; mechanical & electromechanical; electronics; chemical, biotech & pharma; and tech transactions & cybersecurity, and the firm also has “the dedicated resources to have a larger patent practice, so you’re constantly working with people who have technical expertise,” an associate enthused. In fact, sources were keen to note that, “typically, in BigLaw, patent prosecution exists as a smaller service with the focus on litigation, but Foley is unique as IP is one of its main departments.”

As expected, the client base is “a pretty big mix,” ranging from pharmaceutical companies, to universities and academic researchers, to venture capitals and startups. One patent prosecutor explained, “A large part of my job involves drafting new applications that go to individual patent offices like the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), or the European and Japanese offices!” Further highlights from our interviewees included “working on large batches of applications and getting to deep dive into the client’s technology and protection strategy,” as well as patenting “smart technologies that will deliver drugs to cancer cells.”

IP clients: Hitachi, SmileDirectClub, Bristol Myers Squibb. Advises Citigroup on a portfolio of international patent applications ranging from business methods to banking systems.

Career Development

“There are lots of training opportunities,” an insider noted, not least being the opportunity to be flown across the country to attend conferences. “The firm flies out all the associates to different areas to attend training sessions depending on their class year,” one interviewee enthused. “There’s San Diego for motions training and Dallas for depositions.” Other workshops on offer at the firm cover topics such as trial advocacy, expert witnesses and negotiation.

On home turf, newbies are partnered with an associate advisor and a partner mentor with whom they can have one-to-one conversations on career development. “I can let them know I want to do more work on certain types of deals, and they’ll try and staff me on those,” one associate shared. The firm also has a relatively new networking initiative, Foley Bound, which aims to connect associates with colleagues across the firm. “It’s one of the best things!” an insider reflected. “The firm will pay for you to go out and network with people in other offices – I’ve used it to attend a mediation! It demonstrates the firm’s commitment to associates, even at the very junior levels.”

“…the current managing partner of the New York office was a paralegal at Foley!”

Looking ahead to partnership prospects: “A lot of people make partner,” one interviewee noted. “If it’s something you really want, it’s doable here.” And if partnership’s not your speed, “there are resources to help you go in-house,” one associate pointed out. “It reduces a lot of anxiety for people. Even if your plan isn’t to stay forever, the firm is supportive.” The firm also has its own database of in-house opportunities called Foley Connect, which associates can utilize if and when the time comes.

Hours & Compensation

Billable hours: 1,900 target for first full three years; 1,950 from fourth-year onwards

According to our interviewees, those with their sights set on the 1,900 target found it “very achievable,” particularly with the inclusion of 100 pro bono hours. Sources acknowledged that “it can be difficult in your first year as you ramp up,” but following on from that “it’s not hard at all as we’ve been busy!” The firm also encourages associates to undertake 150 investment hours which don’t count towards billable targets. These include anything from business development, training, and firm events and retreats.

Our sources in litigation found that the hours they worked per week ebbed and flowed, though “knowing deadlines ahead of time” meant they were able to plan for the busier weeks. “If I’m going to trial, I’ve worked until 11pm or 1am,” one source shared. That being said, “If you have a late night the night before and need to sleep in you can certainly do that if there’s nothing urgent the following morning.” Similarly, “when something big is coming up I do work over the weekend, but most of the time there’s no need to do so,” another litigator explained. For our business law interviewees, a regular day involved starting at 8.30 to 9am and leaving at 6pm. But of course, as is the nature of BigLaw, “When it’s super busy, I work until the matter is done – but that’s not all the time!”

Culture

There was one description of Foley’s culture that rang true among all our associate interviewees - “Midwestern!” But what does that actually mean in practice? “People are very approachable and are very willing to help,” one associate quipped. “I’d always heard of ‘Midwest polite’ and I’ve experienced it at Foley!” While the firm may now boast 22 offices nationwide, Foley’s still kept true to its humble Wisconsin roots. Interviewees explained, “Foley puts a big emphasis on hiring to fit. It’s the quality of recruiting that keeps the culture going.”

Despite being described as “a pretty social firm,” associates emphasized that “there’s no pressure to attend events – you don’t feel like you’re missing out if you don’t go!” Highlights from our interviewees included Third Thursday Happy Hours, “a super casual function where we have lunch with everyone.” There are also Friday Breakfast Tacos in Dallas, monthly get-togethers in Austin and happy hours in Denver. Over in Chicago, the firm has “a bunch of partners in a rock band and people went to see them perform in Lincoln Park. It’s not a strictly professional relationship!”

Pro Bono

“The firm is really supportive of people getting involved in pro bono work,” one interviewee noted. Case in point: up to 100 hours spent on pro bono can be counted towards associates’ billable targets. There’s even the possibility of going beyond the 100 hour cap with pre-approval: “I blew past the first hundred in a few months and getting the next hundred approved was quite easy!” an associate happily relayed.

“There are corporate opportunities available, such as helping people form companies,” a business law associate highlighted, but associates are by no means pigeonholed. “There’s a wide range of pro bono matters and the firm encourages us to take up any of them,” they added. “I can choose whatever area of the law I want to get involved with.” For example, those with IP interests are provided with “opportunities to represent pro bono inventors through programs sponsored by the US patent office.” Each office has its own local ties and projects, but there are also national projects including Black Connect, Wills for Heroes, and the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project. Other highlights for associates included working on asylum and immigration cases, as well as domestic violence, family, and housing matters.

Pro bono hours

• For all US offices: 45,611
• Average per US attorney: 33.8

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Described by our interviewees as “active and supported,” Foley’s affinity groups “hold talks from external speakers,” as well as regular meetings and retreats. For example, in 2024, the firm has hosted or will be hosting retreats for the Black and Latino affinity groups, as well as an All Attorney Retreat with affinity group socials. “We have a strong contingent of female lawyers at the associate level, and a few at the partner level,” one interviewee noted. “As a woman, I feel supported by the firm; it’s telling of Foley that a partner was made while she was on a flexible part-time schedule with young children!”

In terms of racial diversity, “we can be doing a much better job, but I can see the firm putting effort in in the summer classes as they do seem more diverse,” another source noted.“The more recent partner classes are slowly reflecting that times are changing.” In 2024, 74% of Foley’s partner class consisted of diverse lawyers, and 60% of the management committee is diverse.

Get Hired

The first stage: recruitment on and off campus   

OCI applicants interviewed: 1014  

Interviewees outside OCI: 212  

Given Foley has more than 20 offices across the US, it's no surprise to hear the firm interviews at more than 45 law schools and job fairs throughout the OCI season and takes resume drops at others. Interviewing one or multiple schedules of students depending on the school, Foley collates a cross-section of attorneys from firm leaders to associates as interviewers.  

"Our interview process is not formulaic, as we value the unique experiences and perspectives that each candidate brings to the table. However, there are key qualities that we look for in all candidates, including entrepreneurial drive, collaboration and leadership, among others. During the interview, we'll be asking for specific examples of how you've demonstrated these qualities in your past experiences. Our goal is to get to know the real you, so we encourage you to be authentic and honest throughout the interview process." 

Top tips for this stage:   

“Do your research and know what our practices are – understand also that we work across the firm and you'll be in contact with everyone.”   

“Our interviewers will ask about your interest or connection to the city to which you are applying. We want to make sure that you’re truly interested in living and working there.”   

“Be authentic and look for genuine opportunities to connect. Convey who you are as a person, rather than just who you are on your resume. For example, discuss why you’re interested in the activities and achievements on your resume.”  

Callbacks   

Applicants invited to second stage: 240 

Successful applicants will spend enough time with the firm to attend between four and six interviews including some more informal meet-ups in certain offices. Again, the seniority of interviewers will vary. Foley encourages candidates to ask their own questions here, while also demonstrating watertight knowledge of their resume.   

Top tips for this stage:   

“It's obvious when someone's done their research. You don't need to know our whole history but we see your familiarity with the firm as a good indicator of your interest.”   

Summer program   

Offers: 80  

Acceptances: 53 

The firm sorts summer associates into particular practice groups, but it's not frowned upon to sample work from others if you're interested. An online assignment system gives summers an idea of how long tasks will take and gives them some autonomy over what they pick up, and Foley prefers them to get a varied experience across the program.   

A roughly 1:1 partner-to-associate ratio means it's more difficult to hide in the crowd than at some other firms, and Foley expects everybody to pitch in. That said, they also want summer associates to use the resources and attorneys around them – the majority of each entry-level class comes from the program so it's an ideal opportunity to get to know the folks at Foley.   

Notable summer events: firm-wide summer associate retreat, theater, ball games and boat rides.   

Top tips for this stage:   

“I definitely encourage summers to literally tell senior associates and partners that they’d like to work with them, sometimes they don't realize it's okay to approach people here like that.”   

“Take advantage of your mentor and summer program coordinators as you navigate the summer program - they’re eager to help you and can be a tremendous resource!”