Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP - The Inside View

“Reading cases in law school, I kept seeing Gibson’s name on precedent-setting and big Supreme Court cases,” one keen-eyed associate noted.It’s no secret that the two names frequently appear side by side. Managing partner Barbara Becker tells us: “Last year, we had two arguments in front of the Supreme Court and this year we have three, including one that is being led by a DC associate, which is really quite incredible.” And the most recent reason the two names have been connected? “We are very proud that we had six Supreme Court clerks joining our firm over the past fall/winter,” says Becker. It’s this very prominence in the litigious sphere that attracted the attention of many of our sources. “I was sold on a pitch that you can build a diverse litigation practice even in New York, where a lot of the focus tends to be on the finance and banking world,” an interviewee added. Indeed, Chambers USA recognizes Gibson’s white-collar crime & government investigations offering as one of the elites in New York. But that’s not all the firm’s got to show for itself.

“I kept seeing Gibson’s name on precedent-setting and big Supreme Court cases.”

“While Gibson is traditionally known as a litigation and appellate powerhouse, I was staffed on the biggest M&A deal in the world this year, so that goes to show that there are really strong transactional opportunities too,” another associate made clear. The firm made headlines with its representation of VMWare in its multi-billion dollar sale to Broadcom – dubbed the largest tech deal yet. It’s ever likely that the firm also picks up further Chambers USA accolades for its corporate/M&A work nationwide, particularly in DC. In fact, “Gibson was one of the few with a serious DC corporate practice,” an associate noted of their reason for joining the firm. Gibson snags further top praise for its nationwide work across antitrust, appellate law, corporate crime & investigations, False Claims Act, FCPA, international arbitration, outsourcing, privacy & data security litigation, projects (PPP), real estate, and securities. Head over to chambers.com to get the full picture.

And if that still hasn’t sealed the deal, “another big selling point was the free market system; I wasn’t ready to make that decision out of law school, and I’m still not ready to make that decision!” a seasoned associate professed candidly. Luckily for Gibsonites, there’s no ticking clock on specialization. Associates are able to remain generalists for a number of years – even partners have varied practices.

If it’s not yet obvious, the firm is absolutely massive. Despite its California roots, the firm’s largest office currently sits in New York. Gibson’s got a total of ten offices across its US network, with a further 11 internationally.

Strategy & Future

“Last year, we elevated 37 lawyers to partner, and we had a similar number the year before. At the same time, we are always looking to add spectacular talent from a lateral perspective,” Becker tells us. Most notably, "recently, we added two federal judges – Gregg Costa and George Hazel – to our partnership, which is remarkable. These judges in the US are tenured for life, and for them to even consider leaving the bench for us is extraordinary,” she adds. And if that’s not enough: “We also attracted Robert Spano, the former president of the European Court of Human Rights, and Jane Horvath, the Chief Privacy Officer of Apple!”

Turning to geographic growth, Becker tells us the firm’s got its sights set internationally: “Last year, we opened two new offices in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, and we already had an office in Dubai which we reinvented with a bolstered team. We now have over three dozen lawyers in the region,” she notes of the former.

Read more from Barbara Becker under the ‘Get Hired’ tab.

The Work

The firm’s ‘unassigned’ system means associates are entirely “free to decline work, and free to pursue work” across the firm’s practices, including litigation, transactions, real estate, tax, business restructuring and organization, labor & employment, and regulatory. Now, one concern often heard about free market systems is ‘how do newbies navigate initially getting their names out there?’ Luckily, Gibson Dunn’s already a step ahead. “When you start, the firm sends out face pages to everyone, including all the things you’re interested in working on, and several people reached out!” one insider disclosed of the tried and tested system. There are further considerations to be made though. One seasoned associate forewarned: “You have to consider in the long term how much work each project is going to give you. There’s a degree of management that comes with that.” The payoff, of course, is the increased autonomy juniors have over their workloads. Further, an interviewee added: “It breeds a culture of friendliness as people can choose who they want to work with, so you want to make sure you have a good reputation. It also encourages people to pursue their passions.”

“It’s usually complex, sensitive, and involves multiple jurisdictions – and I’m not just talking in the US. It’s cross-continents!”

The firm’s litigation practice covers pretty much any litigious matter under the sun, including white-collar investigations, arbitrations, securities, antitrust, data private litigation, IP litigation, “a ton of appellate work,” and “a big labor and employment practice” (and many more…). Associates are free to take their pick, but whatever the case may be, “it’s usually complex, sensitive, and involves multiple jurisdictions – and I’m not just talking in the US. It’s cross-continents!” one litigator enthused. As for involvement in matters, “we get to do a lot of first drafts,” a third year explained. “Of course that gets revised a bunch up the chain, but it’s great for building substantive experience.” Other tasks include “a good amount of legal research,” and doc review too, though insiders were keen to note “it’s often a second level review after staff or contract attorneys have had a first go.” Further responsibilities include oral argument prep, deposition prep binders (“a big part of junior associate life”), sitting in on expert interviews and hearings, and, on smaller cases, helping manage document production, reviewing protocol, and having direct contact with clients and the government.

Litigation clients: Amazon, Mercedes-Benz, Uber. Represented Meta in multiple cross-jurisdiction consumer class actions in relation to events involving Cambridge Analytica.

The firm’s transactional practice is equally varied, covering public and private M&A, investment funds, capital markets, security governance, and derivatives work. “DC in particular has a great M&A practice – I’d say it’s on par with New York!” one associate boasted. Over in Dallas, “it’s heavy on private equity M&A transactions for middle market PE firms,” one local insider explained. “We have really strong relationships with our clients, which is great because you’re able to get to know them well.”

“A tried-and-true junior associate task is running diligence, but when I say running, I mean RUNNING!”

Turning to responsibility levels, “the difference in your involvement is wild depending on the deal you’re doing. A tried-and-true junior associate task is running diligence, but when I say running, I mean RUNNING!” one associate shared in awe. “You’re conducting calls, liaising with the client, doing the diligence request list, answering follow up questions, and all the tasks around signing and closing.” As associates progress in seniority, “you start to understand the deal flow more so you can predict requests and volunteer to do certain tasks before being asked, which you may not have had the foresight to do earlier in your career,” an insider reflected: “You earn the trust and freedom.”

Corporate clients: VMware, Accenture, Gartner. Advised VMware in its $69 billion acquisition by Broadcom, the largest M&A deal of 2023.

Gibson’s real estate practice covers both land use and transactional real estate work which associates described as a “unique mix – a lot of firms tend to do one or the other.” On the transactional side, the team tackles various purchase and sale, and joint venture agreements. “There’s almost always a financing component to the matters,” associates explained, adding that “the Los Angeles office tends to do more borrower side work, while San Francisco and New York are more lender focused.” That said, regardless of location, “it’s really easy to reach out to attorneys in other offices” to source out varied work. When staffed on matters, juniors play “organizational and project management type” roles. “You also get to do a lot of drafting and client interfacing work,” a second year told us, “But as the most junior person on the deal I’m doing less drafting than I would be as a third or fourth year.”

Real estate clients: Apollo, AECOM, Trinity Investments. Advised real estate investors Kennedy Wilson in connection with a $5.4 billion real estate construction loan portfolio.

Pro Bono

Attorneys at Gibson are “strongly encouraged to do at least 20 hours of pro bono work.” That said, multiple insiders were keen to note they’d racked up “over 100 hours every year” thanks to the firm’s “exceptional pro bono offering.” It’s lucky then that the firm gives associates “one to one credit for pro bono with no cap.” In fact,“the firm expects you to treat your pro bono work just like your other matters,” an insider made clear. “I know a mid-level who had several in-court appearances for a pro bono matter and no one batted an eyelid when they had to reschedule things to attend that.” It comes as no surprise that Gibson attorneys devoted “more than 165,000 hours to pro bono work,” Becker tells us. In fact, “if pro bono was considered one client, it would be the largest client at the firm!” she adds.

Opportunities available to associates are certainly rife, whether it’s assisting in housing court or on an immigration case or doing “impact litigation work that has higher national stakes seeking changes in the law and administrative actions.” There’s also plenty of transactional aligned pro bono matters to pick up, including corporate governance work. Despite the firm’s existing range of pro bono matters on the go, you’re also “welcome to bring your own passions to the firm’s pro bono docket.”

Pro bono hours

• For all US attorneys: 165,000
• Average per US attorney: 80

Career Development

“One of the aspects of a free market system means you have to seek out mentorship a bit more,” one interviewee considered. “I’ve learned most of what I do through working on the job and the feedback I’ve received.” That said, “There are people in the career development office you can speak to about specific types of cases that will aid your development.” Furthermore, newbies are assigned associate and partner mentors as part of a formal mentorship program and are placed in mentorship ‘pods’, groups facilitated by the professional development department to ensure that new recruits are integrating and building cross-office connections. Retreats are also big at the firm. Newbies are invited to the firm’s new lawyers’ retreat which is attended by associates from all of Gibson’s global offices. “They book out an entire resort!” one insider enthused. The same goes for the firm’s corporate and litigation retreats, as well as the mid-level retreat, which take place on alternate years.

As for partnership, “it’s achievable as long as it’s something you’re willing to put in the work for. It does seem transparent which is wild to say for a BigLaw firm!” an insider laughed. Conversely, in DC in particular, it’s not uncommon to make the transition to a government role: “The firm encourages people to go and get experience in government. They know you’ll get great experience and maybe come back one day,” one associate noted.

Hours & Compensation

Billable hours: 1,950 target

The firm has a ‘soft’ target of 1,950 billable hours annually, and “it’s easily manageable,” a few insiders noted. “If you bill 40 hours a week for 50 weeks, you’re already at 2,000, and that means you’ve got two weeks for vacation,” one interviewee did the math.

Of course, in practice, it’s never that straight-forward. Busier weeks can see associates billing up to 60 hours, while slower weeks can sit at around 30 hours. “There’s plenty of work going round, so I’ve not had to struggle to get hours,” an interviewee told us. In fact, “you do sometimes have to be bold with protecting your time. It’s a personal adjustment that people have to learn to navigate.”

The firm currently has no formal policy on what days its associates should be in the office (“It’s one of the best things about Gibson!”). An associate explained: “They suggest you shoot for a robust in-office presence, but as long as you’re getting your work done, you can do it remotely.” And working from home certainly doesn’t keep this lot apart: “I’m on the phone jabbering away with my peers all day.”

Culture

“I could talk all day about Gibson’s culture. I should be the chief recruitment officer,” one associate jested. “There’s definitely no competition or sharp elbows.” As is the case with BigLaw firms, each office has its own distinct flavor. “The LA office is relaxed and exactly the pace I need,” one West Coaster noted. Over in DC “there’s a big sports scene. People have their own things going on and they really protect their time.”

As for social diaries, “it can be a full calendar if you want it to be!” Gibson hosts a number of formal events, including holiday parties, affinity group and department specific events, and dinners. “We have annual client holiday parties, and I think over 1,000 people attended last year,” one Dallas associate awed. On a more low-key setting, there are frequent happy hours where associates can let their hair down. “They’re well attended,” an insider noted. “People will stop by for a cocktail.”

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The firm has a number of affinity groups, including a women’s, First Generation, Black, LGBTQ+, Latinx, and parents’ group (and many more) – and “if there’s one you want to join that doesn’t already exist, you can create it!”

As for representation at the firm, our interviewees noted, “it’s something that the firm has actively tried to work on, and is making intentional efforts to improve.” At the junior level, Gibson has 1L Diversity Fellowship programs and 2L Diversity & Inclusion scholarships on offer. In terms of female representation, “I wish there were more women partners, but we’re moving in the right direction,” a hopeful source considered. “There are definitely some badass women that I feel very lucky to work with!” Currently, 32% of partners at the firm are women.

Get Hired

The first stage: recruitment on and off campus

Applicants interviewed for 2023 Summer Program: undisclosed

Gibson Dunn conducts interviews directly at more than two dozen law schools and participates in formal resume collections at many more. The summer programs routinely draw from more than 30 law schools. Hiring partner Perlette Michèle Jura tells us: "Our 'feeder schools' are exactly what you would expect – the Top 25 law schools provide the majority of our incoming summer and new associates." The firm does recruit substantially outside this group, however, "especially for offices located in the same cities as those schools."

The interviews themselves are conducted by a team of partners and associates, and Jura tells us that they’re looking for candidates who display “strong critical thinking skills, have impeccable professional judgment, and exhibit a strong work ethic.” She also flags the firm’s free-market system, explaining that candidates have the ability to chart their own path and seek out their own work. Associate sources agreed: “They want someone who has a go-getter type of attitude, but you also have to be personable and willing to take on work so people will want to work with you.” Another revealed: “When they’re recruiting at schools they’ll put on an initial screener and then you may be invited to a reception (usually virtual) It’s essentially an extended second interview but also a chance to meet more attorneys.”

Top tips for this stage:

"Come into the interview prepared, show enthusiasm for legal issues and work, and exhibit a level of energy and conviction that signals to us that the candidate would thrive in our free-market system and ultimately contribute to the firm as a whole." – hiring partner Perlette Michèle Jura

Callbacks

Those invited back to Gibson Dunn’s callback stage will experience firsthand the firm's respectful, social culture. Callbacks vary by office but typically consist of one-on-one interviews with a mix of partners and associates. Callbacks may be in-person but are often virtual and can be followed by a chance to visit the office and meet interviewers and other attorneys face-to-face, often for meals.

Jura explains: “These visits offer candidates another more informal setting to demonstrate why they would be successful at our firm and likewise give our lawyers the opportunity to interact with the candidate in a less structured environment.” She adds that at this stage: “More questions might be asked about a candidate’s specific experiences or a candidate’s particular connection to and/or interest in the city in which their selected office is located.” An associate told us: “By the time their resume reaches my desk I’m confident they’re qualified, so from that point we’re looking for someone who’s going to perpetuate the Gibson Dunn culture and understand our work environment.”

Top tips for this stage:

"Researching Gibson Dunn interviewers with whom the candidate will be meeting as well as the firm generally and the select office ahead of time enables the candidate to offer specific questions and more relevant topics of conversation." – hiring partner Perlette Michèle Jura

Summer program

2L Offers for 2023: undisclosed

2L Acceptances for 2023: undisclosed

Gibson Dunn’s summer program, according to Jura, “is designed to help facilitate a smooth transition from law school to legal practice and provides training in areas such as legal writing, depositions, and corporate transactions.” Summer associates can work with multiple partners and practice groups and get feedback on each assignment. They also get embedded in pro bono matters, as well as a busy social calendar which ranges “from sporting events (a Mets baseball day in New York is a perennial inclusion), to small-group dinners at partners’ houses to legal networking events (like a tour of the Ninth Circuit courthouse in Pasadena, led by a Circuit Judge), to an annual diversity reception.” Jura tells us: “The vast majority of our summer associates return and join us as associates after they finish law school or, if applicable, their clerkship.”

Top tips for this stage:

"Summers should take every opportunity (whether in the office or at external events) to connect with as many of our attorneys as possible. Not only will this give them more exposure across their office, it also creates more opportunities to develop the mentoring relationships that are so essential to success in the law." – hiring partner Perlette Michèle Jura

And finally… 

An associate told us: “You have to be willing to make an effort on small projects and be collegial because you have to be pleasant to work with in a free-market system.”

Interview with Barbara L. Becker, chair and managing partner

Commercial strategy, market position and trends

Chambers Associate: How would you define your firm’s current position and identity in the legal market? What differentiates your firm from your peer firms in the market?

Barbara Becker: I would consider ourselves an elite global law firm. We have 21 offices globally – ten inside the US and eleven outside – over 1,900 lawyers and over 60 practice groups. What we are most known for is bringing excellence in all that we do, and then bringing that exceptional talent together to collaborate across practices, offices, and oceans to achieve incredible results for our clients.

On that collaboration point: Any lawyer in any office can reach out to any lawyer in any practice group to ask for advice, assistance, expertise –  and the people receiving that request say “yes.” It is our culture to default to yes. As an example, we have an enormous new matter for a client. I was on the phone last night with a partner from LA who’s organizing the matter, and we said: “Okay, we need additional team support to make sure we are delivering for the client.” We put our heads together about the who, and then she sent out an email saying, “X, Y, and Z, would you be able to help on this new matter? It’s fast-paced, but we’d love to feature you.” And each of them, within 30 seconds, responded: “I’m in!” There was no “what’s in it for me?” Instead, it’s about how we deliver what’s best for our clients, and that gets replicated in everything we do.

From an associate perspective, Gibson Dunn also provides amazing opportunities because we’re non-hierarchical. We want to give everyone meaningful experience and an opportunity to participate in the matters we have. And we have a continued path of progression where people make partner while bringing their authentic selves to work. Last year, we elevated 37 lawyers to partner, and we had a similar number the year before.

At the same time, we are also always looking to add spectacular talent from a lateral perspective. Recently, we added two federal judges – Gregg Costa and George Hazel – to our partnership, which is remarkable. These judges in the US are tenured for life, and for them to even consider leaving the bench for us is extraordinary. We also attracted Robert Spano, the former president of the European Court of Human Rights, and Jane Horvath, the former Chief Privacy Officer of Apple – you can see that there’s stellar talent adding to our offerings to support our clients.

CA: Are there any domestic or international events/trends that are affecting any of the firm’s practices at the moment? Are there any trends that you think are affecting the business of law firms more generally, and how is that playing out with your firm?

Becker:Definitely. I would say that the regulatory trends are really interesting. Governments worldwide are super active generally in antitrust, trade, AI – so, those areas, and corresponding investigations, are booming.

And then, because of where we are in the macroeconomic environment, our restructuring group was super busy last year. They anticipate an even busier year this year, with companies changing their capital structures.

The capital markets are also coming back to life and real estate is seeing green shoots.

CA: Last year you (Barbara Becker) mentioned the firm was in growth mode – have there been any more office openings since you last spoke to us/any notable lateral hires? What is prompting that (regional) growth, and have there been any developments at the firm over the past year that you’d like law students to know about?

Becker: We continue to be in growth mode! I can talk about that a bit. We have built, and are building, destination practices all over the world by attracting the best and the brightest to our firm, and giving them agency over their career development – which is supported by our free market system. I also spend a lot of time creating systems and processes that are dedicated to nurturing, developing, and championing our talent by providing training opportunities and opportunities to lead. For example, we regularly refresh our practice group leadership, the partners in charge of our offices, and our committees.

Another thing that’s amazing about the firm is that we have had record financial results each year for almost three decades. Associates are in a firm with a solid foundation – you don’t have to worry that you’re vulnerable to peaks and valleys. It’s just a steady rise, which is really exciting, and that allows us to think strategically rather than defensively. We’re always thinking about where our client is going, what they need, and thinking about how we can continue to attract the best and the brightest that will help them get there.

Last year, we opened two new offices in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, and we already had an office in Dubai which we reinvented with a bolstered team. We now have over three dozen lawyers in the region, and they are immediately integrated into the firm at large. I saw a statistic that the Riyadh team – the office officially opened in November 2023 – are already working with 200 lawyers around the firm. There’s collaboration across practice groups happening in spades with our team out of Riyadh.

In terms of other areas of focus, we have many, many litigation, investigations, and regulatory destination practices that are superb. We have an A+ appellate practice and we are very proud that we had six US Supreme Court clerks joining our firm over the past fall/winter. Last year, we had two arguments in front of the Supreme Court and this year we have three, including one that is being led by a DC associate, which is really quite incredible.

We have a fantastic M&A and private equity group – last year, we closed one of the largest tech deals in history and announced one of the largest deals of the year.

We also have a global restructuring group – it’s based in New York, and we have a very strong practice in Paris. And we just added a partner in London.

We also have a really strong global finance practice that ties into our Middle East efforts. And we have a best-in-class privacy and cyber innovation practice group, and an AI practice group that includes many top practitioners who are developing the practice because the laws are constantly evolving across the globe.

CA: Gibson Dunn is particularly renowned for its pro bono work, including multiple precedent setting cases. Are there any notable pro bono cases the firm has been working on recently that you'd like to highlight?

Becker: Last year, the firm devoted more than 165,000 hours to pro bono work. If pro bono was considered one client, it would be the largest client at the firm.

I’m really proud of our dedication to serving our communities. Last year, we once again defended constitutional rights and equal protection under the law. We secured a historic federal jury verdict for Deon Jones in his civil rights case against an LAPD officer who shot him in the face with a rubber bullet. We represented domestic violence survivors, veterans, and asylum seekers to help them navigate that process. And, as we speak, we have attorneys at JFK welcoming two young women from Afghanistan – they’re members of an Afghan National sports team for women that had represented Afghanistan in international sports competitions and, as a result, were targets of the Taliban; we filed for humanitarian parole for them, it was granted, and they are now arriving, which is really wonderful.

This is just some of the tremendous work done by teams around the firm. And we were honored by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law last year, when they presented us with their 2023 Robert F. Mullen Pro Bono Award for our exceptional pro bono work; we’re really proud of this recognition.

CA: You were responsible for both the creation and leadership of the firm’s Diversity Committee. What’s the firm’s approach to bolstering diversity, equity, and inclusion?

Becker: You’re right, I was Chair of our Global Diversity Committee before I was Managing Partner, and I worked really closely with our Chief Diversity Officer, Zakiyyah Salim-Williams. In 2022, we elevated Zakiyyah to be a partner – she is a full-fledged partner at our firm, and that gives credibility to our diversity efforts in a whole different way. It just underscores our commitment to DEI efforts generally. We have been focused on these efforts for decades and have made enormous strides.

One of the interesting events of last year, as you know, was when the US Supreme Court came out with their decision in SFFA v Harvard and SFFA v UNC. We were one of the first law firms to create a multidisciplinary DEI task force, and we have counseled dozens of clients regarding the decision. For example, we represent the Fearless Fund and Fearless Foundation in their suit against the American Alliance for Equal Rights. Fearless Fund is a Black-women-owned venture capital fund that have a program that gives $20,000 grants. Our work in this space is something that the industry and many companies are following for its broad-reaching implications. The fact that I can help support such important matters is one of the things I love about my job.

We are also proud that we became one of the first law firms to achieve Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) certification in pursuit of Black equity and racial equity generally in the workplace. And we won the Minority Corporate Counsel Association’s Thomas L. Sager award, which reflects our commitment to championing a more diverse and inclusive workforce.

CA: How do you predict the rise in AI will affect the ways in which lawyers work? How will it affect the services law firms provide?

Becker: Each technological evolution brings new efficiencies for lawyers – it is hard for many new lawyers today to imagine how we used to practice without computers! AI is similar, but maybe exponential in its impact. All of us will have AI to support creating summaries and meeting notes, and  reviewing all of the tons of emails and documents that are created on a particular matter or case – but we’ll just end up reviewing more documents! I don’t think AI will ever replace the strategic element that lawyers bring to a matter. I feel like lawyers will still be relevant at the highest end of what we do.

The Fun Bit

CA: Is there any advice you’d give to your younger self starting out your career?

Becker: I’d probably tell myself something similar to what I tell our new lawyers at Gibson Dunn – which is that there’s so much talent and opportunity surrounding you in a firm like ours. Take every opportunity to engage with that talent through formal and informal work assignments, pro bono, committee work, and the like. It will all be life enhancing.

CA: The hours in BigLaw can be punishing. How do you unwind at the end of a long day/week?

Becker: My family is a huge priority for me, and spending time with them is a fantastic source of balance in my life.

CA: Is there a movie/TV show/books about lawyers or the legal profession that you particularly enjoy? And how accurate would you say it is?

Becker: I don’t even have an answer for you, because honestly, I don’t watch any of them!