Proskauer Rose LLP - The Inside View

It’s hard to believe all our associates were applying to the same firm. “Proskauer is one of the most public-facing firms that does sports work,” said one, while another junior contrastingly “wanted to find a firm in the healthcare field.” But “I wanted a big corporate practice with a New York base!” revealed another, with additional interviewees expressing how they were initially “looking for a strong real estate firm in Boston” and “a big firm that did trusts and estates.” Luckily for our sources, “Proskauer has a reputation for doing high-end work in a variety of fields.” Such practice diversity is highlighted by our sister guide Chambers USA. As such, the firm is awarded top marks nationwide for its work in employee benefits and executive compensation, healthcare, labor and employment, in addition to its sports law expertise.  

“…a sense of openness I didn’t see elsewhere.” 

Despite such varying interests in practice, there was at least one common thread tying all associates’ experiences together. “It’s the people for the most part,” smiled one, “and that was evident from the interviews I had.” With others detecting “a family vibe” and “a sense of openness I didn’t see elsewhere,” insiders noted the “very human” nature of the firm, as well as the “reputation for having a better work-life balance.” 

As the base of the firm, it’s New York that hosts the bulk of associates, with Proskauer boasting further abodes in Boston, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Chicago, Boca Raton, and New Orleans, on top of international offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, London, Paris and Sao Paulo. 

Strategy & Future 

Amid a “trickle of lateral hiring,” associates noticed practice area expansion and development in white-collar, antitrust, labor and employment, healthcare and M&A. Location-wise too, one source underlined that the “strategic locations are Boston and LA.” All in all, “I feel the firm’s positioned to do well in the coming years,” they added. 

The Work  

Those who summered at the firm laid out Proskauer’s free-market concept where, “you can take work from whichever group or department you want to work in.” Juniors called it “a great opportunity to figure out what your fit is,” and sources noted that “you rank your choices as you go into the summer, but they’re constantly asking you: how are you feeling about this group? Do you want to switch things up?” As a result, “the recruitment department can really personalize it,” before associates are officially asked to rank their top six preferences at the end of the summer. With a slightly different approach once becoming an associate, sources highlighted that there’s a central staffer on hand to offer newbies work mostly during their initial two years. As one interviewee elucidated, “by the third year, you’ll have made enough relationships, so they’ll only reach out to you in crunch moments.” Instead, juniors will get work through the relationships they’ve built with fellow associates, partners and clients.  

While Proskauer offers practice groups such as private client services, tax and real estate, a significant bulk of the firm’s associates can be found within the traditional corporate and litigation practices. The firm’s corporate group is split into subgroups, each with a unique specialization in their area of expertise. These include an array of areas such as banking and finance, private credit, M&A, and private equity, but we also heard of more niche domains including healthcare and sports. With nothing too out of the ordinary when it comes to daily tasks, interviewees explained that these typically include diligence, updating checklists and managing deal flow, as well as drafting, negotiating side letters and completing signature pages.  

The more classic corporate/M&A deals involved working closely with banks, private equity firms, hedge funds and major companies on matters like investments, restructurings, and fund formation on both the lender and borrower side. Those within healthcare space mentioned work in conjunction with “sophisticated medical centers throughout the country” over hospital agreements and facilitating patient access to medical care. The sports subgroup handles the likes of physician contracts and sponsorship agreements with major sports leagues like the NBA and NFL, as well as big-name teams like the New York Giants! “Our group is really good at including associates in major meetings,” a pleased insider relayed, as “our teams are leanly staffed, so we get more experience which is very cool!” 

Corporate clients: Morgan Stanley, Minute Media, Ascend Capital Partners. Advised Vantage Data Centers – a leading global provider of hyperscale data center campuses – in a recent equity investment made by the company worth $9.2 billion.  

“I’ve defended a deposition and spearheaded sub-teams.” 

Litigators at Proskauer highlighted that “the firm works across a broad range of substantive areas” within the group, including public funds, technology, agriculture, and pharmaceuticals. Engaging in antitrust work and class actions alongside more corporate work, sources explained that, “in this department, they really give juniors a lot of substantive responsibility.” For example, “I’ve fully drafted an entire motion before,” a junior recalled, while “there’s a good amount of research opportunities” too “which I really enjoy.” A colleague added, “I’ve defended a deposition and spearheaded sub-teams,” highlighting just how “supportive of associate development” they are within the group. In addition to discovery and drafting correspondence to counsel and clients, one associate noted, “I feel like I’m really learning how to be a lawyer.” What’s more, “there’s lots of article writing as well if that’s something you want to do!” 

Litigation clients: Major League Soccer, Netflix, Bright Data. Represents the National Football League (NFL) and its 32 clubs in pending antitrust class actions in the Southern District of New York.  

Career Development  

Training and mentorship begin right away at Proskauer… literally as soon as newbies arrive at the firm. “This was one of the reasons I wanted to come to Proskauer,” one associate explained, “They really value training and development of their juniors.” As such, “we are paired with a partner and associate mentor as soon as we start at the firm,” with mentors described as “available” and “receptive.” While official training consists of “a ton of CLEs” and career training academies for junior, mid-level, and senior associates, sources highlighted that there is also informal training “in terns of doing assignments and receiving feedback,” of which one interviewee stated, “I’ve found those to be just as valuable.”  

Another insider explained, “There are three ways I look at training – formal training, substantive work, and networking internally with partners and externally with clients.” A useful way of looking at it, they continued, “There’s corporate basics training when you start, but I was also getting exposure to high-level corporate skills through practice-area specific training.” They added that “it’s that combination that makes you a more well-rounded lawyer.”  

“It was described to me as a mercenary approach…!” 

Offering a little more detail, an associate revealed that training at Proskauer “varies in formality. Sometimes it’s full department meetings, and others are simply opportunities to talk about issues within the practice.” Source also noted that “there’s a lot learning by doing” too. In fact, “it was described to me as a mercenary approach,” because “the sooner you get comfortable with it, the sooner you can do it without the hand holding!” Making partner was described as realistic too, as “you can discuss that with people early in your career if that’s the pathway you want.” A well-beaten path, “there isn’t a churn and burn of associates,” one junior highlighted, with a colleague confirming that “you don’t feel like it’s a meat grinder!” 

Culture 

Associates felt Proskauer’s culture was aligned across teams and offices, even if each location and group have their own distinct flavor. Interviewees explained the creation of this vibe is achieved through social events such as happy hours, holiday parties and informally grabbing drinks, coffees and lunches together. “I couldn’t have hoped for or expected more,” one associate summarized. The reality, according to one laughing junior, is that “some people in the industry are terrible and miserable assholes,” but you’ll be relieved to hear that “I’ve never met anyone like that at Proskauer.” Another agreed, “BigLaw has this reputation for being closed-door and cutthroat, but it’s the opposite here.” As such, you’ll be pleased to hear that Proskauer’s cultural offering “hasn’t created a firm full of insufferable egos!” For one reason or another, interviewees seemed united in their initial fears of the worst. “I didn’t expect to make friends,” one confessed, “but I did! Everyone has good friendships at the firm, and those continue outside of work.” 

“BigLaw has this reputation for being closed-door and cutthroat, but it’s the opposite here.” 

Proskauer’s former chairman was certainly right when he said that the firm’s culture was the “secret sauce!” This affable ambience was noticed even within a work context, as “nobody’s getting mad at each other.” Rather: “there’s this feeling of just rolling with the punches as they come. I thought the frustrations would bubble up more quickly!”  

Hours & Compensation 

Billable hours: no requirement  

We heard that the firm does not give newbies an official billable target, although “most people are comfortably within” the range of 1,800 to 2,000. Interviewees felt that “if you’re falling short in your first years, there’s an understanding that you don’t control your workflow,” because of the centralized staffing system. Regardless, sources thought of this unofficial target as “realistic,” with the main thing being “showing that you’re happy to take on work and do what you can.” Proskauer also asks its associates to be in the office three days a week, the most popular days being Tuesday to Thursday. 

While there are expectedly busy periods, one junior assured us that “I don’t think anyone is miserable or overworked.” It’s true: Proskauer’s survey respondents reported working an average of 48 hours a week, which is in line with the market average. Dependent almost entirely on the practice group, “things are flexible” when it comes to hours, but: “if you have something onboard, then there will be some longer nights.” One source also described weekend work as very much “a thing,” though a colleague was quick to reassure that it’s “not frequent, which is nice!” 

Pro Bono 

Proskauer’s lack of billable target naturally spills over into a lack of official numbers when it comes to pro bono. “Unofficially, they ask you to do at least 50 hours,” an insider detailed, though others we spoke to had hit the dizzy heights of 150, 200 and 300 hours of pro bono without pushback. Described as “super supportive,” associates get the ball rolling with pro bono from the outset, as all newbies are assigned a pro bono matter upon arrival at the firm. “We’re then asked about sort of topics we’d like to engage in,” a junior explained, as “they set up a call with you to gauge your interests. So, if the firm seems something you like crop up, they’ll send it your way.”  

Associates are also given the freedom to lead their own matters; “you might be working by yourself or with a partner,” one explained. With “tons of opportunities” in all, we heard of pro bono work touching on a range of topics including immigration and asylum applications – noted as a major focus for the firm – on top of domestic violence, landlord/tenant disputes, incarceration and adoption cases.  

Pro bono hours 

• For all US attorneys: 37,795 
• Average per US attorney: 55 

Inclusion 

“They're always rolling out something new,” one source explained, leading them to conclude that, “I think they do great work within this space. They’re always trying to figure out ways of making things more inclusive.” This source continued, “This all signals that it’s a welcoming and supportive environment for women.” 

“They’re always trying to figure out ways of making things more inclusive.” 

Proskauer has a “good network of affinity groups,” and juniors commended the firm for doing “a good job of bringing in diverse speakers.” The former includes the likes of a women’s group – called Proskauer’s Women’s Alliance, which many of our interviewees raved about – and First Gen for those from non-lawyer families. As one insider explained, “It’s valuable because without someone in your family being familiar with law, it’s difficult” to know how to navigate the profession. Different events within affinity groups include monthly panels or presentations with guest speakers on DEI matters.

Get Hired

The first stage: recruitment on and off campus

OCI applicants interviewed: undisclosed

Interviewees outside OCI: undisclosed

The firm encourages students to apply directly through its website as soon as applications open. While the firm does recruit from a wide range of schools, most of the summer class is drawn from schools that are ranked in the US News top 20.

Interviewees should expect questions that go beyond the resume. The goal is to determine whether the person has characteristics and traits that have proven to be successful at the firm.

Top tips for this stage:

Let your personality show. Screening interviews tend to be only 20 minutes long, so candidates who do well are those who convey a sense of who they are and why they are considering joining Proskauer. 

Callbacks

Applicants invited to second stage interview: undisclosed

If you make it back through to the callback phase, expect to do a deeper dive into what was initially discussed during your screening interview. Interviews are conducted by a combination of members of the hiring committee, partners, and associates. If a candidate has expressed an interest in a specific department or practice area, the firm tries to gauge the depth of their interest and learn about experiences they have had that might be helpful to the practice.

Top tips for this stage:

The recommendation is to use the same approach for callbacks as for screening interviews. Candidates should make sure they have done research on the firm and are prepared with thoughtful questions.

Summer program

Offers: undisclosed

Acceptances:  undisclosed

Proskauer’s summer associates can work with a number of departments and gain exposure through assignments, workshops and shadowing without the constraint of a formal rotation process. Work is distributed either by the legal recruiting department or a work coordinator.

Top tips for this stage:

Treat the program like a real job (because it is). Be enthusiastic, on time and participate in the various aspects of the program. While the work is important, so are the other components. Participate in social events, be a good firm citizen and take every opportunity to get to know your colleagues.

And finally…

Your research should start well in advance of your interviews. At the beginning of your job search, determine what firm characteristics are most important to you (e.g., practice, location, prestige, culture) and keep that in mind throughout the process, which can understandably be hectic and stressful.