K&L Gates - The Inside View

Plenty of firms like to profess that they are international players, but it’s fair to say it becomes harder to doubt when the firm in question boasts 23 overseas locations. With 25 offices across the US too, K&L Gates indisputably possesses a reach enviable of many. With Pittsburgh and Seattle hosting the most associates, we also spoke to several juniors across the country in Boston, Chicago, Nashville, and New York. With accolades stretching as far and wide as the firm’s domestic locations, Chambers USA awards K&L Gates with high marks nationwide in government relations, healthcare, oil & gas litigation, as well as a perfect score for its transportation: shipping/maritime regulatory work. 

“Elsewhere, everyone was trying to push me to think about my decision in a certain way, whereas here, I felt heard.” 

Though, as ever, it was the firm’s culture that drew interviewees in from the start. “Comparing all my conversations at other firms to here, the difference was that at K&L Gates, I felt more personally supported,” an insider reminisced. Another recalled a similar experience: “Elsewhere, everyone was trying to push me to think about my decision in a certain way, whereas here, I felt heard.” With a “genuinely friendly” vibe from day one, “it was the only firm that asked questions about my resume, undergrad experience, background, and interests,” one source added. Overall, the consensus among our sources was that those at K&L Gates make it abundantly clear that they are openly looking for the person just as much as the lawyer. 

Strategy & Future 

Global strategic growth partner Craig Budner sets out K&L Gates’ market position, describing the firm as “globally integrated.” He continues, “It actually requires a significant amount of investment to ensure the offices are working with each other and that our practices are all synergizing.” Seeking to build on the firm’s strong foundations, Budner underlines that “we’re looking – and have been looking – to take advantage of opportunities and challenges that our clients are going to see with the new administration in the United States.” 

Budner elaborates that governmental changes impact key areas of the firm’s legal practice you might not immediately think of, including “how to source supply chain materials, how to protect patent rights, or how to navigate the new tariff laws.” While changing times surely lie ahead, Budner also expresses the firm’s desire for geographic expansion. “I think you’re going to see us continue to grow in the Middle East,” he contemplates, and “you’ve probably seen that we hire lateral partners at a pretty robust rate.” Therefore, he summarizes, “we’re always looking to build our strengths in the practices where we’re really strong and synergized around the globe so that it allows us to further connect” with lawyers and clients. 

The Work 

It’s fair to say that the reviews from associates regarding practice group selection were a mixed bag. While some were hired directly into a group, others highlighted the ability to state preferences up front before trying to find different areas of interest during the summer program at K&L Gates. We were told that this is a rather informal procedure, as there’s no official ranking process for preferred practices, but the firm aims to match associates with their desired group. While exciting for those willing to be flexible, we heard some grumbles from those who didn’t end up with their first-choice practice, though they were ultimately pleased with where they ended up. The process of work allocation also varied across groups at the firm. Some explained that it’s “generally on the juniors to find steady workflows,” with others mentioning the firm’s weekly workflow report where “you self-reflectively rank your workload on a scale from one to five.” However, insiders explained that your career progresses, relationships are built and connections are made so that “now, I have a handful of partners to reach out to.” 

“I even get to attend interviews with inventors.” 

Intellectual property is split between patent prosecution and patent litigation, with a hint of portfolio management and procurement. Associates detailed that the vast majority of their work is predominantly patent based, although the projects vary. Best suited to those with a technical background, insiders noted working with institutional clients such as large engineering firms, tech companies, inventors, medical device firms, and global conglomerates. Daily work here consists of drafting applications, managing high-level portfolios, and reviewing disclosures. “I even get to attend interviews with inventors,” one interviewee enthused, “which I’ll then pass off for a partner to finalize and review.” Typically, it’s an associate and partner working on each deal, and we also heard that work touches on interparty reviews, IPR proceedings, attending depositions, infringement contentions, court litigation, and motions to dismiss.  

IP litigation: Moderna, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), T-Mobile USA. Represented Realtek Semiconductor Corp. in an ITC and related District Court actions against AMD.  

K&L Gates’ asset management & investment funds group focuses on registered and private funds, with juniors expected to work across both. “You don’t really specialize too much,” one associate explained, as “a significant proportion of my work has reflected and tracked with what the firm does.” The registered funds side involves representing ETF trusts, supporting boards of directors, taking minutes, and drafting written consents, with one source noting that it’s often just an associate working with a partner on each case. The private funds part of the practice looks at deal work, which associates described as “most consistent” and “more structured,” amid lots of client-facing endeavors through negotiations and drafting. Day-to-day, juniors work on regulatory filing reviews, analyzing internal documents, looking at summaries, and general organization-related activities to “keep the pieces moving.” 

Asset management & investment funds clients: RGA Reinsurance, Principal Global Investors, HarbourVest Partners. Represented Vanguard Group on various regulatory matters related to its investment advisory programs and brokerage services to clients. 

Career Development 

“I’ve been pretty impressed with how available people are in terms of talking you through things, helping you, and pushing you to the next level.” 

Both general and practice area specific training is on offer once or twice a week for newbies, and associates also highlighted that K&L “does a pretty good job” when it comes to mentorship. All juniors are officially assigned a partner and associate mentor upon arrival – a policy that received rave reviews – and many mentioned that there’s plenty of invaluable organic mentorship found through developing relationships with seniors. As such, “I’ve been pretty impressed with how available people are in terms of talking you through things, helping you, and pushing you to the next level,” one interviewee explained, before adding that it therefore “seems like they really care about improving your skills and exposing you to new things.” A colleague unwaveringly agreed: “From everything I’ve seen so far, I’ve felt so supported in finding a diversity of opportunity in terms of being involved in high-level projects and being given lots of responsibility early on.” 

Amid the resounding positive feedback when it came to the matter of career development, sources also highlighted numerous different programs on offer to juniors, including professional development seminars and a mini-MBA series. Ultimately, “I’ve found that in my practice, I’ve been given lots of opportunities to learn and develop,” one insider declared, with many seeing a clearly laid-out path to progression at the firm. In fact, “the managing partner has made clear through associate meetings the criteria we’re valued on for partnership,” one interviewee described, so those we spoke to felt like partnership was “attainable.” The fact that “most of the senior partners in my office were summer associates at the firm” certainly helped too! The firm also remains very open to informing associates of the economic condition of the firm. “You have an idea of how to contribute and which steps need to be taken,” an insider said, proving that “even beyond general discussion, there are resources available if you want them!” 

Culture 

“…the intersection between a lifestyle and high-performing BigLaw firm.” 

One associate we spoke to explained how “the firm has always advertised itself as being in the intersection between a lifestyle and high-performing BigLaw firm.” And… the verdict? “Throughout my time here,” they continued, “it’s only been confirmed to me that we’re a high-performing law firm. We maintain high-level client relationships, but we also don’t expect associates to drop everything in their lives!” Colleagues also sensed K&L’s cultural offering during the initial interview process, where sources advised you should feel this sort of thing out. “I had only respectful interactions,” one insider assured us, going on to say that the reality they’ve experience is a “kind environment, not cutthroat or competitive.” We heard that social life at the firm includes holiday parties and happy hours, and associates can also take it upon themselves to organize their own activities. “We can get approved a certain amount to cover expenses for a dinner or drinks to build camaraderie within the group!” one associate grinned.  

Pro Bono 

K&L associates can count all pro bono towards the bonus eligible target. There’s nothing stopping them from doing more than that though, and juniors highlighted that there are “a lot of different programs the firm sponsors to help associates” find pro bono work. Another source touched on the variety of established channels available to find work through, explaining that a weekly email is sent around displaying opportunities on offer to associates. What’s more, newbies are even assigned a pro bono mentor when joining the firm! One interviewee described pro bono work for first years as “an excellent opportunity to immerse yourself into all the detail of each legal case,” and others hinted at a wide range of topics covered within the pro bono realm: helping local schools in under-served neighborhoods, civil litigation, sexual violence, cybersecurity, and more.  

Pro bono hours  

• For all US attorneys: 25,783 
• Average per US attorney: 23 

Hours & Compensation 

Billable hours: 1,850 target 

The firm’s billable target is indeed 1,850 hours, but it is not until hitting the figure of 1,950 hours that associates become bonus eligible. The initial figure was described as “the absolute baseline” and “where associates should fundamentally be,” with the inflated bonus threshold rewarding those going above and beyond. “I think it’s all fairly achievable based on workflow,” one junior contemplated, and another added that “as long as you’re looking for work and staying on top of deadlines, it isn’t really a problem.” To make matters even kinder for those aiming for the bonus, once associates hit the 1,850 expectation, all pro bono and up to 50 hours of time spent on inclusion can count towards the 1,950 total. That explains why our sources seemed relaxed about reaching their target! Day-to-day, hours were described as “not crazy,” with survey respondents working a reported average of 49 hours a week, and associates are expected to be in the office at least three times a week. 

Inclusion 

Interviewees noted the array of inclusion events, such as Black History Month celebrations and client-facing events discussing the nature of being a woman in law. In fact, “we had a candle making activity talking about the female experience in the workplace!” one source elucidated, highlighting that “the firm is very much thinking about these things.” While associates did note that there are “not a lot of top-down initiatives,” interviewees nonetheless described the Women’s Committee as “pretty active,” in addition to underlining the prominence of female lawyers amid a "fairly diverse” group of associates across the firm. Budner explains that the firm continues to “focus heavily on opportunity and inclusion for our lawyers,” adding that “we have a really robust speaker series helping to educate clients and stakeholders on what it’s like to see the world through the eyes of somebody who may be different from you.” That’s been incredibly powerful, he notes, as “it’s given people a voice and an opportunity to speak up, share thoughts, and make everyone feel safer.”

Get Hired

The first stage: recruitment on and off campus 

OCI applicants interviewed: 111

Interviewees outside OCI: 120

K&L Gates attends approximately 50 campus interview programs and several job fairs every year. The firm also collects resumes and will organize additional screening interviews for candidates at numerous schools. The number of candidates interviewed at each law school varies, but at schools where the firm is recruiting for positions in multiple offices interviewers may meet over 100 students at each location. 

The interviews are typically conducted by two lawyers, and K&L Gates tries to select pairs who have a diverse set of interests and practice area backgrounds, as well as alumni connections to the relevant law school. Our hiring source at the firm tells us: "Interviewers will assume that students have done some research on the firm and can articulate what pieces of information they’ve gathered so far that match their interests. Interviewers won’t expect yet that students will know much about the actual practice of law or specific areas of practice. In a short screening interview, it’s challenging to dig too deep into any one subject, but students should be prepared to highlight skill sets they bring to the table that aren’t obvious from their resume." 

Top tips for this stage: 

"Sharing personal experiences that exhibit a student’s abilities in key areas will leave the interviewer with a clear sense of the student’s unique perspective and also help the student stand out when callback decisions are made later.  We recommend students prepare in advance the skill sets they want to highlight, as OCI interviews are short and, if not approached diligently, can be a missed opportunity.  

Logistically, OCI can be challenging. By preparing properly, students should find the process educational, eye-opening, and possibly even fun." – K&L Gates hiring source 

Callbacks 

Applicants invited to second stage interview: 117

The callback process varies among K&L Gates' offices and callback interviews can be conducted either virtually or in person. In this stage, one can expect the callback to last around two hours and to meet a mix of partners and associates. Interview teams of two or three lawyers are common across the offices and practices, and, in some locations, candidates may be invited to attend a coffee or lunch with lawyers. At this point, interviewers will be looking to determine if the candidate has thought more deeply about how they will fit into the firm and will also be trying to glean how well the candidate will work in a team. Showing that you are committed to working collaboratively is therefore a must here. Going into the callback with a clear idea about how past experiences showcase solution-finding, personal growth and leadership skills will stand candidates in good stead. Being able to connect these experiences and skills to K&L Gates' environment is very much a plus. 

Top tips for this stage: 

"We understand that law student candidates’ exposure to the practice of law may be minimal; however, we want to know about a student’s successes in all parts of their life and how those might translate into them being an excellent lawyer. For example, has the student had an opportunity to be a leader and will they inspire confidence in our clients and work to develop lasting relationships? Students who have achieved success in school, in other parts of their lives, and in roles within their broader communities indicate potential in this area. 

Ask thoughtful and substantive questions – remember that this is a mutual assessment process. Be genuine, share your experiences, and exhibit professionalism." – K&L Gates hiring source 

Summer program 

Offers: 70

Acceptances: 46

All summer associates are paired up with mentors: usually one partner and at least one associate. Work assignment managers are also on hand to help steer summers toward the assignments they would like to sample and to help them manage their workload. While summer associates can expect assignments from their practice area of interest, it is also common to take on assignments from a range of practices, and there is also the opportunity for summer associates to participate in pro bono matters. 

K&L Gates additionally hosts a variety of social events and a formal professional development training program to bolster the summer experience: "We offer a robust formal training curriculum to supplement the client, public interest and other work offered to our summer classes.  The curriculum includes an intensive writing workshop, practice-specific programming, diversity and inclusion awareness, and sessions to build students’ understanding of the legal industry, such as 'Economics of a Law Firm' and 'Building Your Brand.' Beyond classroom programs, we also offer multi-session experiential and practice training programs like negotiation skills, advocacy skills, and mergers and acquisitions." 

Top tips for this stage: 

"A successful summer associate program is the goal for all parties involved. The following is a condensed list of tips to make the most of a student’s time at the firm, ease the transition from student to practicing lawyer and, ultimately, help the students become successful lawyers in the future. 

• Do your best work with enthusiasm. 
• Treat everyone with respect. 
• Be pleasant, even when things are stressful. 
• Utilize firm resources. 
• Network and build your professional brand within the firm. 
• Get to know your colleagues. 
• Keep all client information confidential. 
• Ask questions, follow up and show interest. 
• Be responsive and dependable. 
• Relax and be yourself." – K&L Gates hiring source 

And finally... 

"Students who want to join K&L Gates and achieve success here are those with creative ideas, who are collaborative, and identify and seize opportunities when presented, and work hard to help our clients solve their issues.  In addition to the advice we’ve shared above, we suggest students consider the following – 

• Stay abreast of the business world and the world in general – read The Wall Street Journal and The Economist. Many of the issues you will read about are those that affect our clients and their businesses. 
• Take time to network and meet a variety of professionals in the legal industry. 
• Be well-rounded in your education, by taking a variety of classes, even if you can’t foresee how a particular class may benefit you. 
• Become a better writer by starting a journal or otherwise improving your writing skills. 
• Be diligent in your research rather than assuming what you hear is true." – K&L Gates hiring source