Winston & Strawn LLP - The Inside View

Few firms feel like true all-rounders, but Chicagoan Winston & Strawn seems to score big on all bases. Not only does the firm offer newbies a well-rounded entry into BigLaw with its generalist corporate and litigation practices, but its “Midwest nice” culture also ticks the final box to make it a home run. “I was surprised by how normal and approachable everyone was, partners included!” an insider revealed of their interview experience, “Throughout my time at the firm, I have had good connections with partners, leadership, and senior associates. I feel like people take a real interest in my career and personal development.”

“Winston has earned the respect it has; the firm is packed with brilliant lawyers and the quality of work is unmatched.”

But of course, a friendly face isn’t all the firm’s got to show for itself. Another reason insiders cited for joining W&S was the firm’s strong federal practices, as well as its track record in handling sophisticated litigation and transactions. “I wanted to be at a firm that did trial work specifically,” said one associate, “and I knew Winston prided itself on going to trial.” As another put it, “Winston has earned the respect it has; the firm is packed with brilliant lawyers and the quality of work is unmatched.” On the topic of respect, the firm’s certainly earned the admiration of our colleagues over on Chambers USA who award the firm with top accolades for its nationwide corporate crime & investigations; product liability & mass torts; sports law; and regulatory transportation (shipping/maritime) work. Furthermore, the firm’s general commercial litigation work receives top praise across DC, Florida, Texas, and Illinois, while the latter state’s antitrust and employee benefits & executive compensation teams also shine.

The firm’s got ten US offices and a global footprint extending to Brussels, London, Paris, and Sao Paulo. Of its stateside network, the Chicago office continues to draw the largest share of junior talent, followed closely by the firm’s New York and Texas hubs.

Strategy & Future

Following a period of leadership transition in 2024, Winston & Strawn is now firmly under the helm of Steve D’Amore, a seasoned litigator based in the firm’s Chicago office. A combination of headcount growth and high demand for the firm’s specialized finance, digital assets, litigation, private equity, and M&A expertise meant the firm had a fruitful 2024 and is poised to continue its upward trajectory.

Moving forward, the firm’s got its sights on strengthening its European offerings, particularly in London and Paris.

The Work

For the juniors we spoke to, Winston offered the perfect balance in terms of work allocation. “For entry-level associates, you come in on either the litigation or transactional pipeline,” one insider explained, “you are a generalist for the first few years, and then you can choose something.” This system allows young associates to try their hand at various areas of law before committing to a practice, usually by the end of their second year. During this time as a generalist, newbies benefit from an assignment coordinator. “This is beneficial when you don’t know many partners,” an interviewee highlighted, “as you go on, you’re able to build more relationships.”

W&S’s litigation practice has numerous subgroups, such as government investigations, enforcement & compliance, complex commercial litigation, intellectual property, antitrust/competition, and securities (to name just a few!). The group has “no one type of client or industry,” and the work ranges from breach of contract to class actions. The department also assists many of the firm’s transactional clients in any litigious work that arises, as one insider informed us, “We’ve never had a situation where something has come in the door, and it has had to go somewhere else. We can handle a huge range of issues. Whatever the client needs, we can do.” Commercial litigation is one of the larger subgroups in the department focusing on class actions, defamation work, and product liability. Juniors reported being able to work directly with partners to help them prep for trial, as well as working on research tasks, taking the first pass on briefs or motions, and doing due diligence. Overall, interviewees gave the firm a thumbs up for the substantive nature of their tasks. “I have never been stuck on doc review or anything like that,” a junior explained, “we have an e-discovery team, which handles a lot of things of that nature.”

Litigation clients: Abbott Laboratories, Hertz Corporation, The J.M. Smucker Company. Represented Hunter Biden in relation to an investigation by the Special Counsel and US Attorney for the District of Delaware.

“It’s super helpful to have those two years and get a sense of different departments.”

Associates in the corporate department have the opportunity to work across the capital markets, finance, and mergers & acquisitions subgroups, as well as in specialist areas like real estate, financial services, employee benefits & executive compensation, and environmental. “It’s super helpful to have those two years and get a sense of different departments,” a junior further praised of the firm’s generalist model, “you have the freedom to do the work you want to do and naturally join a group.” Juniors are entrusted to run checklists, manage signatures, and generally keep the deal team updated. Drafting opportunities are also available, with interviewees having a go at drafting ancillary documents like joint venture and purchase agreements. Insiders also noted having a good amount of client contact – sometimes even being the main point of contact for a deal. “I’ve had a big breadth of experience,” a junior summarized.

Corporate clients: ClearCompany, Shore Capital Partners, Motorola Solutions. Represented Chartis in an agreement to receive a majority investment from funds managed by Blackstone.

Pro Bono

The firm strongly encourages all attorneys to complete at least 20 hours of pro bono annually. “Many hit, and surpass this,” an interviewee noted. It’s lucky then that attorneys can count up to 100 hours of pro bono towards their billable target. “We have, what I would call, a very sophisticated pro bono department, which makes it very easy to get pro bono matters,” enthused one junior. Associates receive weekly emails detailing new pro bono projects they can get involved in.

Further applause was given to the range of work on offer: “It’s very expansive and interesting!” Examples of matters insiders described being involved in include assisting HIV positive people with enlisting in the army, some prison litigation, asylum and veterans’ work, as well as volunteering at legal clinics. In certain cases, juniors were also able to gain trial experience in instances where cases proceeded to court.

Pro bono hours

• For all US attorneys: 63,700
• Average per US attorney: 68

Hours & Compensation

Billable hours: 2,000 target

Associates are required to bill 2,000 hours (up to 100 hours of this can be spent on a combination of pro bono, opportunity & inclusion, firm investment, and firm citizenship activities) in order to unlock their bonus. Those who exceed 2,100 hours are eligible to receive an extra bonus.

“The hours are in line with what I would expect from a BigLaw firm,” an associate noted of their working patterns, “it ebbs and flows, but I’ve never felt totally overwhelmed or slow.” Sources were also happy to report that compensation is also in line with the market.

Culture

The consensus among juniors was that the firm’s culture is “overwhelmingly friendly.” Associates were keen to note that this starts from the top down, with interviewees highlighting numerous positive interactions with partners. “The partners know about my life and actually care and actually care,” we heard, “if I need a break, they give me one. They’re good at recognizing when something is truly urgent and when it can wait.” Others also pointed out the firm’s open-door culture. Ultimately, “there is no fear in asking questions,” said associates.

The firm also has a stacked social calendar, offering everything from happy hours (both on and off site), lunch events, and different volunteer opportunities. “I literally have to brag about our culture,” one associate beamed, “when I first moved to the city, I didn’t know anyone, but now some of my closest friends are my coworkers.” Of course, after hours socializing is in no way mandatory. Aptly summarized as “a balanced vibe,” sources noted, “we enjoy spending time together, but no one’s pressured into it.”

Inclusion

Winston & Strawn has a number of affinity groups on offer which are open to all at the firm to join; these include the Black Lawyers Network, DiverseAbility Network, Family Network, First-Gen Professionals Network, La Alianza at Winston, Middle Eastern/North African, Military Service Network, Winston Asian Leadership Initiative, Winston PRIDE, and the Women’s Leadership Initiative. “They’re really good about affinity groups,” sources noted. The groups also host different events, for example, the women’s group recently hosted a workout class.

Outside of this, the firm also puts on commemorative events; most recently, Winston recognized Holocaust Memorial Day. “There’s always a good program,” a source noted of the events, “we get to learn more about different people and cultures.”

Career Development

The firm got two thumbs up all round for its focus on training and mentorship. Upon joining the firm, newbies are paired with a mentor. “I meet with my senior associate mentor monthly for lunch,” said one interviewee, “we work together a lot, but the one-on-one time is valuable.” Others highlighted that mentorship occurs organically, too: “Some of the most important guidance I’ve received has come from informal mentors who’ve taken the time to invest in me.”

As for formal training, the firm offers an assortment of sessions, including those for CLE requirements as well as general development seminars. The firm also hosts a two-day mid-level associate conference, with networking and interactive sessions covering topics like taking and demonstrating ownership; seeking feedback; building trust; and excellent client service.

“If there is something you are interested in or want to do, you can express this to a partner, and they will support you on it.”

In general, associates were positive about the amount of feedback they were receiving. “Partners are very good about developing associates on their team,” we heard. Associates also noted the firm’s entrepreneurial spirit: “If there is something you are interested in or want to do, you can express this to a partner, and they will support you on it.”

Get Hired

The first stage: recruitment on and off campus

OCI applicants interviewed: 418

Interviewees outside OCI: 212

Callbacks

Applicants invited to second-stage interview: 225

Summer program

Offers: 151 - 113 2L, 38 1L (both 1L and 2L offers)

Acceptances: 81 - 61 2L, 20 1L 94 (1Ls and 2Ls)