Pillsbury - The Inside View

As one junior put it: “Pillsbury are welcoming, they’re honestly just looking for the brightest, well-rounded individuals.” For sources at this California native, this approach to recruiting was certainly reflected in their pool of associates, their character, and the way that is reflected in the environment. “Of course, we work hard and make personal sacrifices,” admitted one source– something that is admittedly very difficult to circumvent in BigLaw – “but the people actually have lives beyond the office walls.”

“…they’re honestly just looking for the brightest, well-rounded individuals.”

More on the firm’s culturelater, but the firm’s numerous rankings spread across Chambers USA  were also a draw for associates. Pillsbury can be found in the top band nationwide for nuclear energy, food and beverages, outsourcing, and aviation transportation among others. The firm also shines in California for construction and tax, and receives the highest acclaim for construction and technology and outsourcing in the district of Columbia. To top it off, with support from the firm’s seven international offices, Chambers Global  also places Pillsbury as a global market leaderin asset finance and outsourcing – suffice to say, the firm’s culture and work certainly see eye to eye when it comes to promoting excellence.

The firm has 13 US offices including DC, New York, Austin, Houston, LA,Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco. The New York office housed most associates on our list.

Strategy & Future

Firm chair David Dekker tells us that the firm will be expanding in the Middle East, opening two new offices in 2025 in Riyadh and Doha. Despite some firms stepping away from China, Pillsbury have made a significant addition with a team in Shanghai and partly in Hong Kong. Dekker notes that "We’re going a little bit against the current with that investment, but the US and China are the world’s two biggest economies, and there is still a lot of business going back and forth between them, and a need for law firms with a foot in both countries.”

In terms of the work, Dekker confirms that “We do work for the full range of companies, from start-ups to some of the world’s largest public and private businesses. We are able to offer clients nearly the full range of high-end legal services they need.” Sources felt reassured on that front: “I have a very good sense of where the firm is going.” This was thanks to monthly practice groups meetings and quarterly firm wide meetings where they talk about financials.

The Work

When starting at the firm, summers get to dive into all sorts of projects and different practices. “We’re encouraged to try a variety of areas,” one junior outlined, and associates choose projects from a central database. Throughout the summer, “you start in different groups but over time you figure out what you’re interested in and then you mainly do that by the end,” so after spending a summer at the firm, associates can rely on the relationships they’ve developed over that time to acquire work from those connections. Most associates on our list sat within the litigation practice, closely followed by the general corporate practices.

Litigation at Pillsbury is split into three main buckets: insurance recovery, “which is huge in the DC office;” construction litigation; and general commercial litigation. There’s also work in white-collar matters, which is “separate because that’s criminal litigation defense.” Associates alsoget pulled in to help the environmental group on regulatory matters. Day-to-day, this manifests into a wide range of tasks, and for one source this “is what drew me to Pillsbury in the first place. I didn’t care to get paid more to do less doc review for two years.” They continued, “Here I don’t do doc review that often, and when I do it’s paired with other things.” Newbies were tasked with document collections, discovery plans, drafting of complaints, research writing,and even motion work in state court like motions to dismiss and for summary judgement. Basically, “you do a lot of writing and research, but with a little discovery as well.”

Litigation clients: Teck Metals, Rock Spring Pizza, Infectious Diseases Society of America. Represented the University of Kansas and its head men’s basketball coach in an NCAA enforcement investigation by the Southern District of New York.

“I work with people in China, London, DC, Miami, San Francisco and LA..."

Pillsbury’s corporate  practice covers a lot of ground, including corporate securities and corporate securities technology. This includes matters like M&A, ECBC work, general corporate governance,and financing series A, B and C. One associate stated that “we represent underwriters on the East Coast, then on the West Coast we’re representing companies,” but the practice isn’t limited to national matters: “I work with people in China, London, DC, Miami, San Francisco and LA, so it can be challenging with time zones! But everyone is pretty understanding – I mean, we also have a client in India, you’ve just got to make it work.”

Associates appreciated the chance to get some direct client engagement. One told us that “you feel like you have a relationship with them – you get thrown into the deep end with the support to figure it out, so you’d be surprised by what you can do when you get into it.” Typical tasks for juniors include typical drafting of ancillary documents, organizing signature pages, putting together equity debt commitment letters on M&A deals, turning comments on agreements, and generally answering research questions on regulatory concerns regarding CFIUS.

Corporate clients: Jollibee Foods Corporation, Mitsubishi Logistics, The Raine Group.  Represented the Players Directors of the PGA TOUR in its launch of PGA TOUR Enterprises, closing on an investment of up to $3 billion.

Career Development

At Pillsbury, juniors felt that the firm’s approach to associate development was closely tied to the responsibilities they were given right from the start. “I did a lot more first year than I anticipated doing,” admitted one insider, but development was also attributed to mentorship. New associates are paired with both a partner and an associate mentor to check in and discuss matters from their respective perspectives. “A partner hasn’t been in the trenches in a minute, so having that associate helps with learning simple things like how long an assignment should take,” one insider explained. But even outside of the formal mentorship system “everyone here is open to mentoring, people want to help you.” Another junior admired the honesty of more senior associates: “When I submit things, I’m genuinely given an overview of how it was helpful to the matter and what I can improve. It’s not like during your review you’re suddenly told you’ve done a bad job all year – you always know where you stand.”

“The resources we have on demand are great” as well, which include initial trainings when you first join, support staff based in Nashville that you can reach out to on Zoom, and training videos via the Workday site. A number of associates also brought up specific regular trainings the firm puts on to support development: “litigation has a new training program talking about the nuts and bolts of a case – who you should ask, who you shouldn’t ask,” and the firm hosts conferences like the firm’s mock deposition training held in DC in the fall, and a two-day West Coast securities training.

“I feel like I’m wanted because I’m given praise and constructive feedback.”

For our sources, these efforts demonstrated that Pillsbury “really invests in trying to retain associates.” One interviewee surmised, “I feel like I’m wanted because I’m given praise and constructive feedback.” This is also clear from the firm’s approach to including associates in business development, as “you’re meeting with prospective clients from your first month.” Interviewees felt this contributed to the clarity around partnership goals. The firm “is pretty open about it; I understand the time and grading criteria, and the credit system for how partners get paid.”

Hours & Compensation

Billable hours: 1,950 target

Associates were overall comfortable with the firm’s “attainable” 1,950 hours billable target across the practices. One newbie assured that “there’s enough work to go around,” especially since 300 of those hours can be attributed to non-client billables like pro bono, training or business development for the firm. Even with regulatory practices where “it can be a bit more difficult to get the hours, you won’t get penalized for that,” meaning there are many opportunities for associates to rack up the hours. For those that are looking to go beyond the target, the firm also offers two tiers of super bonuses as extra incentives.

When it comes to expectations out of the typical working hours, associates felt there was respect for personal boundaries. One commented that “when you take vacation, the expectation is that as long as you’ve given enough notice everyone basically leaves you alone unless unforeseen circumstances arise.” And it’s a similar story when it comes to flexible working, with associates required in the office three days a week.

Culture

"They’ve created a community of people that have been here for a while, and I think that speaks volumes.”

Nevertheless, many felt that the firm’s in-office culture was a big draw, as that three day in-office mandate helps people to create and maintain relationships. “They’ve created a community of people that have been here for a while, and I think that speaks volumes,” one insider explained; “you fill in a blurb that they send out so people know who you are when you join, the communal kitchen is great for engaging, and when you’re in the trenches together at 1am you just get closer – it’s easy to get comfortable here!”

Teamwork and camaraderie are central to the atmosphere created at Pillsbury. Associates liked that “it really is a team effort, like if something comes in on the weekend stuff isn’t just being handed off while the senior is having the time of their life!” Looking up the tree, juniors felt that “seniors have similar priorities. I work with a lot of people who are married and have kids. If other people are able to do that then it’s a good sign that there is that long-term ability to balance work and life.”

Speaking of balancing work and life, one source beamed “we have a lot of socials!”  These include the occasional happy hour – “aside from summer when it’s like, every week because we’re trying to impress the summers!” – regular lunch get-togethers within practices, and your classic holiday parties. “And you don’t really talk about work, people talk about their kids, what people did at the weekend,” so even though the firm is looking to have more events to reel more people into the office, “to me it was surprising to be able to have so much fun in such a serious job.”

Inclusion

For the most part, insiders we spoke with were satisfied with the firm’s efforts on inclusion, which has earned them Mansfield certification and incorporates a number of affinity committees. These committees include the Women’s Lawyer Committee, the First-Generation Committee, and the Attorneys of Color Network. The latter held a conference which “was great to network, meet other people, and be recognized for the unique experiences we have.”

Those outside of affinity groups were also positive about the committees. “I’m not part of any of those groups, but there are opportunities for me to go to events and learn about those things,” one associate explained, “so I’m not restricted from going to those events – it’s nice to have those opportunities and be encouraged to go.” Our interviewees did feel like the committees could put on more events but acknowledged that “honestly, while the groups are great, the women in the office who provide informal mentorship will be more impactful for my career long-term.”

Pro Bono

Associates can dedicate 200 hours of pro bono towards their billable target, a policy that our interviewees felt was “really flexible,” highlighting that “if you find something that interests you that you want to do it usually gets approved.” The firm encourages associates to do a minimum of 25 hours of pro bono annually, with opportunities generally revolving around immigration and asylum cases. “We can also work on criminal justice matters, helping individuals that incarcerated get out using new laws,” alongside helping support voting rights through Pillsbury’s partnership with Four Directions, a Native-led voting rights organization.

Pro bono hours:

• For all (US) attorneys: 37,323
• Average per (US) attorney: 60

Get Hired

The first stage: recruitment on and off campus  

OCI applicants interviewed: undisclosed  

Pillsbury conducts OCIs at 25 law schools, which are mostly ranked in the top 20. Pillsbury also attends a few speciality fairs, like the IP law fair at Loyola in Chicago, plus the resume drops at additional schools..  

A mix of partners and associates are involved in the process: “We have recruiting committees in each office, and generally attorneys from those committees are the ones who go on campus to conduct interviews for the firm.”  

The firm styles the interview in a conversational way, “so that we get to know the candidate.” This means there aren’t any set questions, but the interviewers typically ask candidates competency-based questions: “For example, we would  look at a candidate’s resume and ask questions about an activity or a job they listed to determine if the candidate has exhibited leadership skills, entrepreneurial spirit, and the ability to take initiative,” says Brandt.  

Top tips for this stage: “First, be yourself. It always comes across better to be your genuine self rather than trying to be who you think an interviewer wants you to be. Second, be prepared. Have examples ready to share of your past experiences that demonstrate you take initiative, are a leader, can accomplish goals you set or overcome challenges. Third, show you are interested in Pillsbury. Know about the firm and show you are interested in working there in particular as opposed to just wanting any job” – Mariah Brandt 

Callbacks  

The callback process varies by office, but usually the candidate will meet with three to five partners or associates for half-hour interviews. The questions here tend to be similar to the OCI questions, meaning more competency-revealing conversations. Some callbacks also include lunch or coffee with attorneys.  

Brandt pointed out: “If a candidate gets to the callback stage, the firm has determined that their resume meets our criteria and the attorney who interviewed them on campus thought they would be a good fit for the firm.”  

Top tips for this stage: “A callback is the opportunity for the candidate to meet with other attorneys to give them a feel for who the candidate is and whether they would fit in and succeed at Pillsbury” – Mariah Brandt 

Summer program  

Acceptances: 42

Each office runs the summer program slightly differently, but all offices ensure that summers are getting exposure to different practice areas and have an appropriate amount of assignments: “Every year we tailor the number of summers in our summer classes so that there is room for and the expectation that each summer can get an offer.” Most summers return as junior associates: “Offers to join Pillsbury are not specific as to any particular practice area, but we make every effort to assign junior attorneys to the practice section of their choice."  

Top tips for this stage: “Try to get as broad an exposure over the summer as possible. This is the time to get to know your future colleagues, as well as figure out who they work with best and what practice areas they would like to work in” – Mariah Brandt  

And finally… 

“So much of applying to BigLaw is making sure you find a firm that, when you’re stuck working late nights, are the people you’re working with making it better?” – second-year associate