Fish & Richardson PC - The Inside View

Those hooked on all things intellectual property will certainly take like a fish to water here. According to our interviewees, Fish & Richardson “has been the top IP firm for a while.” It’s certainly a sentiment reflected by our colleagues over at Chambers USA  who recognize the firm as one of the top nationwide for intellectual property and international trade intellectual property. It’s this deep IP expertise that Fish draws from to service a wide array of clients and household names. In fact, “I think we have every type of client,”  an associate noted of the range. In particular, “Fish is really good in the tech, software, and consumer electronics field,”  added another. 

“…surrounded by people with technical backgrounds.” 

While Fish has a stateside network of twelve offices (plus a further two internationally), associates were keen to highlight that the firm’s strong focus on IP ultimately lent itself to a tight-knit community. “Across the US, we’ve only got around 400 attorneys, and we’re all working on similar things, so everyone knows each other,” noted an insider. Speaking further on the common ground shared by attorneys at the firm, they added, “it’s nice to be surrounded by people with technical backgrounds.” Indeed, the firm tends to hire candidates with STEM backgrounds due to the technical nature of the work. 

Fish’s associates are spread across its Atlanta, Austin,Boston, Dallas, DC, Delaware, Houston, Minneapolis, New York, San Diego, and Silicon Valley offices, with the majority joining the firm’s DC base.

The Work 

Upon joining Fish & Richardson, juniors float around the firm’s free market allocation system. To provide a bit of support, newbies also have a work coordinator on hand for their first six months “until you get staffed on a good number of billables.” Associates can pick up work across the firm’s three distinct practices: IP litigation, patent prosecution, and trademark. The general sentiment around the system was positive; “they’re very open to you choosing your own adventure, so you just reach out to the principals and case groups you’d like to get staffed in,”  a source explained. In addition to this, associates can speak directly to group leaders if they need extra assistance finding work. Once juniors are placed on a matter “a partner might make you handling attorney” which means associates become the primary point of contact for that particular client. “If you’re always working with a client you understand their issues,” one junior explained, “it’s effective because there are fewer channels of communication.” 

“…work with experts and witnesses located across the world.” 

Fish’s IP litigation practice handles matters for clients internationally, giving juniors the coveted opportunity to “work with experts and witnesses located across the world.” The group covers a range of industries, including life sciences, oil & gas, mechanical engineering, electrical & computer science, aerospace, and telecommunications (to name just a few). “Particularly on trademarks, we work with just about every industry there is!” an insider enthused. For these clients, the group largely assists with aspects of the matter relating to US federal law. “They’re big clients, so there’s a lot at stake…” a junior told us. Associates can assist with anything from doc review, client interviews, and drafting motions, to attending depositions, preparing pre-trial disclosures, and working on case strategies. 

IP litigation clients: Confidential

The patent prosecution practice is generally split into two halves; on one side, attorneys work closely with the aforementioned litigation team. The work generally consists of analysing any preliminary risks of proposed trademarks, then assisting clients with applying for that trademark, as well as working alongside local counsel to determine best practices if the client wants to trademark outside the US. As one junior summarized, “You’re working with clients to get them patents on their inventions and existing devices, which among other things, includes a lot of emails to clients.” 

The other side of the practice involves post-grant work. Associates explained, “Instead of filing patents, we’re trying to get rid of them, arguing that they shouldn’t have been granted in the first place.” This means that juniors’ day-to-day often includes “sending cease and desists for things like domain name disputes, arguing if they should have a right to a URL, and going through the related proceedings with the relevant government agency.” Generally, this involves “a lot of reading, writing and collaborating with other teams,” one junior detailed, “we also hire an expert in the field to make sure they agree with the arguments we’re making.” While writing and analysis plays a significant role in juniors’ workloads, an insider noted that “people have had stand up opportunities in court, too!” 

Patent prosecution clients: Confidential 

Hours & Compensation 

Billable hours: 2,000 target (with options to reduce) 

A key selling point for Fish, according to our interviewees, was the firm’s flexibility on billable hour requirements. Though the default expectation is 2,000 hours, associates have the option to adjust their target. “Technically you can go down to 1,600 with approval from your group leader,” said an insider, but most tend to settle around 1,900. While compensation is pro-rated according to any reduced targets, associates who ultimately end up billing 2,000 hours anyway will receive the full bonus. “Ideally, you set your target hours at the beginning of the year, but you can change it at any time,” sources noted of the firm’s flexibility, “they strive to make sure any reductions aren’t something that’s looked down on.”  

When it comes to finding the hours to bill, associates had no qualms about getting enough work. One junior admitted, “I do weekend work sometimes, but that’s because I choose to. They don’t mind when you’re doing the work, as long as the work is getting done.” Further flexibility was also reflected in the firm’s hybrid working policy; “People usually try and come to the office two to three days a week, depending on how long their commute is,” said a junior. 

Pro Bono 

Fish allows associates to spend up to 10% of their billable hour target on pro bono matters. Though there’s no enforced minimum threshold, all summers are required to take on a pro bono project, and juniors receive regular notifications on available pro bono matters. And if nothing tickles your fancy, “they give you so much freedom to find something you are interested in.”

While there are plenty of IP-adjacent pro bono opportunities available for associates to take on, including assisting startups, non-profits, and those who might not be able to afford to hire a law firm, Fish also has traditional pro bono matters on hand. Veterans’ and immigration cases were particularly common, particularly in the firm’s Silicon Valley office. DC, on the other hand, tends to focus on housing-related matters, including housing conditions and guardianship cases.

Pro bono hours 

• For all US attorneys: 21,756 
• Average per US attorney: 45

Culture 

“A lot of people had STEM careers before joining…” 

“Since this is an IP firm, most people have a technical background,” an insider made clear, “a lot of people had STEM careers before joining, so you respect them as a scientist, engineer, and colleague!” As such, “people feel comfortable letting their nerdy side come out – that’s not saying we’re a bunch of nerds!” an associate laughed, “but it feels more like hanging with friends from grad school, rather than being in a competitive environment.” 

This sentiment was reflected by multiple sources across all of the firm’s officers, and handily so, given associates are often working with fellow associates and technology specialists spread across the firm’s network. “The firm really encourages people to fly out to get to know one another,” noted one source, “they’ll cover the travel expenses, so I could approach the team, ask for a flight and a hotel to another office to meet colleagues, and they’ll cover it!”  

As for social events, insiders noted, “They’re very organic – aside from the planned retreats,” so there’s no obligation to attend. For those that do enjoy the occasional shindig, we heard the DC office hosts various holiday parties (“We had a Halloween party and people brought their kids in to trick or treat!”); while the Minneapolis office’s “managing principal hosts lunches where people are assigned to random groups. It’s a great way for the different practices to interact with and meet people they wouldn’t necessarily know,” praised one associate. The firm makes a conscious effort to bring people together in the office, too, with things like catered lunches, but associates were keen to reassure that they’re never forced to be in office. Of course, “the firm likes people coming in, so they do it as a bonus, but we don’t have a policy on coming in. Getting your work done is all that matters!” 

Career Development 

Off the bat, “training was a huge draw,” one junior told us. Newbies are assigned a mentor upon joining the firm. “They act as a champion who looks out for you,” sources noted. A member from the professional development team will also have quarterly check in with juniors to ensure they’re on track. Beyond this, insiders reassured, “If there’s anything I need help on, partners and seniors are really willing to help me find the right sources to consult; there are no sharp elbows.” To assist juniors with making those informal connections, the firm hosts multiple training sessions and retreats throughout the year. 

Specific training sessions available to associates include things like Lit U, a series of virtual training, deposition trainings and “mini fake trials where you go on a retreat to learn all the skills a litigator needs to know.” There is also a Patent Prosecution Workshop where, for two days, newbies congregate and undergo multiple training sessions on writing patent applications. “It is a little bit like a trial by fire,” one associate admitted, though on the whole they were grateful for the opportunity to learn the ropes. “Coming out of law school, you know nothing,” they laughed, “so it’s great being somewhere where you can learn, and principals will take the time to sit down with you.” 

On the business development side, associates are able to attend “a lot of the interesting stuff, like pitches and client calls – just to get a taste of what it’s like.” As such, while juniors weren’t thinking about partnership just yet, sources felt positive about the future possibility. Alongside “yearly reviews, they make sure you’re on the right path,” we heard. 

Inclusion

The firm’s affinity groups host social events quite frequently. “They’re very active,” juniors told us of the groups, “they host regular presentations which a lot of people attend and support.” Fish’s affinity groups are associate-led, and include the Allyship group, BlackFISH; Lawtinos; RainbowFish; an Asian & Asian American group (AAAG); a South Asian & Middle Eastern group (SAME); ENABLED (Empowering, Normalizing, and Backing Legal Employees withDisabilities); Fish Family Connect for parents, guardians, and caregivers; FishSERVES for military and veterans; and EMPOWER for women. The firm also has inclusion initiatives, like School of Fish (to promote IP law career paths to STEM students) and the Fish 1L Diversity Fellowship program.

Strategy & Future 

Associates had a lot of confidence in the firm’s strategy and trajectory. “The CEO holds frequent meetings on what management is thinking and where they see opportunity for growth,” one insider informed us, “so they’re quite transparent.” Juniors were under the impression that “they’re always hiring and trying to expand.” Indeed, the firm recently announced its plans to grow its Chicago offering.

Get Hired

The first stage: recruitment on and off campus  

OCI applicants interviewed: 56

Interviewees outside OCI: 135

Most positions at Fish require a technical or scientific background, and Fish focuses on hiring 1L summer associates in order to find those students with a technical background earlier in the recruiting process. For this reason, the firm participates in a limited number of OCI programs and encourages all students to apply directly. Fish attorneys are active participants at law school and student focused industry outreach events and student organizations tailored to patent law. The firm is looking for students who have done their research and are excited to join our premier intellectual property and litigation firm. Interviewers are usually the principals (partners) and associates who are heavily involved with recruiting. Fish also places great importance on hiring judicial clerks, especially from the Federal Circuit. Every spring Fish hosts events specifically for judicial clerks to learn more about the firm. 

Top tips for this stage:  

“We pride ourselves on having the technical knowledge to be able to understand what our clients are bringing to us. You don’t have to have a technical background to try a patent case in court, but it certainly helps. If you understand the tech, you’ll be able to communicate it better to a jury and be more persuasive.” – a first-year junior associate  

Know what you want to do and be able to communicate how your education and experiences have prepared you to be an asset to the firm. 

Callbacks 

Callbacks are conducted by a mix of associates and principals, and they typically involve four or five attorneys meeting with a candidate over a two to three-hour period. Those who are interviewed can expect behavioral questions. Each interview slot focuses on a different skill or characteristic. Candidates are asked about their problem-solving ability, leadership, work ethic or other traits critical to the work. During callbacks, Fish evaluates how well candidates will perform with clients, on teams, and the high-pressure situations. Interviewers also take the time to answer candidates’ questions that will help them to decide if the firm is a good fit. Fish hires summer associates with the goal of developing them to become principals at the firm, and they look for candidates who demonstrate the team-oriented approach needed to succeed over the long term. 

Top tips for this stage:  

Be prepared to show how your interests and experience have led you to Fish, and what will make you successful here. Fish wants to hear what gets candidates excited, and how they will translate that enthusiasm for the work Fish does. 

Summer program 

Offers: 61

Anticipated acceptances for 2025:  44

Summer associates attend meetings and calls and conduct research for real client work assignments. The Fish summer program is designed to put summer associates in the real world of law firm life. The supervised client work is assigned by a work coordinator who ensures that summer associates receive a variety of projects and work with different attorneys over the summer and help balance workloads. The firm’s goal is to expose summer associates to valuable training and resources so when they return as associates, they can jump right in.

There is a firm-wide summer retreat during the program – in 2025 it will be hosted in Boulder, Colorado. Previous locations include Chicago, Nashville, and San Diego. All summers get to go for this three-day training and social event. Fish sees the retreat as an integral part of the summer program because making the connections with the other summer associates and attorneys across the firm really sets the summer associates up for success; they develop a network at Fish that they will call on throughout their career.

Most summers rejoin the firm as junior associates, though some take a detour through clerkships first.  

Top tips for this stage:  

“Be aware that our batch of associates is a couple of years older than average. It’s because we tend to like people who have prior work experience in a technical field or something similar.” – a second-year junior associate