Greenberg Traurig, LLP - The Inside View

Step aside Pitbull; this Miami-born star is vying for international status as it takes its real estate prowess worldwide.

Miami seemingly produces a number of international superstars – think Sean Kingston, Enrique Iglesias, and Mr. Worldwide himself. It is nicknamed the Magic City after all. In the BigLaw circles, however, it’s Miami’s very own Greenberg Traurig who’s made it big. From humble beginnings in the 305, today’s GT is made up of 15 overseas bases, on top of a stateside footprint of 35 offices. “It’s the biggest player in Florida,” one insider doubled down on the firm’s sheer size. Aside from the juicy deals this expansive network offers (and, of course, the bragging rights), associates considered the firm’s multi-city presence a huge advantage for development. “The ability to move to another location was a practical consideration,” noted one, “I can grow and develop at one firm, no matter where I am.”

“…the biggest player in Florida.”

In addition to being drawn in by the firm’s vast real estate, associates also highlighted the firm’s knack for practicing real estate as a pull factor. “GT has real estate professionals with immense experience, and the practice has a strong reputation in the market,” said an insider. The firm’s certainly got that rep across the Chambers guides, too; both Chambers Global and Chambers USA give GT top kudos for its real estate practices globally and nationally. But with a whopping 50 offices worldwide, real estate isn’t the only practice the firm’s known for. Back in the states, Chambers USA also gives the firm further top accolades for its national government contracts, privacy & data security, and retail practices.

The majority of juniors join GT’s New York office, followed by Miami and Chicago.

Greenberg Traurig is recognized as a Strong Performer for Associate Satisfaction and two other categories in our 2025 survey.

Strategy & Future 

GT has made significant progress with its reach across international waters, and the momentum is ever growing. “The firm is continuing to expand globally and tap into markets they’ve not yet explored,” associates divulged. In addition to a worldwide reach, the firm’s also homing in on certain practice strengths. “There’s been a lot of slow and steady growth in our IP practice over the past five to ten years, which has been sustainable,” a source noted, “We don’t overextend with bodies, so I feel good about the trajectory.”  

The Work 

The majority of juniors sit within the corporate group, followed by real estate and litigation. The remainder join the IP, labor and employment, bankruptcy, entertainment, environment, government contracts, healthcare and public finance groups. Across all groups, associates work with partners to obtain their work. “There is a monthly chart that is maintained by the head of the group where attorneys’ cases are managed to determine how to distribute work,” explained a junior. Relationship building also undoubtedly plays a key role in sourcing work: “Partners tend to swing by to say hi and you end up getting involved in their work.” 

“There is no limit to the size or the client when it comes to taking on work…” 

In the corporate department, work ranges between M&A, private equity, capital markets, funds, finance and derivatives. Work also varies between locations; take it from this DC associate who mentioned, “My team does a lot of digital infrastructure work for the fiber optic cable and cell towers, and deals with data center corporate contracts.” Over in Miami, a source divulged, “There is no limit to the size or the client when it comes to taking on work, but as time has gone on, I’ve been able to ask for more of the work I’ve enjoyed.” Right off the bat, newbies can expect to start on tasks like due diligence and document review, before progressing onto completing first drafts of contracts, and being the point of contact for clients. “You have to do the basic stuff to understand the cases, but you can get your teeth into substantive work if you can prove you can do the important foundations,” explained an interviewee. 

Corporate clients: Purchase Capital, Renzoku Biologics, Hope Bancorp. Represented blank check company Admiral Acquisition in relation to a definitive agreement with ASP Acuren Investco. 

The jewel in GT’s crown is undoubtedly its real estate practice, which picks up top tier Chambers USA praise nationwide. The group tackles it all, from commercial and recreational real estate, to residential real estate, working on matters including property acquisitions and investments, development, management, leasing, financing, restructuring, and dispositions. The group’s client list is lined with those along the likes of property developers, lenders, investment managers, private equity funds, REITs and private owners. It goes without saying that juniors in the team are able to get stuck into a whole range of cases, and involvement often includes working on titles and surveys, as well as various investment, financing and licensing documents, purchase and sale agreements and, of course, due diligence. 

Real estate clients: Brookfield Properties Group, Global Student Accomodation, Affinius Capital. Advised Vertical Bridge in obtaining exclusive rights to lease, operate and manage over 6,000 Verizon wireless communications towers in the US. 

In the litigation department, clients tend to be big institutional banks, insurance companies, and advertisers. “Most of the work is with big clients,” explained a junior. Matters here range from white-collar and intellectual property to antitrust and criminal court investigations, though interviewees pointed out, “The firms two star groups are commercial litigation and product liability.” Day-to-day tasks understandably varied by office and team, though we heard standard administrative tasks were a common theme, including drafting complaints, chasing client queries and documents, and trial preparation. Once associates have demonstrated their work product, room for advancement is aplenty: “I recently wrote an entire brief for a case with the support of my seniors, and it was such a great experience to show what I have learnt. I felt trusted by my peers,” boasted a junior. 

Litigation clients: Bloomberg, Mattel, JP Morgan. Represented Samsung in a number of putative class actions alleging false advertising and product defects relating to its consumer electronics and home appliances. 

“The shareholders in this team go above and beyond to train and work with new associates…” 

GT’s intellectual property group mainly focuses on patent and trademark prosecution, with some copyright work sprinkled in. “The team doesn’t pigeonhole you to just one thing though,” said one junior, “I have reached out to partners for copyright work, and it’s not been a problem.” In fact, interviewees were keen to note, “The shareholders in this team go above and beyond to train and work with new associates, even those not in your own office.” Typical junior associate tasks can include drafting and responding to discovery requests, drafting response of consensus and reading through those pages of contention – “which can be around 100 pages!” Aside from the work, the team dynamic was also a pull factor for many newbies: “IP lawyers normally have their quirks and don’t tend to be very collaborative,” a source laughed, “but that wasn’t the case at GT. The team genuinely seemed to like each other and work as a team, which was so appealing when I first joined.” 

IP clients: Moderna, eBay, Rakuten. Represented Chewy, a supplier of pet products, in a declaratory judgment action against IBM relating to infringement claims. 

Career Development 

Upon joining the firm, associates are paired with a partner mentor who is on hand to answer queries on anything from navigating firm policies to day-to-day work allocation procedures. This was well received by our sources, who noted, “Your mentor is typically from another practice, so it’s nice to be able to seek advice from those I don’t work with.” Also highly regarded by interviewees was the informal mentoring from senior associates. “They do such a great job mentoring us on work even when they aren’t assigned to,” one gushed, “They pay attention to the younger associates.” Senior associates also got a shoutout for their efforts in involving juniors in client conversations where possible: “I’ve learnt a lot about what clients care about and the typical queries they have.” Opportunities for growth are plenty, and aren’t limited to firm prescribed options either. “If I have an idea, I can take it to some seniors to workshop it,” an interviewee highlighted, “I’ve never received a ‘no’ or a ‘you can’t do that’.” These included things like attending client conference dinners and practice/affinity group networking events. 

As for partnership achievability, many interviewees were eager to see their stint with GT all the way through. “The firm is somewhere I want to grow my career,” a source noted, “I’ve seen young partners move up and I believe I can get the necessary experience to get there.” 

Hours & Compensation 

Billable hours: variable 

The firm’s billable target “is more of an expectation rather than a requirement,” noted juniors, who recognized that the firm’s more “relaxed” approach was to accommodate its variety of practices and offices. 2,000 hours tends to be the informal goal among juniors, inclusive of up to 175 hours of non-chargeable hours, 100 of which can be put towards pro bono. When asked about the sentiment around hours and targets, we heard varying responses. On one hand, “My experience has been almost perfect,” confessed one junior, “I have managed to balance my hours by being communicative about my workload and keeping up with my mentors.” On the flip side, “There can be a lack of clarity once you surpass third year,” another mentioned. “The salary is at market up to then, but after this, hours, salary, and bonuses are merit based.” 

Pro Bono 

“…people receive plaques that they hang up on their office walls.” 

GT requires all attorneys to complete a minimum of 25 hours of pro bono, with a cap of up to 100 hours counting towards billable targets. In light of the allowance, the majority of our interviewees mentioned being involved in at least one pro bono matter. In fact, “I wish I had more time to handle more pro bono cases!” one lamented. The firm hosts an annual pro bono gala to “celebrate the pro bono that has been taken on and people receive plaques that they hang up on their office walls,” a source explained. 

There are various pro bono opportunities on offer at the firm catering to various practices and interests. Corporate-aligned matters include assisting non-profits with things like new location openings, with other opportunities centering around immigration and community engagement work. For example, sources explained, “The firm established a line of effort with the legal aid support in North Carolina regarding the recent hurricane.” Other examples included engagement with community projects such as the Ronald McDonald House Charities, charity bike rides and fun runs. 

Pro bono hours: 

  • For all US attorneys: undisclosed 
  • Average per US attorneys: undisclosed 

Inclusion 

Sources praised the firm for its representation of women attorneys, with sources attributing this success to the women’s affinity group. “In my first year, I was made aware of the women’s initiative and quickly got involved in many of their events,” said an interviewee. “I was able to get involved in many female networking events in my industry by being a part of this group.” 

The firm has a further seven affinity groups: GAIN (GT African Diaspora Inclusion Network); GTAAG (GT Asian Affinity Group); GTWI (GT Women’s Initiative); LBGTQ+ Affinity Group; DiversAbility; SOMOS (Latino Group); and Veterans@GT. 

Culture 

“I wouldn’t say it’s a casual firm, but it is certainly more relaxed than other BigLaw firms,” an interviewee revealed. Sources, in part, attributed this to the firm’s hybrid working policy: “People come as they are and at different times due to different life circumstances, which demonstrates that your time is respected.” In fact, many newbies were pleasantly surprised by the culture, particularly when it came to relationship building. “I’m friends with my colleagues, and we regularly go out for drinks and see each other – I didn’t know this was weird until I spoke to my friends at other firms about it!” one interviewee laughed. GT also puts on a few casual social events for attorneys to meet and unwind, including happy hours, lunches and Christmas and summer parties.

Get Hired

The first stage: recruitment on and off campus

OCI applicants interviewed: 621

Greenberg Traurig interviews at schools that are nationally ranked or well represented with alumni in the current attorney population. It also attends job fairs and hires judicial clerks. In 2024 it interviewed at 45 law schools. 

If students do not make the interview schedule because their school uses a random lottery system, “we encourage students to contact the recruiting manager for the office in which they are interested,” says Senior Chairman and Global Chair of Professional Development and Integration Brad D. Kaufman. OCIs are conducted by shareholders (this is what Greenberg calls attorneys at a level similar to partner) and sometimes another attorney. Interviewers look for top academic performance, and a balance of interests in and out of law school. Kaufman adds: “We look at why the candidate is interested in our firm and ask them about practice area interests, because that will determine who the candidate should meet if there is a callback interview.” 

Top tips for this stage: 

“Share something you’re passionate about, whether that’s at law school or an extracurricular activity. We really want to find that extra interesting reason for what drives someone.” – a first-year junior associate 

“It is critical that they show that they know the firm, the local office and the attorneys who are interviewing them. Today, this is easier than ever.” – Senior Chairman and Global Chair of Professional Development and Integration Brad D. Kaufman

Callbacks

Candidates meet shareholders and associates throughout the callback. Each interview is 20 to 30 minutes long. Kaufman tells us: “We focus on whether the candidate can thrive in our firm culture,” so candidates should expect questions about working in smaller teams and showing initiative. 

Top tips for this stage: 

“People who do well are people who are comfortable and capable of cracking a joke.” – a first-year junior associate 

“Make sure to read the biographies of the attorneys who will be interviewing you and try and show genuine interest in their practice.” – Senior Chairman and Global Chair of Professional Development and Integration Brad D. Kaufman 

Summer program

Offers: N/A

Summer associates’ projects are usually assigned by an associate. These projects are based on the firm’s needs, so summers will likely get exposure to different areas of law. The exception is patent prosecution as the firm hires summers directly into this group. Kaufman says: “You should have a few projects on your plate at any given time, but do not volunteer for every project so it spreads you thin and affects the quality of your work.” Associates are given a shareholder and an associate mentor to help navigate the program. 

“They do the great activities – baseball games, cocktail events – where you meet all the practice groups,” a first-year associate recalled. “That’s really fun and can be just as grueling as the work!” 

The firm makes offers to specific practice areas. 

Top tips for this stage: 

“Take the time to learn from key professional staff, including legal assistants/secretaries, as they are often critical to the workflows of the practices.” – Senior Chairman and Global Chair of Professional Development and Integration Brad D. Kaufman

And finally…. 

Kaufman adds: “We value diversity and individuality, so be yourself!” 

 

Greenberg Traurig, LLP

Main areas of work
Banking and financial services; blockchain; corporate; cybersecurity and privacy; emerging technology; energy and natural resources; entertainment and media; environmental; food, beverage and agribusiness; franchise and distribution; gaming; government contracts; government law and policy; health care and FDA practice; hospitality; immigration and compliance; infrastructure; insurance; intellectual property and technology; international trade; labor and employment; Latin American practice; life sciences and medical technology; litigation; marketing, advertising, sweepstakes and promotions law; pharmaceutical, medical device and health care; private wealth services; public finance; real estate; regulatory and compliance; restructuring and bankruptcy; retail; tax; technology, telecommunications; transportation and automotive.

Firm profile
Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than 2,850 attorneys across 49 locations in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia. The firm’s broad geographic and practice range enables the delivery of innovative and strategic legal services across borders and industries. Recognized as a 2024 BTI “Leading Edge Law Firm” for anticipating and meeting client needs, Greenberg Traurig is consistently ranked among the top firms on the Am Law Global 100 and NLJ 500. Greenberg Traurig is also known for its philanthropic giving, culture, innovation, and pro bono work. Web: www.gtlaw.com.

Recruitment
HISTORIC LIST OF OCI Law Schools: Law schools and programs at: Boston College; Boston U.; Brooklyn Law School; Chicago-Kent College of Law; Columbia Law School; Cornell Law School; Duke Law School; Emory Law School; Florida International University College of Law; Fordham Law School; George Washington University Law School; Georgetown University Law Center; Harvard Law School; Howard University; Indiana University Walkaround Program; Loyola Law School, Los Angeles; New York University School of Law; Northeastern University; Northwestern University Law School; Notre Dame Law School; Stanford; University of California, Davis School of Law; University of California, Los Angeles - School of Law; University of Chicago Law School; University of Florida - Levin College of Law; University of Georgia; University of Miami School of Law; University of Michigan Law School; University of Pacific, McGeorge; University of Pennsylvania Law School; University of Southern California - Gould School of Law; University of Virginia; Vanderbilt Law School Walkaround Program; Yale Law School

HISTORIC LIST OF Recruitment outside OCIs: Job Fairs: Boston Lawyers Group (BLG); Boston Fair for Law Students of Color”; Cook County Minority Job Fair; IP Job Fair; Lavender Law Fair; Midwest-California Consortium; SELSC; Northeast BLSA
Resume Collects: Law schools and programs at: Cornell; Duke; Emory; Florida International University; Fordham; Florida State University; George Washington University; Georgetown University; Harvard; New York University; Northwestern University; Pepperdine; St. Thomas; Stanford; Stetson; Thurgood Marshall; University of California, Berkeley; University of Chicago; University of Florida; University of Miami; University of Michigan; University of Pennsylvania; University of Texas; University of Virginia; Yale

Summer associate program profile:
Greenberg Traurig (GT) provides summer associates with a wide-range of professional opportunities to learn about our clients, our attorneys, our staff, our firm and our culture. We offer practical experience to help our summer associates gain an accurate view of what the practice will be like as an associate within the firm. Summer associates are assigned a variety of legal work to understand the options of the type of law they plan to practice. In each office, Shareholders are designated to assist the incomers in navigating the process, learning about legal work at a law firm and exploring what is offered. Summer associates are encouraged to ask attorneys questions because intellectual curiosity is highly valued at GT.

The firm’s Professional Development department organizes additional firmwide learning opportunities that enhance the learning experience for the summer associates. The topics include timekeeping and billing, legal research and innovative, research, and pro bono. There are also opportunities to speak with firm leadership and practice group leaders to provide a review of some of what the summers may be seeing in their work assignments and an understanding of the law firm culture. In addition to providing summer associates a realistic glimpse of their future as attorneys, we also offer variety of dynamic networking events and community outreach programs. The goal for summer associates is to make their experience at GT a successful one.

An important goal of the program is to help summer associates with the transition from law student to practicing lawyers and future leaders by including them on client matters. We look for attorneys who have an entrepreneurial spirit, initiative, willingness to assume responsibility, and leadership skills. Components of the program include: corporate deal simulation; exposure to innovative technology; conflict resolution training; litigation training, such as oral advocacy presentation; visit to appeals court and Q&A session with a judge; and firsthand exposure to in-house counsel and their interaction with law firms. We are proud that several firm leaders started their careers as a summer associate at the firm.

Social media:
Recruitment website: www.gtlaw.com/careers/
LinkedIn: greenberg-traurig-llp
Instagram: @gt_law
Twitter: @GT_Law
Facebook: GreenbergTraurigLLP

This Firm's Rankings in
USA Guide, 2024

Ranked Departments

    • Corporate/M&A (Band 1)
    • Labor & Employment (Band 3)
    • Real Estate (Band 3)
    • Intellectual Property: Trademark, Copyright & Trade Secrets (Band 3)
    • Labor & Employment: The Elite (Band 4)
    • Litigation: General Commercial: Highly Regarded (Band 3)
    • Private Equity: Buyouts (Band 5)
    • Tax (Band 4)
    • Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (Band 3)
    • Real Estate (Band 3)
    • Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Band 2)
    • Corporate/M&A (Band 4)
    • Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (Band 2)
    • Environment (Band 3)
    • Litigation: General Commercial (Band 3)
    • Real Estate (Band 3)
    • Immigration (Band 1)
    • Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (Band 5)
    • Banking & Finance (Band 1)
    • Construction (Band 2)
    • Environment (Band 2)
    • Healthcare (Band 4)
    • Insurance: Transactional & Regulatory (Band 1)
    • Intellectual Property (Band 3)
    • Labor & Employment (Band 2)
    • Litigation: Appellate (Band 1)
    • Litigation: General Commercial: The Elite (Band 1)
    • Litigation: Product Liability (Band 2)
    • Litigation: Securities (Band 1)
    • Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (Band 1)
    • Public Finance (Band 1)
    • Tax (Band 1)
    • Real Estate (Band 1)
    • Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Band 2)
    • Corporate/M&A & Private Equity (Band 1)
    • Real Estate (Band 1)
    • Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use (Band 1)
    • Banking & Finance (Band 2)
    • Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Band 2)
    • Corporate/M&A (Band 3)
    • Immigration (Band 3)
    • Intellectual Property (Band 3)
    • Labor & Employment (Band 4)
    • Litigation: General Commercial (Band 2)
    • Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Band 3)
    • Corporate/M&A & Private Equity (Band 4)
    • Intellectual Property: Trademark, Copyright & Trade Secrets (Band 2)
    • Labor & Employment: Highly Regarded (Band 2)
    • Litigation: General Commercial (Band 3)
    • Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (Band 3)
    • Real Estate (Band 1)
    • Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Band 4)
    • Energy & Natural Resources (Band 1)
    • Intellectual Property (Band 4)
    • Labor & Employment (Band 3)
    • Life Sciences (Band 2)
    • Litigation: General Commercial (Band 4)
    • Private Equity: Venture Capital Investment (Band 3)
    • Public Finance (Band 2)
    • Real Estate (Band 4)
    • Intellectual Property (Band 2)
    • Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (Band 2)
    • Corporate/Commercial (Band 1)
    • Gaming & Licensing (Band 2)
    • Litigation: General Commercial (Band 2)
    • Real Estate (Band 1)
    • Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Band 3)
    • Construction (Band 1)
    • Intellectual Property (Band 2)
    • Labor & Employment (Band 2)
    • Life Sciences (Band 1)
    • Litigation: General Commercial (Band 1)
    • Real Estate (Band 3)
    • Bankruptcy/Restructuring: Highly Regarded (Band 1)
    • Energy: State Regulatory & Wholesale Electric Market (Band 3)
    • Environment (Band 2)
    • Healthcare (Band 2)
    • Immigration (Band 4)
    • Intellectual Property: Patent (Band 5)
    • Litigation: General Commercial: Highly Regarded (Band 3)
    • Real Estate: Mainly Corporate & Finance (Band 4)
    • Real Estate: Mainly Dirt (Band 1)
    • Environment (Band 2)
    • Immigration (Band 1)
    • Labor & Employment (Band 4)
    • Public Finance (Band 2)
    • Real Estate: Finance (Band 2)
    • Litigation: General Commercial (Band 4)
    • Real Estate (Band 4)
    • Banking & Finance (Band 5)
    • Corporate/M&A: Highly Regarded (Band 2)
    • Healthcare (Band 3)
    • Insurance: Regulatory (Band 1)
    • Labor & Employment (Band 4)
    • Litigation: Appellate (Band 3)
    • Public Finance (Band 2)
    • Real Estate (Band 2)
    • Banking & Finance (Band 5)
    • Bankruptcy/Restructuring: The Elite (Band 4)
    • Construction (Band 3)
    • Corporate Crime & Investigations: Highly Regarded (Band 3)
    • Corporate/M&A: Highly Regarded (Band 4)
    • Energy Transition (Band 2)
    • Energy: Oil & Gas (Regulatory & Litigation) (Band 4)
    • Environment (Band 3)
    • Food & Beverages: Regulatory & Litigation (Band 3)
    • Franchising (Band 2)
    • Government Contracts: Highly Regarded (Band 1)
    • Healthcare: Highly Regarded (Band 2)
    • Immigration (Band 3)
    • Intellectual Property (Band 5)
    • Labor & Employment (Band 3)
    • Leisure & Hospitality (Band 2)
    • Life Sciences (Band 5)
    • Native American Law (Band 2)
    • Privacy & Data Security: Highly Regarded (Band 1)
    • Product Liability & Mass Torts: The Elite (Band 3)
    • Projects: Power & Renewables: Transactional (Band 3)
    • Public Finance (Band 2)
    • Real Estate (Band 1)
    • REITs (Band 5)
    • Retail (Band 1)
    • Sports Law (Band 4)
    • Startups & Emerging Companies (Band 5)
    • Transportation: Aviation: Transactional (Band 2)
    • Corporate/M&A (Band 3)