Katten - The Inside View

If you’re going to do something, do it well. It’s important advice, and Katten has taken it to heart. When it comes to financial and commercial law, Katten is undoubtedly high–flying, but they have resisted the temptation to put all of their eggs in one basket: “One of the things that Katten market about themselves is that they are a financial services firm, but they have a lot of unique and specialized practice areas” one junior explained. And that translates to a diverse range of practice areas servicing clients in all sorts of industries. The firm boasts a number of top-tier Chambers USA-ranked departments, including healthcare and bankruptcy/restructuring nationwide, as well as copyright & trade secrets, government investigations and real estate in the firm’s home state of Illinois.

“I feel like I work with people more closely, more often, and the level of interaction I get here is more substantial.”

Right off the bat, associate interviewees were keen to stress that Katten is not a firm where you find yourself feeling like a “little fish in a big pond.” Reflecting on a move from another firm, one interviewee told us that “now, I feel like I work with people more closely, more often, and the level of interaction I get here is more substantial.” The firm’s HQ is in Chicago, where most junior associates are based, with the remainder split between a further six offices in the US.

Katten is recognized as a Strong Performer for Junior Satisfaction and a Strong Performer for Mid to Senior Satisfaction in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Strategy & Future

Though Katten has recently underlined that it is not on the prowl for a larger merger partner, the firm has gone on record to say that it aims to increase its headcount from approximately 650 attorneys to around 800 over the next 5 years (which will sound like music to any aspiring associate’s ears). And rest assured, Katten intends to stay true to what makes the firm who they are: “It’s a relatively flat organization structure. Here, relative to other firms, the teams are lean and you can take lots of opportunities.”

Katten is recognized as a Strong Performer for AI Integration in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Summer Program

Summer associates enrol into Katten’s summer program without a practice group directly assigned to them.  The firm then tries to allocate juniors to the practice group they enjoyed most during the period, although it ultimately depends on the needs of the firm. Associates are encouraged to reach out and develop relationships with a range of different practice groups, and this relationship building can be key: “I’ve maintained the friends I made during the summer program over the years. I still catch up with people in the corridors,” one junior told us. Whilst on the program, associates also undertake pro bono work, engage in moots, and enjoy fun events coordinated by practice groups:“We mooted a pro bono argument and the partners acted as fake circuit judges," recalled one associate.

The Work

All of the firm’s offices currently have their own associate population, but most associates are concentrated either in the firm’s office in Chicago, or in New York.  How work is distributed ultimately depends on the size of the practice group. For example, smaller practice groups will have their work assigned to them directly by a partner. Associates in these groups praised this way of working, highlighting that “you can work more intensively with one person, and that gives you more opportunity to shine. If you’re constantly working with different partners, your room to grow is exponential.” Some of the larger practice groups have associate development officers that help to dish out work: “These officers exist is to ensure workloads are balanced,” one associate explained.

Katten is recognized as a Strong Performer for Work Allocation & Autonomy in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

“We get to wear a lot of different hats, which is really valuable as a junior associate.”

We heard that there was lots of room for associates to take work from sister practice groups.  Many associates appreciated this and pointed out that it stopped them feeling pigeonholed or siloed into one niche area. One practice group that appears to really take advantage of this operational model is the firm’s corporate group. As one put it: “We get to wear a lot of different hats, which is really valuable as a junior associate.”  The group specializes in the likes of leveraged buyouts and financings, but covers the breadth of transactions advice across core sectors like healthcare, technology and media. One junior recalled that, when they joined, senior attorneys and partners in their group had provided them with “a lot of responsibility” and got the sense that they were “really trusted.” This usually translates to a first draft of the relevant documents, but can extend to client contact too when opportunities arise.

Corporate clients: Mary Shepard & Alan Ellis, Metergy Solutions, Moser Holdings. Represented the AV8 Group in its sale to Victor Sierra Aviation Holdings.

The restructuring group, who focus on out of court restructuring matters, is another practice group that draws on a broad spectrum of legal knowledge. We heard that different offices tend to have differ specialisms. For example, the firm’s Chicago office tends to focus on creditor side matters, whereas the NYC office focuses more on debt representations for boards of directors.

Restructuring clients: Associated Bank, N.A. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., Capital One National Association. Represented CIBC Bank USA as senior secured lender in several state court lawsuits and a bankruptcy case involving a USD 20 million revolving credit facility for a solar panel company.

Associates in the firm’s white-collar litigation group often found themselves collating interview notes, reviewing documents, and synthesizing them into a memo to file. They also conducted research for drafting a brief or memo in support of a motion. An associate in the group noted that a particular highlight was working on internal investigation. In these kinds of cases: “The client – who will be in HR or a GC at a company - will say: ‘We suspect XYZ has happened, we don’t know anything.’ And you then you interview people, look at the emails and text messages, and then go to client and say: ‘Here is the problem’ or ‘you’re good’.”

Litigation clients: Binance, Illinois Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission, Republic Brands. Represented Wells Fargo in coordinating with federal law enforcement where the bank was the victim of an extensive financial fraud scheme by a company it was providing financing for.

Career Development

Associates praised the opportunities for growth and education at Katten. Litigation associates in particular noted that as size of the litigation department has increased, so too has the firm’s efforts to grow the group’s talent. We heard that “people are very interested in your development, even if they don’t have a stake in it.” The firm holds formal sessions for associates, which are usually delivered via person training sessions or zoom calls. These sessions might be on administrative tasks, substantive matters or focused on business development. Subject matter experts also frequently give talks to practice groups, and these can also be attended virtually or in person. Juniors in a finance-related practice group, for example, may have an industry leader scheduled in to discuss derivative markets or stock options.

“…people are very interested in your development, even if they don’t have a stake in it.”

As well as highlighting the more formal aspects of training, associates outlined how the informal side has also helped them to develop. Partners and senior associates were said to be generous with feedback, creating a culture of really clear communication.As one summarized: “When work is good, people are free with compliments, but if something is off, they’ll let you know too!” The path to partnership was almost unanimously regarded as attainable by associates. To prep associates for this, the firm’s business development training encompasses how to cultivate leads and teaches you how to deal with clients.

Katten is recognized as a Strong Performer for Career Development in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Culture

Stepping into a shiny office and getting that feeling that all your previous hard work paid off is at least part of what attracts many people to the profession in the first place. So, does Katten really scratch that itch? Associates definitely thought so. Reflecting ontheir first day, one recalled that “I came to the office for the first time and I felt like this is what I’d studied for and what I worked hard for.”Associates were keen to stress that “it’s really easy to make friends and there’s lots of opportunity for face-to-face interaction. It’s common for associates grab lunch together and hang out after work.” There are also frequently happy hours, and “you’ll often find that people often say, let’s go to one more place!”

“I came to the office for the first time and I felt like this is what I’d studied for and what I worked hard for.”

Katten associates painted partners as readily accessible people who are receptive to queries. We were told that “there’s a good amount of cross pollination between associates and partners. They are approachable.” Another associate reported that “the partners here are very personable, they don’t take themselves too seriously and that’s what I like about working with them.”

Associates are expected to be in office eight days a month (although this varies from office to office)and the firm does plenty to tempt juniors in. There’s a subsidized cafeteria for lunch with free breakfast and lunch on Wednesday. The eight-day target is also used as a prerequisite to maintain a personal office, which was described as quiet, peaceful, and somewhere that you can really concentrate. Associates also fed back that being present in the office is something that really helps you get work.

Katten is recognized as a Strong Performer for Culture in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Pro Bono

Katten are a firm that takes pro bono work extremely seriously. One associate remarked that the pro bono is “incredibly strong here” and another explained that they had undertaken a “ton of pro bono.” We spoke to a number of associates who significantly exceeded their pro-bono target of 100 hours, and in these cases, they were able to get an increased amount of pro bono to contribute to their billable hours. The firm is partnered with non- profit organisation across the country, and two of the firm’s senior partners are dedicated to directing pro-bono matters (one for transactional pro-bono, and one for litigious pro bono). Associates recounted working with incarcerated people, parole grants, school students, and asylum cases.

Pro bono hours

For all (US) attorneys: 30,560

Average per (US) attorney: 50

Katten is recognized as an Excellent Performer for Pro Bono in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Hours & Compensation

Billable hours: 2,000 target

At Katten, associate salaries increase on a lockstep basis. Once associates reach a set hours target of 2,000 hours, they are eligible for a bonus (which can also be further supplemented with a separate discretionary bonus for top performers). This 2,000-hour figure includes 1,850 billable hours, 100 pro-bono hours, and 50 firm citizenship hours. Firm citizenship hours can be spent undertaking a variety of activities including training, receiving mentorship, attending internal events, working on published material, or shadowing more senior attorneys. Associates felt that they were compensated fairly, and that the firm was very clear in what they expected associates to do to receive their bonus.

“I’ve never seen a situation where they go: ‘well you need to just figure it out’.”

Juniors will almost certainly have to navigate intense work periods - these come part and parcel of BigLaw work. That being said, in comparison to some other outfits, Katten’s workload was painted as reasonably sustainable. One associate assured us that even the busy times are “pretty manageable,” stating that “you are able to gauge how much you need to work over time rather than doing a fire drill.” Another associatehighlighted that things had “never been so bad that I thought I couldn’t handle it. I don’t find myself doing things like taking calls at 1am.” The consensus was that the firm does a good job of offering support through these times too: “I’ve never seen a situation where they go: ‘well you need to just figure it out’.”

Katten is recognized as a Strong Performer for Benefits & Quality of Life in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Inclusion

There are a wide range of affinity groups available for all Katten associates to involve themselves in, these include: Partner Collective on Racial and Ethnic Diversity; Committee for Racial and Ethnic Diversity; Black Professionals Network; Women’s Inclusion Network; LGBTQ+ Coalition; Parents Affinity Group; Latinos@Katten; AAPI Affinity Group; Jewish Cultural Affinity Group. This is on top of “not slowing down” on related pro bono work too.

Get Hired

The first stage: screening interviews on and off campus

OCI applicants interviewed: 303

Interviewees outside OCI:  231

Katten opens summer program applications towards the end of the fall 1L semester, with opportunities for combined 1L/2L offers in all offices, and additional 2L only offers in Chicago and New York.

Summer Program leadership or a member of the hiring committee typically conduct the screening interviews. According to hiring sources at the firm, questions are open-ended and allow the interviewers “to assess, among other things, each candidate’s interpersonal skills, motivation, applied intelligence and entrepreneurial qualities.”   

Top tips for this stage:   

“We hire outgoing people because it means they are likely to build business at some point. I do think that the firm does tend to look for people who can have a normal conversation.” – a third-year junior associate   

“I would advise students to prepare, but not be over-rehearsed, as we appreciate authenticity. It is beneficial to present yourself honestly to the interviewer, in a way that communicates enthusiasm for legal studies/the practice of law, motivation to achieve success, and a strong intellect.”

Callbacks

Applicants invited to second-stage interview:  228

Interviews with a mixture of partners and associates await those who get to the callback stage. According to hiring sources at the firm, “our interviewers tend to ask more behavioral questions than we ask at the screening stage. Interviewers will continue to assess the candidate’s interpersonal skills, motivation, applied intelligence and entrepreneurial qualities. Additionally, interviewers will try to determine the candidate’s interest in the firm and the particular office.” Those we spoke to didn't find the experience too taxing: “For the most part you just have a conversation – they’re thinking about how you would work with this person or this group.”   

Top tips for this stage:   

“I would advise candidates to research the firm, our practice areas, and the attorneys that they will meet, and candidates should be prepared to discuss why they are particularly interested in Katten.”

Summer program

Offers:  87

Acceptances:  46

The summer program runs for ten weeks. Summer associates can try work assignments in different practice areas, and an assignment coordinator is on hand to help them with the assignment process. Summers are also assigned mentors as an extra layer of support. Hiring sources at the firm encourage summers to “work on assignments with a variety of partners and associates across various practice areas, particularly during the first half of the summer,” as this gives them a chance to “experience the different practice areas at the firm and then hone in on what truly interests them for the latter part of the program.”   

Depending on who summers end up working with, they may get to tag along to client meetings, closings or court hearings. The firm also offers learning and development programs that have included topics such as legal writing, communication, wellbeing, and negotiations, in addition to presentations introducing the firm’s practice areas. “Almost all of our summers return as junior associates,” the firm tells us. “When a summer associate receives an offer to return as a first-year associate, the offer is typically for a specific department, based on their department preferences and the hiring needs of our departments.”   

Notable summer events: a day trip to Disneyland, a boat cruise and baseball games (Cubs, Mets or Yankees, Rangers, Dodgers, Nationals).   

Top tips for this stage:   

“If you show great communication and organizational skills, that goes a long way. Bring all the documents you need for a call and keep up to date with all the calendar invites. Those small things are the main things that will impress.”– a third year junior associate   

And finally...   

The firm encourages interested students to connect with Katten attorneys at events hosted through their law schools and by the firm: “They should also follow up with students who participated in our summer program. Our recruiting staff and attorneys are happy to speak with law students to share information on Katten.”