Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP & Affiliates - The Inside View

Ask any junior at Skadden why they chose the firm and you’ll likely come across a version of: “I chose Skadden because my understanding was that the name would get you far…” – and they aren’t wrong. Since its inception in the mid-20th century, Skadden has formed a formidable reputation and birthed a host of notable alumni from White House counsels to SEC chairmen, to news anchors and CEOs. It should come as no surprise that the firm’s reputation is anchored in the strength of its practices – something our sister guide Chambers USA gives credence to.

Nationwide, the firm is ranked amongst the best in antitrust, corporate/M&A, employee benefits & executive compensation, energy (electricity), political law, product liability & mass torts, REITs, securities litigation, securities regulation, sports law, tax (controversy), and tax (corporate & finance). Chambers Global gives the firm further flowers across 13 different multi-jurisdictional practices, including putting Skadden in the top band for its global corporate/M&A practice.

“…impressed by the professionalism, drive, and the types of projects people are working on.”

You’ll see how, then, that juniors were “impressed by the professionalism, drive, and the types of projects people are working on.” Aside from the excellence of work on display, interviewees were also enamored by the fact that “people are invested in juniors gaining meaningful and substantive experience – it’s a place where you can grow as an attorney.” Finally, and ultimately, though the cliché goes, “I just really loved the people – I know that’s the standard answer but there really is truth to that with Skadden!”

Strategy & Future 

In the past year, Skadden has moved towards a two-tier partnership, reflecting a growing trend in the industry. When it comes to the firm’s strategy, multiple associates noted that AI was a key part of it. “We are definitely utilizing AI and trying to incorporate it to make certain workstreams more efficient,” one associate told us. It’s something that has been reflected in the firm’s move to give attorneys access to Harvey. “That’s made a big difference to our efficiency,” said one source, adding: “We have access and training – I feel well trained to use it.”

Summer Program

Summer at Skadden follows the industry trend of being “definitely more fun than being an attorney!” blending dinners, boat trips, and other extracurricular activities with “compelling” work. The firm operates an open summer system, where associates can try any kind of practice either in a litigious or a corporate group. “It wasn’t hard to ask people for the work, and to get on interesting matters,” juniors told us, “Attorneys really tried to bring us into the fold; we did research projects, diligence, and got to sit in on and shadow calls, take notes.”

For many, summer is “a hodgepodge of trying assignments in different groups,” and while “there’s always a cap on what you’re exposed to” as a summer, “they do a good job putting you in the room with more senior people, so you can imagine what your trajectory might look like.” One associate did caution that “people who were more committed to a group” tended to be prioritized on selection, so while “you should try things out to determine what to do, you should also be selective.”

The Work 

Upon joining the firm, most newbies utilize the connections they made as summers to help get onto matters. Most groups also have some form of centralized staffing where associates can go to if they are short on work. Different groups have different set-ups but in some groups, work can go through a staffing partner or staffing group. One associate told us that outside of formal staffing, though “it’s helpful to gain early exposure and build relationships with partners, it can lead to disproportionate staffing.” Thankfully for most associates however, at Skadden it’s a best-of-both-worlds scenario.

The labor & employment group has a centralized staffing model with an individual responsible for ensuring work is equally distributed. This includes associates working cross-office with counterparts in New York, LA, Houston, DC, and Chicago, as well as cross-border with the teams in London, Frankfurt, and Paris. “It’s pretty even,” one junior said of distribution in the group, and “they’re definitely open to you following your preferences – although everyone does some transactional work, just because of the volume of it.”

On the transactional side, “it starts with you owning the diligence process, first instant reviews, documentation, then moves into things like the senior purchase agreements and negotiating on terms.” On the investigations side, “the more senior you get the more drafting you get than research.” Along with research and drafting, juniors sit in on interviews, draft court filings in the first instance, and work on agreements with executives.

Labor & employment clients: Aldi, United States Golf Association, ANSYS. Advising Union Pacific Corporation in a $85 billion acquisition of Norfolk Southern Corporation to create the US’s first transcontinental railroad, connecting 43 states from the East Coast to the West Coast.

Tax also has a centralized assignment system where associates fill out a form stating what matters they’re working on and their status. This is then fed back to partners who are able to assess availability across the board. For the most part though, associates described finding work by reaching out to people: “You typically get work directly from the partners so only on occasion will you rely on the system.”

As juniors in the group, insiders explained, “You get a lot of substantive tasks because we are most specialized – we’re typically not doing menial tasks.” Research plays a part, of course – “some people don’t like research but, especially with tax it’s how you learn and how you get better at it” – typically on niche points of law, after which juniors will summarize and often draft an opinion from. “It’s such a great way to learn the law when you have to explain it in writing,” said one associate, “But as I’ve progressed, I’ve started doing less research and more drafting.” Looking at contracts, for example, “at first was like looking at a foreign language,” a source laughed, “But it’s getting easier now.” Juniors also get involved in more fast-paced tasks, working with M&A on marking contracts, building slide decks, and talking to clients directly.

Tax clients: FedEx, Prada, The Kraft Heinz Company. Represented BlackRock in connection with its $12 billion acquisition of HPS Investment Partners.

M&A at Skadden covers a wide range of matters associates can work across including, but not limited to, private equity, joint ventures, SPAC, strategic mergers, tender offers, and corporate governance advice. “I haven’t been disappointed with the deals I’ve gotten, and I’m not a picky person,” one junior admitted, “but I definitely see people identifying clients and matters they want to work on.” Ultimately, “what’s going on in a deal mechanically is what I want to learn about.”

On the day-to-day things change “a lot,” but typically for juniors “you’ll get requests for a deal, maybe something on NDAs, drafting a diligence report, and as the deal progresses you move to dealing with questions from the client and working with specialists more often.”

M&A clients: Capgemini, Citigroup, BlackRock. Advised Foot Locker in its $2.4 billion acquisition by DICK’s Sporting Goods.

Work allocation in antitrust is done via staffing partners who ensure work is spread around. “They’re very open-door about getting things that are engaging for you,” a source explained, adding, “So long as you vocalize it, you will eventually get opportunities.” When it comes to responsibilities, “a year in I probably would have said it’s not coming fast enough!” one junior admitted, “but I’m getting a lot more now.”

“We get a lot of opportunities to demonstrate competence…”

As a “deal advisory and litigation shop,” as one associate put it, the work can range from HSR filings to a full-blown investigation from the DoJ. “We get a lot of opportunities to demonstrate competence, to engage with the client, and with the DoJ,” said an insider. Of course, this kind of responsibility comes after “being handheld and told what to do,” but autonomy ramps up quick. “Second year is clearly a level up,” we heard, because “now I can run doc review, work on more substantial materials for advocacy, and I’m able to delegate to the more junior members of the team.” More senior juniors can field calls with clients, and “when I get an email from a corporate lawyer, I can respond directly rather than running it through a partner.”

Antitrust clients: Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Activision Blizzard, Apple. Representing Netflix in connection with its agreement to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery – a deal valued at $82.7 billion.

Career Development 

All our interviewees were positive about the firm’s approach to training, which takes the form of both mandatory and optional sessions across practices. Those in corporate practices go through training on things like marking up SEC filings or stock purchase agreements in a “classroom format, then you have a case study where you go through it together,” sources explained.

On the formal side, the firm also brings in outside speakers (“We have a law professor from Columbia come in and give international tax lectures,”), and pairs newbies up with two mentors (one partner and one counsel or associate) for their first three years at the firm. Juniors also praised the informal mentoring at the firm: “They’re always candid with you,” one newbie told us, with another noting that “you trade feedback upwards too,” so it works well as a training relationship. Skadden also has a shadowing program where associates can credit hours “for things like attending conferences and going to court.”

With Skadden’s change in partnership model, the associates we spoke with all cautioned that “the path to equity partnership is much harder now… it’s so far in the future that it’s not realistic to think about until you’re a few years in...”

Associates were full of praise for the firm’s “healthy secondment program” where you can spend a good number of months working in-house. Those with government ambitions will also be pleased to know that “a lot of people in our office worked at the IRS or the Treasury Department in DC, so it’s a huge revolving door; the amount of connection Skadden has to the federal government is quite large,” a local associate told us. On the in-house side, there’s also “a huge alumni base.”

Hours & Compensation 

Billable hours: 1,800 target 

Everyone we heard from was satisfied with the 1,800 billable hour target, which included an unlimited bucket of pro bono hours, up to 100 hours for time spent shadowing senior attorneys (for first- to third-year associates) and other learning and development activities, and up to 50 hours for recruitment activities. Despite the up and down nature of hours across practices, “between billable pro bono and other non-billablesyou can be well above the target.” As one junior put it, associates can find themselves “drinking out of a firehose” if they’re not careful (it is Biglaw after all) but partners do encourage a healthy work-life balance for associates. “I had a great partner mentor,” one newbie explained, “who instilled in me that it’s really important to take time off, so we are encouraged to be smart about it.” Of course, “if I was on a big trial I wouldn’t take PTO, obviously, but I’ve never felt like I was punished for taking PTO; you do view Skadden as a place that invests in its people so there is that culture of assisting each other.”

Ultimately, associates echoed the sentiment that “compensation is clear, predictable and good, but it can be tough when sometimes you’re working at 150% capacity.” For their efforts, associates are compensated at market rate.

Culture 

The culture at Skadden varies slightly by practice and office, but there was a common thread that people at the firm are “professional and competent, but also human beings… maybe a little less buttoned up? Even partners feel approachable,” one source mused.

On the social side, “there isn’t a ton of pressure unless something is on the calendar,” but “if there is something in the calendar, there’s an expectation to participate,” one insider noted. The frequency of social events is something that shifts very much by office; for example, associates in New York were on a similar page feeling that they “don’t want the firm to be your social life,” and that is reflected in the frequency of events, but in Palo Alto “it’s pretty social.” Overall, “group morale has been top of mind” for the firm: “They want to make sure people feel supported and that they can get to know each other.” Skadden has associate committees across the offices to sponsor events, and there are budgets for mentoring activities.

Associates are expected to be in the office four days a week, though each group enforces the expectation differently: “Some groups are more relaxed, like M&A, if you’re not on a transaction or on a really busy deal.” Generally, “people appreciate it when you’re in,” said a source: “You get a lot of facetime and communication is genuinely easier, because if you knock on a door it cuts down an hour-long email communication to a ten-minute chat.”

Pro Bono 

“It’s an incredibly useful tool for philanthropic reasons.”

According to sources, one significant reason for choosing Skadden was the firm’s excellent pro bono reputation: “It’s something they really prize.” As mentioned above, associates can count all hours spent on pro bono towards their billable targets, as long as it's appropriately balanced with client-billable work. The firm also has “great coordinators” who help associates get staffed on pro bono matters.

For newbies, we heard “it’s an incredibly useful tool for philanthropic reasons, but it’s also an investment for attorneys to get real hands-on experience.” With no limit on how much they can take on, in some instances, we heard of juniors doing up to 500 hours of pro bono. “All my supervisors do it too,” said a source, demonstrating the involvement at all levels of the firm.

Opportunities available to associates include volunteering at legal aid clinics, as well as corporate-aligned opportunities such as helping non-profits with incorporation. Ultimately, “you don’t have to stick to the kind of work you do in your practice, so that’s really cool!” associates praised.

 Pro bono hours 

• For all US attorneys: 139,538
• Average per US attorney: 89

Skadden is recognized as a Strong Performer for Pro Bono in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Get Hired 

Applications and First-Round Interviews 

Skadden welcomes any student, from any law school, to apply for a summer associate position. To help us learn more about candidates, we ask those applying to our U.S. offices to complete a brief online assessment to see how their goals and values align with ours. Our interview process typically begins with a virtual screening interview, where students meet with one or two attorneys to discuss their experiences, interests and goals. This format aims to give applicants insight into Skadden's collaborative approach to practice.

Top tips for this stage:  

"Get to know the firm by attending as many informational and networking events as possible during your first semester. Take the time to get a sense of firms' practice strengths, where they are located and how the attorneys work." 

Callbacks 

During the callback, the firm strives to ensure that students can meet with a mix of partners, counsel and associates from relevant teams and backgrounds, based on the applicants' interests. Students also get to know junior lawyers on a more informal basis, such as over lunch or coffee, and have many other opportunities to learn more about Skadden's culture.  

Interviewers will assess whether a candidate will be a fit for Skadden's high level of practice. You should come prepared and show enthusiasm. Most importantly, be true to yourself, rather than trying to be what you think the firm wants you to be. 

Top tips for this stage:  

"We look for candidates who want to learn as much as possible. The people who are happiest here are motivated because they're constantly learning new things from the best in the field." 

"Skadden values strong communication and the ability to interface with clients. There's more of a mix of people here than at some other firms. There is no one type of Skadden lawyer." 

Summer program

There's no formal rotation in Skadden's summer program — summer associates can sample different areas as they please. The firm recommends that summer associates narrow their focus around the midpoint of the program, so if you want to experiment, the first few weeks are the best time. Experimentation is indeed encouraged — a partner on Skadden's hiring committee recalls, "Time and again I see students discover a passion for a practice area they had never previously considered during the summer!" In addition, many summer associates take on pro bono work during their summer.

Summer associates are paired with attorney mentors to ensure personalized support and attention. We also offer thorough legal and business skills training, plus more specialized sessions for anybody keen on specific areas like tax or derivatives. Explore what's offered, and don't be afraid of asking attorneys any questions you may have. Intellectual curiosity is highly valued at Skadden. 

The firm offers a variety of events throughout the summer, so summer associates can meet each other and our attorneys. Notable events have included: tours at cultural landmarks and attractions; culinary and mixology demonstrations; well-being programming and events; private documentary screenings; team-building challenges; and concerts and comedy shows. 

Top tips for this stage:  

"Use the summer program to explore practice areas beyond your initial interests.  Don't miss a great opportunity to work on an exciting matter or with a terrific mentor because it doesn't fit into your original plan."

"Your work should form your reputation for being a great contributor and a team player ― don't be known as the person who shows up late or doesn't communicate well."

And finally... 

The firm recommends that when deciding which offer to accept, "you should meet as many people as possible and trust your instincts ― in the end, your decision has to feel right for you and your career."

Interview with Jeremy D. London, executive partner

Commercial strategy, market position and trends

Chambers Associate: How would you define your firm’s current position and identity in the legal market? What differentiates your firm from your peer firms in the market?

Jeremy London: We are exceptionally strong and well positioned to support our clients globally. Particularly during this time of geopolitical uncertainty, our team continues to be in high demand as clients consistently turn to us to help them navigate complex challenges and pursue opportunities across all sectors. In 2025, we were a leader in the global M&A league tables and had numerous litigation wins; internally, we welcomed 11 highly accomplished lateral partners and promoted 22 attorneys to partner.

We have outstanding talent across a diverse range of practice areas throughout our 21 offices. There’s almost nothing that I can think of that a client can’t come to us for where we can’t serve them with Skadden-level experience and talent. The through line across the firm is our commitment to client service.

With a laser focus on being and going wherever our clients need us, the second pillar of our global footprint and hiring strategy is recruiting and retaining exceptional talent. In our offices around the globe, we foster an environment where attorneys are excited to come to work every day and build relationships with colleagues across practices and offices to achieve results. We’ve always been agile — and we do so on a global scale, offering our clients truly cross-functional, cross-border service, with a strong culture of camaraderie at our core.

CA: Have there been any developments at the firm over the past year that you’d like law students to know about?

London: Our M&A, capital markets, litigation, investigations, antitrust and tax practices continue to be particularly strong, with the firm handling some of the most significant and market-leading matters across these areas. We recently represented Union Pacific in its $85 billion acquisition of Norfolk Southern, one of the largest transactions of 2025. We’re representing Pattern Energy Group in the largest clean energy project in U.S. history. On the litigation side, we secured a defense victory for CME Group in a three-week jury trial in which plaintiffs sought more than $2 billion in damages. We also are at the forefront of emerging areas of litigation, including digital assets and AI, where we are often called upon to navigate matters of first impression.

We take our commitment to our community and having an impact on our community — pro bono — very seriously. We’re proud to sponsor the Skadden Foundation; this year, the Foundation welcomed its 38th class, and we’ve now made more than 1,000 Skadden Fellows. These two-year Fellowships are focused on addressing unmet civil legal needs of people living in poverty in the U.S.

We’re also keeping our eye on how emerging technology tools, including AI, are impacting our industry. This year, we hired Vince DiMascio as our Chief Digital and Information Officer to oversee and integrate our global digital strategy with our technology agenda.

CA: Are there any trends that you think are affecting the business of law firms more generally, and how is that playing out with your firm?

London: In terms of industry-wide trends, AI represents a number of novel opportunities for us internally and for our clients. As we’ve adopted and developed AI tools, we’ve sought to balance the opportunity to improve efficiency and overall client experience with doing so responsibly and in accordance with our high standards of excellence.

CA: What is your firm’s commercial strategy focusing on, and how do you expect the next year to unfold?

London: We’re continuing to focus on targeted, strategic growth in geographies and practice areas to advance our goals and best serve our clients. When clients turn to us, they are expecting market-leading service, and we make investments in our talent to ensure we’re meeting that bar. We train our lawyers to be ready to lead and be best in practice. That’s the core of our strategy.

We’re always looking at where our clients need us most and where we anticipate growth opportunities — deepening our presence in existing locations and expanding into new geographies. Houston and the West Coast stand out as particularly exciting right now, and internationally, we see real momentum in London and across EMEA.

CA: You moved to a new office in Houston this year. What prompted the move?

London: Our Houston office is growing rapidly to meet the needs of our clients in the Texas and broader regional markets. Over the last two years, we’ve expanded our capabilities there with both internal transfers and strategic lateral hires, including the recent additions of M&A partners Stephen Gill, Emery Choi and Mingda Zhao, and litigation partner Michelle Scheffler. Our growth has been a draw for partners across the firm, as well — tax partner Sean Shimamoto, who is now head of our Houston Tax Group, and litigation partner Abby Davis both recently relocated to the office. The growth in Houston has broadened the office’s practice offerings to include capital markets, executive compensation and benefits, and tax.

With the new space in Houston, we have expanded our footprint to support our continued growth. It has given us the opportunity to rethink our office space and incorporate next-generation design to better serve our clients and our people.

Over the past year, we also moved into new office spaces in Abu Dhabi, Los Angeles and Paris — each in a prime location and purposefully designed to foster collaboration and deliver the very best experience to our clients.

Inside the Firm

CA: How is the firm evolving to accommodate the needs/expectations of the next generation of lawyers?

London: We actively work to meet this generation and the next generation of lawyers where they are: mentoring; training tech and support; and the leveraging of AI and understanding of how our lawyers will use and experience it. We must be familiar with it to best support them; it can’t be top-down, “You’ll do it as I did it.” The world is changing. For partners and seasoned attorneys, it’s more about how they can learn and evolve to be on the same page.

Culture has always been a differentiator for us. We’re 78 years young, and our collaborative, innovative culture has been part of our DNA from the start. It’s driven by everyone at the firm — from our most senior partners to our most junior associates. From the minute you join our firm, you learn that every voice is valued, regardless of position or seniority.

From a training standpoint, all first-year associates go through our Associates’ Comprehensive Education (ACE) program — an intensive, 360 business training module where you spend your first several weeks when you get here. Most of that teaching is done by our lawyers, and we use real case studies. We give you a boost before you go into your practice areas. Our new joiners recognize Skadden as a launching pad for their careers, whether to stay here or go elsewhere. Our alumni include in-house counsel, startup counsel, people in government and professors. And many of our lawyers, including me, continue their whole careers here.

The Legal Profession

CA: How do you predict the legal profession will change in the next five years? Are there any particular challenges the industry is facing?

I wish I had the crystal ball for how it’ll look in five years. A shifting geopolitical landscape and the associated risks — and opportunities — that are presented will impact the way our clients do business, and the way that our industry serves their needs. We’re always on the lookout for changes in economic cycles, making sure we have a mix of practices and geography — a good balance, so regardless of where we are in each economic cycle, we can continue to best serve our clients.

And, of course, there’s AI, which is accelerating change across the industry. Our focus is on how we can harness this tool thoughtfully to best support our people and our clients.

The Fun Bit

CA: What was the first car you owned?

London: My grandfather was a car dealer, so the first car I owned was not glamorous: a Pontiac station wagon. Very uncool, but it certainly came in handy for schlepping around teammates and friends.

CA: What memory/moment has stuck with you from law school?

London: My girlfriend at the time — who is now my wife — spilled a drink all over my notes the night before my tax final, and it was an open note exam... that one sticks out!

CA: Did you still do okay on the exam?

London: Good follow up. I still got an A without any readable notes.