Having spread its billion-dollar wings over the country, litigation giant Alston & Bird has long been ready to “compete at the top of the market.”
Alston & Bird Lateral Profile 2024
While the majority of associates are still based at the firm’s Atlanta office, Alston & Bird has come a long way since the early days, with offices all over the US including LA, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Washington, DC and New York, and further afield as far as London, Brussels and Beijing. As managing partner Richard Hays puts it: “We’ve been around for a long time, and have built up a strong culture and strategy to hire excellent people and compete at the top of the market.” What exactly has that looked like over the last few years? “Our overarching goal has been to march to that year to year,” Hays adds, “and we have seen this as we have grown in London and across the West Coast.”
View the firm’s Chambers USA rankings
Read the firm’s Inside View feature on junior associate life
Why did you join your firm? Associates say…
“It's a firm with a lot of ‘lifers,’ which means plenty of people liked it enough to spend their entire career here. That's very attractive to a young associate.”
“The people get to have a life outside of work, associates get real work and autonomy, and there are few, if any ‘fake emergencies’ that drain associate resources.”
“Everyone cares deeply about everyone else, and personal wellbeing (including feeling comfortable to express oneself and preserving individual personality) is prioritized.”
Strategic Recruitment Focuses 2024
Capital markets / M&A careers
The view from the firm: The firm’s attorneys have extensive experience with complex mergers and acquisitions, spinoffs, going-private transactions, joint ventures and similar transactions for clients in a broad range of industries, representing bidders, target companies, stockholders, boards of directors and financial advisors. Alston & Bird lawyers have been involved in all aspects of leveraged buyouts and distressed sales and can handle the acquisition and financing of public and non-public companies of any size.
M&A clients: Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo.
Recent highlight: Served as counsel to Credit Suisse for over 15 years, one of the most recent matters being in their role as the company’s financial advisor to Albertsons Companies in its $25 billion business combination with Kroger.
Finance careers
The view from the firm: Alston & Bird has one of the leading structured finance and securitization practices in the country. It represents many of the most active issuers, originators, master servicers, servicers, trustees, fund managers, investors, domestic and foreign financial institutions, rating agencies and insurers in a variety of debt financings. The practice puts its deep bench in several leading US financial centers and in London into play to lead transactions in virtually every asset class of the structured finance and securitization markets.
Finance clients: Bank of America, Capital One, Clearview Capital.
Recent highlight: Represented Qatar Airways in its lender capacity in the restructuring of LATAM Airlines.
Healthcare careers
The view from the firm: The firm is home to one of the most extensive, full-service healthcare practices in the United States, with demonstrated transactional, regulatory, public policy, government investigations and litigation expertise, including former senior health policy and enforcement officials from the US Congress and executive branch departments and agencies, including the White House, Departments of Justice and Health & Human Services, and Food and Drug Administration.
Healthcare clients: Sandoz, Modernizing Medicine, Harbin Clinic.
Recent highlight: Represented over 1,000 physician owners of SummitHealth and CityMD in a $9 billion sale to VillageMD.
Intellectual property careers
The view from the firm: Alston & Bird’s IP practice is one of the largest and most highly regarded of any general practice firm in the United States. The group provides a full range of intellectual property services, including patentability and prosecution, litigation, post-grant review proceeding expertise and services, patent maintenance, counseling regarding infringement avoidance and validity and infringement studies and opinions.
IP clients: Honeywell International, Toyota Motor Corporation.
Recent highlight: Acted as lead counsel for Ericsson in an international licensing dispute against Apple.
Litigation careers
The view from the firm: Alston & Bird’s attorneys have litigated in virtually every major industrialized jurisdiction around the world. The firm’s litigation experience includes antitrust, bankruptcy, construction, environmental and land development, ERISA, international trade and regulatory, labor and employment, securities, products liability and class actions.
Litigation clients: Nokia, The Home Depot, UPS.
Recent highlight: Represented Microsoft as lead counsel in a merger challenge filed by ten gamers attempting to block its $69 billion proposed acquisition of gaming company Activision Blizzard.
Career Development & the Path to Partnership
|
27 |
0.95 : 1 |
83% |
||
|
partners made in 2024 |
associate : partner gearing |
of associates intend to make partner |
||
|
84% |
80% |
86% |
||
| felt partnership was achievable for attorneys with children | felt partnership was achievable at the firm | agreed partners are nurturing future leaders |
||
The view from the firm: Our one-on-one mentoring program for junior lawyers is designed to guide associates through their first few years of practice. Our A&BCD Initiative focuses on group coaching and is designed to support Senior Associates in the development of the skills, knowledge and relationships necessary to succeed. Additionally, we have practice-specific skills checklists for use as a benchmarking guide through each level of development. We provide our own internal course offerings through Alston & Bird University. Our Business Development training curriculum is offered to all lawyers and our experienced Marketing Specialists are available to assist with individual business development needs and plans.
Hours & Compensation
|
2,000 |
12 |
46.1 |
|
billable hours |
average number of vacation days associates took in one year |
average number of hours associates worked in one week |
|
64% |
69% |
79% |
| agreed they had a good work-life balance |
said the benefits package makes the workload worthwhile |
found the bonus allocation fair and transparent |
Salaries
1st year: $225,000
*The firm did not disclose its salaries beyond this point.
The view from the firm: We provide competitive compensation and a merit bonus program with 150 hours non-billable hours, including pro bono and approved diversity & inclusion activities, counted toward hours-based bonus qualification. The Firm’s Flexible Time Off Policy permits all salaried attorneys to take time away from work with pay for rest and relaxation at their discretion. Our wide range of benefits, work life balance programs, and alternative work arrangements and career options are designed to address the challenges of balancing the demands of family and career and provide the support and resources our attorneys need to successfully integrate their work and personal lives at every stage of development.
Is Alston & Bird the right firm for you?
|
86% |
91% |
86% |
|
were happy in their current role |
agreed the work is interesting |
felt comfortable being themselves at work |
The view from the firm: Lateral hiring is critical to Alston & Bird's overall talent strategy and long-term commitment to our clients. We highly value the experience and expertise our lateral attorneys bring to the firm, and we integrate them fully as future partners and leaders. We seek highly motivated attorneys who are committed to their practice, are intellectually curious, and who celebrate a diverse and inclusive work environment. Our website job board contains current opportunities available throughout the firm and is updated in real time.
Here's what survey respondents had to say about the firm's culture...
“The firm works very hard, but people are nice, outgoing, and friendly. You can balance both times when you need to be in the zone and grinding out work with times when you want to chat in the hallways or grab a long lunch with a colleague.”
“Everyone I’ve met is a genuinely nice person and interesting to speak with, about their work and about non-legal matters. I enjoy working with people who have hobbies and are interested in getting to know you as a full person beyond an associate."
“The expertise and approachability of the firm's personnel is the best I have encountered in a law firm.”
Diversity, Inclusion & Wellbeing
|
76% |
26.5% |
25% |
||
|
reported strong performance in inclusivity training |
of partners are women |
of associates identify as ethnically diverse |
||
The view from the firm: Diversity and inclusion are core values of Alston & Bird and part of the firm’s strategic plan. Our unique culture is enhanced through diversity of not only race and gender, but members of the LGBTQ+ community, generational differences, cultural differences, and talented people of varying backgrounds and experiences. In the past 12 months, the firm has advanced numerous initiatives focusing on recruiting, retention & advancement, and promoting a culture of inclusivity.
Pro Bono
|
65 |
89% |
|
average pro bono |
agreed the firm is committed to pro bono |
Pro bono highlights: Racial and social justice and involvement in the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance; criminal legal system reform and fighting injustice; immigration and asylum; veterans’ rights; voting rights.
Sustainability and CSR
The view from the firm: The firm has taken a leadership role in the legal industry by helping found the Law Firm Sustainability Network (LSFN), sharing its vision with other green law firms to improve the entire industry's sustainable practices. Our firm is American Legal Industry Sustainability Standards (ALISS) Gold certified, a sustainability self-assessment program started by the LSFN. We purchase renewable energy credits to help offset a percentage of the firm's electricity usage, making us members of the EPA's Green Power Leadership Club since 2014. We reside in LEED-certified buildings, like the Platinum Certified Two California Plaza in Los Angeles, and our Gold Certified home office in Atlanta.
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