Perkins Coie LLP - The Inside View

Whether it’s the launch of a new AI model or just your phone surprising you with yet another layout-scrambling update, the world of tech is always in flux. But in the world of BigLaw, Perkins Coie has built a reputation as a firm you want at the end of the line when tech meets the law. “We’re in a leading position as a forward-looking law firm,” managing partner Bill Malley tells us, adding that “every stage of our growth is looking to the future, representing companies on the cutting edge of innovation.” Associates agreed, citing not only the tech work and big clients as positives, but also the way juniors can turn these opportunities into career progress; “if you want to take the initiative, then the sky’s the limit here.” The firm’s strength in the tech sector and beyond is also recognized by Chambers USA, which drops just shy of 90 accolades on the firm’s departments in areas including insurance, environment, energy and natural resources, corporate/M&A, antitrust, litigation, and intellectual property.

“This is a place where you work hard, but you can bring your authentic self to the office.”

If you’re looking for somewhere to Seattle down, then the firm’s HQ in Washington State may be the perfect place. Still, make no mistake; this is a national firm with 17 total offices (plus an extra four across the globe). One thing that unites each location is the cultural upside. As one junior put it, “this is a place where you work hard, but you can bring your authentic self to the office,” and where “you don’t have to worry about necessarily fitting the mold of a BigLaw lawyer, as everyone is nice and respectful.”

Perkins Coie is recognized as an Excellent Performer for Junior Satisfaction and an Excellent Performer for Mid to Senior Satisfaction in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Strategy and Future

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know the big news already: Perkins Coie is soon to be Ashurst Perkins Coie. That’s right, two titans of the legal industry are merging to form an even more formidable force. “It’s a true combination of equals, bringing complementary strengths to each other,” explains Malley. “We’re looking to grow our existing capabilities,” he notes, as “the fundamental concepts are about creating an integrated global firm.” As another firm on the cutting edge of tech and looking to the future in such things as AI, Ashurst makes a perfect partner to Perkins Coie. As Malley puts it, “we see our clients’ needs as increasingly global,” meaning the firms’ joint specialties “bring those capabilities (environmental, FinTech, cross border transactions) together as a moment of generational opportunity.”

Perkins Coie is recognized as The Elite for AI Integration in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Summer Program

While the core tasks that summers are given tend to involve research, attendees also report getting the chance to shadow partners and meet clients. Mostly, though, it’s about cultural assimilation, thanks to a “full social calendar.” Attending a Yankees game or watching a Broadway show are some of the activities on offer, but the jewel in the crown is the week-long summer associate academy in Seattle. “We get all the offices together and meet everyone and share our experiences,” one source enthused. We heard that partners and senior associates attend these events, and that “you should do as much as you can and talk to as many people as possible, and you’ll be surprised what you end up learning!”

The Work

Associates across practice groups receive work directly from partners in a free-market system. “I have many bosses, and I have no boss really,” one poetic junior explained, detailing that for them one of the main difficulties they faced was finding a way to balance that workload; “it can be tough if you’re swamped, or worse, if you’re slow.” However, this wasn’t everyone’s experience, with another interviewee reporting that the firm “do a great job of reaching out before assigning work and checking you have capacity, and they’re fine with you saying yes or no to work.” Where work was on the slower side, insiders said a proactive approach wasn’t always such a bad thing, as “it teaches you responsibility, and builds up that communication style.”

Perkins Coie is recognized as an Excellent Performer for Work Allocation & Autonomy in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

When joining the ranks of the commercial litigation associates, juniors will be dropped into a general litigation pod where they can pick up work from a variety of subgroups such as antitrust, privacy and data security, and business litigation. “For those first two years, you’re encouraged to explore where your interests lie,” one newbie revealed, enthusing about the breadth of experience you can achieve as a generalist. Once an associate does settle into a specific group, they’re still not permanently siloed, and one junior explained that “if anyone is looking for an extra pair of hands, then I can help in that way.”

“It’s great diving into the details [and] bridging that gap between the law and the science of a case.”

The biggest of the subgroups, business litigation, offers such matters as contract disputes, arbitrations, and mass tort work. Rookies were pleased to relay that they “feel really happy about the responsibility I’ve been given so far, and I feel comfortable if I have any questions.” Tasks include legal research, memo drafting, taking depositions, case management, briefing and motion writing, as well as expert discovery. On that last point, one interviewee relished the chance to work with experts, describing how “it’s great diving into the details” with them and “bridging that gap between the law and the science of a case.”

Commercial litigation clients: Amazon, Microsoft, Ravensburger. The firm advised Nintendo in a variety of suits concerning its Switch console and accompanying controller, which plaintiffs allege is defective. The matter was high value, as tens of millions have been sold.

The business group has a selection of sub-teams that include the likes of financial transactions and regulation, corporate and securities, and tech transactions and privacy. “It’s a choose-your-own-adventure firm here,” explained one source, as “you can steer your practice into what you’re interested in.” Juniors described being free to try “everything under the sun,” plus they were given the opportunity to “really act as a lawyer early on by providing advice and using my knowledge.” Whether it’s private clients seeking investment management, or big-ticket corporations looking for a merger, there seemed to be no limit to the kinds of heavyweight clients on offer.

One insider warned that associates looking to succeed in the group “have to be skilled multitaskers,” not just because of a busy workload but because “as a junior, you’re jumping from practice group to practice group, so you need to have interactions with clients all day long and be an outgoing person!” Typical tasks include drafting agreements from scratch, making revisions, issuing bespoke advice, client contact and management, and research surveys. “I was given a lot of responsibility really early on,” one interviewee was pleased to report, adding: “I definitely don’t feel like I’m at the bottom of the totem pole.”

Business clients: DeFi Development Corp, Nordstrom, Tyson Foods. The firm advised the advanced imaging technologies company RadNet on its acquisition of the AI focused medical technology company iCAD in a matter worth $103 million.

Over in the intellectual property group, patent litigation, patent prosecution, trademark and copyright and advertising work all commonly come across associates’ desks. Juniors were keen to explain that all associates operate across that wide spectrum, giving everyone a chance to try everything: “We all work across the whole range of levels.” Interviewees were enthusiastic about contact with household names the world over; one source noted that “I’ve worked with clients around the world actually, but mostly you’re looking at the big-name US companies.”

In patent litigation cases, discovery-related tasks form a significant part of the workload, and in general a typical to-do list might involve gathering documents and evidence, requests for admission, going through document review, arranging meetings, writing briefs, producing expert reports, and fielding “dozens of emails a day.” We were given a heads up that, due to the technical nature of the work, some background in that area would be advised. “What we do is very technical and we need to have a science brain, so I feel a lot of people couldn’t do it,” warned one source. “Having a PhD isn’t required,” they continued, “but there are a lot of people here who have them!”

Intellectual property clients: DISH Network, Inari Medical, Nature Fresh Farms USA. The firm represented streaming giant Netflix when the company was accused of infringing on two patents relating to DRM and data communications networks.

Career Development

Development at Perkins Coie is taken very seriously, with one junior reporting that “when we first join, there’s six months of training with those first three weeks being very active.” Associates certainly aren’t dropped in the deep end without support, as everyone is assigned a more senior mentor, which we heard was particularly helpful. Nonetheless, it’s the informal mentors who attracted the most notice: “There’s an open-door policy here and everyone is very collaborative, while no one is competitive.”

As the years go on, training becomes more informal, but we did hear that partners hold regular seminars and sessions for associates to attend. “The people I work with are invested in my professional development,” one junior reported, adding that “they’re always looking for different opportunities for me.” These could include sessions on AI, the chance to go to court, or general upskilling resources. One insider did note that, as expansive as the training materials may be, associates have to pick and choose wisely, as training hours do not contribute to your billable target for the year. The path to partnership was also “transparent and standardized,” with sources praising the lack of mystery shrouding that particular goal.

Perkins Coie is recognized as an Excellent Performer for Career Development in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Hours and Compensation

Billable hours: 2,000 target 

Within the 2,000-hour target, only 1,850 have to be billable client work. The option is there to fill the final 150 hours with a mix of pro bono (which is unlimited in your first two years), business development, and knowledge management. That latter bucket includes presentations, drafting client alerts, and developing internal resources. “It’s a very achievable target,” was one junior’s assessment, although “it can depend on how busy your group is, of course.”

Hours fluctuated, especially those of associates with consistent personal commitments, but none of our interviewees were ever sleepless in Seattle due to an abundance of work. “I’ve been encouraged to take vacations and not work over the weekends,” one insider revealed, noting that “if my hours get long, I’ve had partners sit down with me and take some things off my plate, which I really appreciated.” The bonus is lockstep with the salary and achieving it was as simple as it gets: “If you hit your hours, you get your bonus; it’s that straightforward.” We did hear an extra amount was added onto the bonus for those that put in an additional 100 hours past the 2,000 target.

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

Culture

Although our associate interviewees described themselves and their colleagues as hardworking, diligent, and “type A,” they also praised the firm for “an attorney-first culture” which allowed for a collaborative feel and better lifestyle options. Essentially, the culture is what you make it; if you’re someone who wants to go home to your family at the end of the workday, you can do that, whereas if you’re someone who would rather socialize with your coworkers after hours, then those opportunities exist as well. On the latter topic, we heard reports of holiday parties, weekly connectivity lunches, happy hours, sporting events, and client dinners – “there’s always something going on!”

Amenities vary from office to office but typically include such perk(in)s as an onsite gym and cafe, plus some city-specific highlights (e.g. the Seattle space has a snack pantry on every floor and hair straighteners in every bathroom). A hybrid policy of two days in-office and the rest at home (as an average across the year) is in place. One candid insider did confess that “it’s much easier to ask dumb questions in person, so I come in most of the week.”

Perkins Coie is recognized as an Excellent Performer for Culture in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Inclusion

Sources said they were pleased to be at a firm that “practices what it preaches” when it comes to the diversity and inclusive behaviors of its workforce. Perkins Coie’s active and plentiful resource groups include LGBTQ, Latinx, Black, and women’s societies. “They bring in different speakers every month; there’s so many!” enthused one insider. Juniors have also been afforded billable equivalent credit to give back by taking on informal mentor roles to newer associates and law students.

Pro Bono

“It definitely feels like pro bono matters are treated just as importantly as any billable work” one source told us happily, and the proof is in the Perkins, as juniors can bill for an unlimited number of pro bono hours during their first two years at the firm. After that, the billable cap is set at 150 hours, which sources pointed out “is still a lot.” Causes varied, but immigration work cropped up often among our interviewees. Other initiatives included veterans work, advice to small business owners and nonprofits, and clemency cases.

“Pro bono matters are treated just as importantly as any billable work.”

“You can definitely choose your own interests, and the firm is good at distributing opportunities,” one source explained, as Perkins Coie “doles out projects that are both national and local or office level.” For the bigger projects, the firm has a coordinator to ensure those matters reach the ears of the right people, and juniors highlighted how this only serves to showcase “the importance of pro bono to the firm.” There is also room to request additional billable credit after.

Pro bono hours

• For all (US) attorneys: Undisclosed
• Average per (US) attorney: 71

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

Get Hired

The First Stage: Recruitment

• On-Campus Interview (OCI) and Job Fair Applicants Interviewed: 160 2Ls and 1Ls for 2026 Summer Associate Program
• Applicants Interviewed Outside of OCI and Job Fairs: 198 2Ls and 1Ls for 2026 Summer Associate Program

Perkins Coie encourages students to apply directly to summer associate positions on the firm website. The firm also conducts a limited number of virtual OCIs at law schools across the United States, including top national law schools, as well as regional and local schools in the same areas as the firm’s offices. In addition, the firm may request resume collections for interested students at various law schools. Perkins Coie may also participate in a limited number of interview or job fairs, such as the Patent Law Interview Program.

Firm attorneys who conduct screening interviews are typically partners. Likewise, in most cases, OCI interviews are conducted by partners and, wherever possible, school alumni are selected. Interviewers may ask behavioral questions, so students should be prepared to discuss examples of navigating past experiences that could be relevant to the practice of law. Candidates should also be prepared to discuss their specific interest in Perkins Coie.

Perkins Coie also occasionally hires judicial clerks who apply during their clerkships.

Top Tips for This Stage:

“Candidates should use this opportunity to help us get a good idea of their interests, goals and experience.” 

The Second Stage: Callbacks

Candidates are typically invited to spend a couple of hours interviewing with a schedule that includes four to six interviews with a mix of associates and partners. These interviews are typically conducted virtually. For callback interviews, questions are more in-depth than those during screening interviews or at OCIs, and because the firm hires into practice groups, every candidate should be able to provide a thoughtful explanation of what areas interest them and why. Students who receive an offer are invited to visit the office in person before making a decision.

Top Tips for This Stage:

“You’re definitely assessing them, too, so don’t disregard that part!” – first-year associate

“Do your homework on the firm and your interviewers and come prepared to ask questions regarding the criteria that will be important to you when you are deciding among offers from different firms.”

The Third Stage: Summer Program

• 2L Offers Accepted for 2026:  30
• 1L Offers Accepted for 2026:  16 [will update this if needed when 1L hiring is complete]

Perkins Coie’s ten-week summer program spans nine offices. The entire cohort comes together for in person learning and social activity at a Summer Associate Academy.  While summer associates are hired into practice groups, they also have the opportunity to request one-off projects from other practice areas of interest. Assignments are coordinated through an assignment system and work trackers, but summer associates are also encouraged to seek out assignments directly from attorneys. Feedback on assignments is provided informally as well as through formal evaluations that are incorporated into midsummer and final summer reviews. Summer associates are also assigned mentors who help them navigate the summer program.

The summer program provides a variety of local, in-person social events, as well as opportunities to network with the broader class of summer associates and the firm in general.

Top Tips for This Stage:

“Focus on getting projects that are substantive and significant and that represent a variety of topics so that you have a portfolio of meaningful work and have worked with a variety of attorneys by the end of the summer.” 

And finally….

“Perkins Coie is an international firm, but it’s very much a local firm, too, and wants to be involved in the community,” said one associate. “I had to think about how to showcase that I wanted to be part of both sides during my interview.”

Interview with Bill Malley, firm managing 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?

Bill Malley: We’re in a leading position as a forward-looking law firm, shaping the global economy. We’re a technology sector leader doing significant work with AI and software development, as well as representing a multitude of startups. When you look across the tech landscape, we cover everything from M&A and FinTech to private equity. Right now, AI is shaping everything—consumer experience and beyond. When I think about this in a broader context, we’ve always been a firm that looks to the future and every stage of our growth is looking to the future, representing companies on the cutting edge of innovation. We’re at a new moment of opportunity as AI has the potential to transform industries.

Thinking about Ashurst, it’s a leading global firm in tech, energy and infrastructure, and financial services, and we’re looking at bringing those capabilities together. There are complimentary strengths between  the two firms, and there is potential in combining our geographic footprints. 

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

Malley: We’ve had a strong year delivering notable results. We secured Ravensburger victory, one of the largest wins in Washington State last year, and achieved favorable outcomes in defamation cases, as well as significant patent matters. On the M&A side, we secured victories for Microsoft. We also welcomed Arpita Bhattacharyya and Robert McCauley from Finnegan and Elliot Smith from White & Case. Vivek Chandrasekhar joined us from the Department of Treasury, and Ted Dowd from the OCC (Office of the Comptroller of the Currency). [NOTE TO FIRM: Please do feel free to correct or expand on these, I mentioned to Bill on the call I may have missed a few names/cases as the internet was choppy during this portion]

CA: Are there any domestic or international events/trendsthat are affecting any of the firm’s practices at the moment? 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?

Malley: When I think about the combination, it’s two elite firms of similar scale and capabilities. We see our clients’ needs as increasingly global, and by joining forces we bring those capabilities (environmental, FinTech, cross border transactions) together as a moment of generational opportunity. Both firms have been incorporated in building out the practice of law. We want a world-class work culture, and we share those common values. Our pro bono commitment is significant—we completed over 80,530 hours of pro bono in 2025. As a part of that, we do everything from death row to immigration, civil rights and veterans. Both firms share a commitment to pro bono service. 

CA: Are you able to reveal a few more details and expand on the impending merger between Ashurst and Perkins Coie?

Malley: It’s a true combination of equals, bringing complementary strengths to each other. We are aiming for a partnership vote in the Spring and to close on this combination in Q3 of 2026, subject to a partner vote at both firms and other customary conditions to closing. Until then, both firms will continue to operate independently. We’re looking to keep things on the existing platform, we’re looking to grow our existing capabilities, the fundamental concepts are about creating an integrated global firm. 

Inside the Firm

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

Malley: In many ways, I would highlight that we’ve maintained hybrid work policies that reflect our commitment to flexibility. That balance has been embraced at the firm, as every generation of lawyers values flexibility.

CA: How do you predict the rise in AI will affect the ways in which lawyers work? How will it affect the services law firms provide?

Malley: More and more, clients expect generative AI to be incorporated into the practice of law. They’re looking to law firms to innovate while maintaining high service standards. The key with AI is fostering a creative mindset, investing in appropriate trainings, and ensuring guardrails are in place. Law firms need to do both, and we are doing both. 

The Fun Bit:

CA: What was the first concert you attended?

Malley: The Police – synchronicity tour.

CA: Thinking about the ways in which the legal profession is developing, what is the one skill you have learned in your career that you think is key for young attorneys to learn?

Malley: Adaptability, shifting gears. Client needs are evolving; the day-to-day practice of law is dynamic...