Baker Botts L.L.P. - The Inside View

In Houston, where deals are struck as often as oil, reputation carries weight and things travel fast. Insiders told us how Baker Botts has been part of that rhythm for decades, balancing deep Texas roots, while carving out a space across the energy, tech and life sciences sectors. “I knew about their reputation as a long-standing pillar of the Houston legal market, and their engagement across the community,” one junior told us, and that reputation, it turns out, is well earned: “I always heard that the people were nothing but the humblest and brightest leaders in their field, and through my time here I’ve found to be nothing but absolutely true.”

“A lot of BigLaw firms in Houston are satellite offices, they’re not full service, and that’s what set Baker Botts apart.”

The work backs it up too. Chambers USA, awards the firm top recognition for its energy transition, international arbitration, oil & gas litigation, and projects work nationwide. For newbies, the draw was something specific: “I really wanted to be in Texas, and I wanted to do litigation. A lot of BigLaw firms in Houston are satellite offices, they’re not full service, and that’s what set Baker Botts apart.” Houston remains the firm’s HQ, but Baker Botts has seven other offices in the US and five internationally. Most of our insiders were found in Houston and Washington, DC.

Strategy & Future 

Baker Botts is clearly not standing still. Associates pointed to the firm's growing use of AI as a sign of that - “the firm is improving on integrating AI into our work, especially when it relates to massive sources of data.” Right now, that means “AI is being used as a more resourceful tool for attorneys,” as integration develops. Practice groups are evolving too: “In our environmental group, we used to do just strictly oil and gas work. We’ve noticed that we need to expand on thatand that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

Summer Program

Juniors at the firm told us how the firm places value in getting to know their summers and setting them up for a career at the firm. As one interviewee put it, “I did work that was very indicative of what a first-year associate would be doing.” Juniors also appreciated how they got the opportunity to present in front of clients. While hard work is at the heart of the profession, this firm really wants to know the real you: “I was told in the middle of the summer to stop working and to meet people, they value connections” stated one insider.

“I was told in the middle of the summer to stop working and to meet people, they value connections…”

We heard that the firm is adapting its existing model for the summer program, bringing in 1L summers for a four-week program which will then overlap with second year law students who are at the firm for the full ten-week program. Sources praised the change, highlighting how: “The emphasis is to get to know the 1L’s and interact with them as people. We want to get to know them and for them to get to know us so that when they come back for their second summer, those relationships are already built from their first summer.”

The Work

In most departments, juniors are staffed on matters mainly through partners directly, and most of those assignments come by word of mouth.  Associates also fill in a weekly survey about their availability to help partners guide their staffing choices. As one explained: “There is a system where you can say how busy you are and if you’re willing to take on more work.”  That said, other teams prefer using a centralized staffing system.

“…you’re on the edge of something new and exciting.”

Starting off in Baker Botts’ corporate department, insiders told us how the bulk of the work is split between capital markets and M&A, with a finance subgroup within the department. Sources in the finance team noted working on tasks such as borrower and lender credit facilities and capital markets work, as well as assisting with any payoff or ancillary finance pieces of the transaction. Juniors particularly enjoyed working on deals supporting M&A transactions or project transactions, as “that’s where you’re on the edge of something new and exciting.” Interviewees also discussed that associates in the corporate group need a willingness and attention to detail as the documents can often get complicated. As one source said: “I don’t think any associate - unless you have a special background - could open a credit agreement and know where to look. Theres so much to learn on the job that you do have to pick it up quickly.” 

Corporate clients: JP Morgan, Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Company, Atlas Credit Partners. Represented Hibernia Energy in its $2.25 billion sale to Civitas Resources.

The litigationgroup is split into three sub-departments general litigation; antitrust; environmental safety & IR. Because each of the sub-groups is on the smaller side, juniors “do a bit of everything. It’s a matter of what’s available out of the three buckets.” On the environmental safety side, first years tend to stick to regulatory compliance questions, “as they are more fast-paced and less complicated.” Over in antitrust, associates are split between both antitrust litigation and work on the regulatory aspects of a transaction. As a junior, work primarily starts out with antitrust review. Interviewees detailed working with the client for regulatory filing and maintaining a relationships with them while the filing process was going through. Antitrust associates also mentioned completing the whole deposition discovery phase and assisting with plaintiff class action cases: “The fun thing about antitrust is that it’s always a different industry. You have to be willing to get into the weeds and learn” stated one insider.

Antitrust clients: EOG Resources, Avenue5, Liberty Media. Represented a global sports league and its parent company in investigations by the DOJ, a state Attorney General, and Congress regarding league membership.

“It’s anything you could imagine, from high-tech products to streaming, all sorts of things.”

We heard that work in theintellectual property group is mostly litigation based, and juniors get stuck into patent matters, doing both plaintiff and defence, as well as working on International Trade Commission work. The patent litigation matters were said to be highly varied: “It’s anything you could imagine, from high-tech products to streaming, all sorts of things.”“In my first six months I was writing summary judgement briefs, I was also substantially involved in the analysis,” one junior associate told us, “when it was long hours the partners were in the office with us doing the filing. Everyone was in it, but everyone was also having fun, taking breaks and having dinner together.”

Intellectual property clients: Grubhub, Exploratory Sciences, Paladin AI. Advised startup Supportiv in patents and trademarks relating to a machine learning-driven platform for matching patients to mental health-related chat groups and resources.

Career Development

Baker Botts offers associates a formal mentorship program, where juniors are encouraged to meet with their mentors over the course of each month to address specific topics and concerns. The firm has a very strong informal mentorship environment as well. As one interviewee summarized: “I have a lot of meaningful client engagement and partner interaction, as well as a lot of opportunities for personal and professional development.”  The amount of partner interaction was a particular plus point: “If I raise my hand and say, ‘can we talk about this’, they come and sit in my office and take time out of their day to discuss it.” Training sessions involve lectures and quarterly calls on specific topics. and another insider reflected that “there’s real hands-on training for building you up very early. We have the opportunity to attend client events and certain conferences in the space to meet and connect and develop our relationships with clients.”

Hours & Compensation 

Billable hours: 2,000 target

Reaching the billable target was said to really depend on the year and the practice group. One associate from the litigation department noted how last year the billable target was “not achievable at all,” asthe first two months of the year were slow, but since last month the workflow has picked up a lot, meaning that for this insider, “it’s possible but it will take a lot of work.” Another associate shared that it took them a while to grasp the idea of billable hours: “I was busier in my first year than I expected, I didn’t have a real sense of what a 40-hour billable week looked like, so I was nervous about not working enough and took on a lot of work”. However, there’s good that comes from this kind of experience: “I got so much experience and worked with so many people that it was good for me.”

Of the 2,000 hours billable target, 200 of those can be put towards pro bono, and 100 of those 200 hours can be put towards management-approved non-billable projects. One associate explained that the hours were more or less what they expected when entering the world of BigLaw: “I was pleasantly surprised by the flexibility, if I get it done, no one minds where I’m doing it.” In terms of pay, the firm follows the Cravath scale and provides a bonus to associates if they hit their billable target. The firm also offers a special bonus to associates who bill 2,000 hours independently of any pro bono or management approved hours.

Pro Bono

“You’re still young and you wouldn’t be doing an examination or trial until further along in your career, so pro bono is a good way to get it in fast.”

The general consensus was that pro bono provides “fun opportunities to work with associates that you might not normally work with.” One junior was quick to highlight that a lot of people see it as a good chance to get experience: “You’re still young and you wouldn’t be doing an examination or trial until further along in your career, so pro bono is a good way to get it in fast.” Whilst some sources did flag that they felt pro bono isn’t hugely emphasized at the firm, others explained that it generally comes down to the associates’ desire to partake. The firm provides plenty of opportunities for those that seek them, with the added bonus of taking ownership over a matter. We were also told that immigration and asylum cases are two areas that frequently arise for pro bono.

Pro bono hours

For all US attorneys: undisclosed

Average per US attorney: undisclosed

Culture 

The feeling among juniors was that every person staffed on a team has a role and is actively contributing, no matter how new they are. That said, you will never be pulling your weight on your own. As one insider put it: “If it’s a challenging deal and you’re up late at night, you’re not by yourself. You’re with everyone – partner included.” The social life at the firm was an important part too: “You have to be willing to work hard but still be sociable and be willing to look out for each other.” It’s worth it too, because you get out what you put in: “The people I collaborate with are nothing but supportive, kind and humble. But they are also bright and smart, and just get it!” 

“If I wanted to work from New York for a week, I could.”

The firm has a ‘three days in the office’ policy, but associates noted that some departments are in the office more than others. One litigation associate told us that their sub-group are in the office five days a week. Those we spoke to were positive about the fact that the firm allows juniors to work from other offices: “If I wanted to work from New York for a week, I could.” Not only does the firm offer subsidised lunches, but for those residing in Houston, associates can make use of the firm’s box at the Toyota Centre - “the partners get first dibs, but I’ve been able to see the NBA and many cool concerts when partners didn’t want the tickets!”

Inclusion 

Insiders praised the firm’s inclusion efforts, especially when it comes to gender representation. One associate from the IP group shared: “Our group is 50/50, and I found that important when I was looking at firms to see if its’s a place where I can succeed, and it was.” Of course, some felt that the firm still has steps to take for inclusion, but it is constantly evolving and is keen to support where it can, hosting events for Black History Month and Women’s Month.

Coming soon...