Lateral Look: Finnegan

It’s a firm that needs no ID; from Palo Alto to DC, it’s all about IP.

Finnegan Lateral Profile 2024

One associate made clear: “If you want to practice IP, Finnegan’s a great place to be.” And if Chambers USA accolades are anything to go by, we’re inclined to agree. Our sister guide bestows the firm with top notch commendation for its intellectual property expertise in Northern Virginia; in its home territory of DC, Finnegan picks up further praise for its intellectual property: litigation and intellectual property: trademark, copyright & trade secrets, and intellectual property: patent prosecution work. But that’s not all… On the national stage, the firm also picks up two accolades for its international trade: intellectual property and intellectual property know-how. There’s certainly not a lot of head-scratching to be done to understand why Finnegan is the go-to for many a big-name client across the technology, biotech, pharmaceuticals, and energy sectors looking to tackle IP matters.

View the firm’s Chambers USA rankings

Read the firm’s Inside View feature on junior associate life

 Career Development & the Path to Partnership

 

13

0.88 : 1

 

partners made in 2023

associate : partner gearing

 

 

    

The view from the firm: Finnegan believes that training and ongoing education are essential to developing the best attorneys and advocates for our clients. With multiple training and education components, our comprehensive in-house training program - LEAP (Learn Enrich Achieve Progress) is designed to enhance the firm’s existing training and mentoring activities that occur throughout the year. Other programs include:

  • Litigation skills (Ex: NITA (depo skills, cross/direct examination), in-house trial advocacy program, UVA Trial College (for senior associates);
  • Patent Prosecution (Ex: Pros Bootcamp (for junior members), prosecution training series)
    PTAB (in-house series designed to introduce professionals to the practice);
  • Business Skill Development (Ex: tiered business development/marketing training programs for attorneys at all stages of their career, culminating with our senior associate business development training/coaching program.);
  • New series in 2023, Mid-Level Associate Academy is a training series that provides guidance to build billable/nonbillable practice and internal/external profile, persuasive communications workshop, business development for mid-level associates. 

Hours & Compensation

 

2,000

12

47.8

billable hours
target

average number of vacation days associates took in one year

average number of hours associates worked in one week

 

Salaries

1st year: $225,000

2nd year: $235,000

*The firm did not disclose its salaries beyond this point.

The view from the firm: On-the-job training is critical for the development of Finnegan’s associates, patent agents, and technical specialists. We encourage partners, of counsel, and senior associates to seek out and offer these opportunities.   Associates, patent agents, and/or technical specialists may receive credit for up to 50 hours of time spent participating in eligible shadow training activities over the course of the billable year.  Patent Agent – Law Students may receive credit for up to 37.5 hours of time spent participating in eligible shadowing activities over the course of the billable year. 

Eligible shadowing program activities shall include shadowing of partners, of counsel, and more senior associates at:

  • Depositions (fact and expert / taking and defending)
  • Deposition prep days (fact and expert)
  • PTAB Oral arguments
  • PTAB Board calls
  • Mediations
  • Arbitrations
  • Settlement conferences
  • Meet-and-confers with opposing counsel
  • Discovery committee meetings
  • CAFC arguments
  • Mock arguments for PTAB and CAFC
  • Hearing/trial prep
  • Inventor interviews
  • Examiner interviews
  • Client invention visits (where Firm attorneys communicate with clients’ and prospective clients’ engineers/scientist about potential patentable items) board meetings, organizational meetings, negotiation sessions, mediations, depositions, trials, other court events, meetings or conference calls with the client or opposing counsel, and similar observation activities. 

 

 Diversity, Inclusion & Wellbeing

 

28% 44%
of partners are women of associates identify as ethnically diverse

 

The view from the firm: In 2023 Finnegan’s Diversity Corporate Partnership hosted the largest number of student participants. The partnership provides a unique opportunity for law students to gain exposure to both law firm practice and corporate in-house legal departments. The position includes paid 1L Summer Associate positions in our U.S. offices, as well as a corporate internship with our corporate partners. We have partnered with a number of corporations such as Archer Aviation, Eli Lilly, FIS, Georgia Pacific, Intuitive, MaxCyte, Orna, and Raytheon Technologies, and FIS.

Finnegan launched a new initiative in Summer 2023 to increase the number of diverse students from historically underrepresented communities to pursue careers in IP law. Finnegan IP Summit in Washington, DC is a multi-day immersion program during which law students will participate in educational programming, networking events, and hands-on workshops with IP professionals from Finnegan, in-house counsel, judges, and government representatives.

In 2024, Finnegan IP University hosted our third annual training series. The training series continues to grow as we had over 130 student participants an increase of more than 30% from 2023. The program is an intentionally designed pipeline program to expose undergraduate and graduate students pursuing STEM degrees to IP law and career. Working with a diverse consultant, we made a concerted effort to conduct national outreach, particularly HBCUs and colleges in marginalized communities.

Finnegan FORWARD creates and supports initiatives aimed to address issues impacting women attorneys in intellectual property. Initiatives include enhancing marketing and recruiting efforts to hire and retain high-performing women; offering strategies to overcome the challenges of developing a book of business and identifying business development opportunities for our women attorneys; providing specialized education and training geared to our women attorneys; supporting them in leadership roles; and highlighting their accomplishments.

 

 

Pro Bono

 

undisclosed

 

average pro bono
hours per US attorney    

 

 

Pro bono highlights: Asylum Representation Program; Children’s Law Center; Community Legal Services of East Palo Alto; DC Bar Pro Bono Center; DC Superior Court, Indigent Criminal Representation; Disabled American Veterans (veterans disability rating appeals); Innocence Project; Legal Aid Society; Legal Services of Northern Virginia/Wills Clinic; Merit Systems Protection Board; National Veterans Legal Services Program; Washington Lawyers for the Arts.

 Sustainability & CSR

The view from the firm: Finnegan is committed to supporting and advocating environmental sustainability throughout the firm. This commitment to "green" efforts is overviewed with all new employees during new-hire orientations. Reminders are posted in our monthly electronic firm newsletters, and initiatives and green efforts are communicated periodically throughout our offices via email. The firm's green efforts include: recycling of glass, cans, bottles, paper and used toner cartridges; proper battery disposal; water machines/water pitchers are used when possible instead of using bottled water and drinking glasses/coffee mugs are provided; bike storage areas available in all our offices and shower facilities at the firm's DC, Reston and Palo Alto offices are accessible for those who run or bike-to-work. The firm incentivizes employees to take mass transit, and a subsidy is offered to those who utilize mass transit options. We encourage the use of stairs rather than elevators to promote healthy lifestyle living. There is a seven-story circular stairway in the DC office, and regional offices that occupy more than one floor are designed with connecting internal stairways to encourage walking.

 Contact

Learn more about opportunities at the firm

Recruitment contact: Laurie Taylor, Director of Legal Recruitment