There’s no such thing as FOMO at MoFo when it comes to working with the best in tech.
Morrison Foerster Lateral Profile 2024
It’s not often that you’ll hear ‘mofo’ used as an affectionate term – that is unless you’re an associate practicing at a certain San Francisco-born tech-focused outfit. Nickname aside, Morrison Foerster stood out to our associate interviewees for far more than just it’s tech offering. “It matched what I wanted from the outside,” one insider recalled. “I liked the unlimited pro-bono hours, and I valued the size and types of transactions, expertise, and resources available.” Indeed, expertise is the key word here, and MoFo’s got it in spades. Take it from our sister guide, Chambers USA, which decorates the firm with top-notch nationwide rankings for its government contracts, intellectual property (appellate), privacy & data security, agency financing projects, and – of course – technology work. It’s ever likely that our sources praised MoFo for being “a well-rounded firm, offering exposure to different practices.”
View the firm’s Chambers USA rankings
Read the firm’s Inside View feature on junior associate life
International & Secondment Opportunities
Common secondment destinations: Tokyo, Singapore, Brussels, London, Hong Kong, Berlin.
Career Development & the Path to Partnership
|
26 |
1.6 : 1 |
|
|
partners made in 2023 |
associate : partner gearing |
|
Hours & Compensation
|
1,950 |
12.7 |
49.9 |
|
billable hours |
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
3rd year: $260,000
4th year: $310,000
5th year: $365,000
6th year: $390,000
7th year: $420,000
8th year: $435,000
The view from the firm: MoFo's compensation structure meets market expectations and may include a discretionary bonus, health/wellness benefits (including parental, adoption, and fertility benefits), flexible time off, and paid holidays.
Is MoFo the right firm for you?
The view from the firm: MoFo is a destination law firm for talented, ambitious attorneys who value collaboration, teamwork, and commitment to excellence. We are known around the world not only for delivering innovative yet practical client service but also for serving as an incubator for our top-notch talent.
We focus our attorney recruiting efforts on the practice groups that are driving the growth of the firm. We look for four consistent characteristics in all our candidates: Intellectual Agility, Team Player, Committed Professional, and Effective Communicator. We invite you to apply to our current opportunities at www.mofo.com.
Diversity, Inclusion & Wellbeing
| 32.3% | 41% |
| of partners are women | of associates identify as ethnically diverse |
The view from the firm: Inclusive to the core is one of five values that define MoFo’s culture, and our commitment to creating an inclusive environment strengthens the quality of service we provide to both our clients and our communities.
Since 2012, the Keith Wetmore Fellowship for Excellence, Diversity, and Inclusion program has recognized and provided exceptional first- and second-year law students with a demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, with the training, mentorship, and exposure necessary for their professional development and engagement.
MoFo established its very first Affinity Groups in 2008. Since then, our Affinity Program has grown to include eight cross-office Affinity Networks and 35 office-specific Affinity Groups. Affinity Groups are an integral part of creating an inclusive work environment. These forums offer individuals with similar backgrounds and experiences an opportunity to socialize and share ideas and interests outside their daily practice groups. We launched two new Affinity Networks in 2023: the Middle Eastern North African (MENA) Affinity Network and the Parents + Caregivers Affinity Network. We also held cultural and awareness events in celebration of AAPI Heritage, Black History, Women’s History, Hispanic/Latinx Heritage, Pride, and National Disability Employment Awareness Months. In September 2023, we were excited to host our first-ever in-person Black Affinity Network meeting in Washington, D.C., where members had the opportunity to participate in community-building activities and interactive professional development sessions, and to hear firsthand from partners about the path to partnership.
Unlike other firms, which have programs that formally match lawyers with sponsors, MoFo supports a more organic approach to sponsorship. The MoFo Sponsorship Initiative was created to encourage and support a culture of active sponsorship, ensuring that all attorneys, including attorneys of color, women, LGBTQ+, and attorneys living with disabilities, receive meaningful opportunities and sponsorship. In 2023, we held two trainings on effective sponsorship for attorneys at the firm. Topics included tips for being an effective sponsor and how to effectively navigate the sponsor-protégé relationship. Nearly 300 attorneys attended the trainings facilitated by speaker and expert, Debbie Epstein Henry.
We created the MoFo Women’s Spotlight series to raise the profile of women partners and provide a space for them to discuss their unique career paths and experience in the areas of developing a practice, building business, and balancing their personal and professional lives.
Pro Bono
|
undisclosed |
|
average pro bono |
Pro bono highlights: Seeking to ensure the integrity of election infrastructure in Georgia, where the state has insisted on maintain a system that is demonstrably vulnerable to cyberattack; California school children (addressing inequalities of access to remote schooling for low-income students of color); African Orphan Crops Consortium; Human Rights Watch; Abortion Defense Network and Center for Constitutional Rights.
Sustainability & CSR
The view from the firm: Morrison & Foerster tracks the firm’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions for Scopes 1, 2 and 3. In late 2023 the firm submitted to SBTi a Science-Based Target (SBT) to reduce the firm’s GHG emissions from a 2019 base year by 46% by 2030. It is expected that the SBT will be validated by SBTi in March or April 2024.
Contact
Learn more about opportunities at the firm
Recruitment contact: Lesli Hutchinson, Senior Manager, Lateral Associate Recruiting & Engagement
Lhutchinson@mofo.com or (213) 892-5441