Looking to unlock a lifelong career at a firm where “it isn’t all about billable hours”? This New York native may just hold the kie.
Willkie Farr Lateral Profile 2025
“From the very start I knew I wanted to do transactional work, and, at the time, I knew Willkie was growing in that space,” an associate noted of their reasons for choosing to practice at the New York native. Fast forward a few years and, as far as our colleagues over at Chambers USA are concerned, the firm has certainly succeeded in what they set out to achieve; our sister guide rates Willkie among the nation’s best when it comes to derivatives, insurance (transactional and regulatory), investment funds (regulatory and compliance), and mid-market private equity buyouts work. Ultimately, it’s not just transactional work where this firm excels; Chambers USA also shines a spotlight on Willkie’s general commercial litigation teams in its New York and DC offices. An additional six offices across Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Palo Alto, and San Francisco make up the firm’s stateside footprint, while a further seven international bases across Brussels, Frankfurt, London, Milan, Munich, Paris, and Rome complete the firm’s 15-strong global network.
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…
“The firm offered work on cutting-edge privacy litigation with good pay and reasonable WLB. The people are certainly warm and friendly. There isn't a billable requirement, which helps take the stress out of hours. And while it does get busy sometimes, there isn't an expectation to keep that pace continuously.”
“I chose my firm because of the people. Everyone was so warm and welcoming and genuinely enjoyed working with each other. I also wanted to join a firm where I knew I was going to be placed in a practice group upon starting at the firm.”
“Willkie has a great firm culture and exciting cases. They also prioritize associate opportunities, so it felt like the right overall fit.”
Career Development & the Path to Partnership
|
19 |
2 : 1 |
59% |
||
|
partners made in 2024 |
associate : partner gearing |
of associates intend to make partner |
||
|
67% |
51% |
76% |
||
| felt partnership was achievable for attorneys with childcare/caregiver responsibilities | felt partnership was achievable at the firm | agreed partners are nurturing future leaders |
||
Hours & Compensation
|
no requirement |
16 |
46 |
|
billable hours |
average number of vacation days associates took in one year |
average number of hours associates worked in one week |
|
66% |
84% |
91% |
| agreed they had a good work-life balance |
felt like they could take vacation/annual leave on their own terms |
found the firm's claims around bonus allocation to be authentic |
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: $445,000
Is Willkie Farr the right firm for you?
|
86% |
88% |
89% |
|
were happy in their current role |
agreed the work they received was of the right quality |
felt that they chose the right firm |
Here's what survey respondents had to say about the firm's culture...
“Willkie provides a genuine mix of interesting work, genuinely kind people, and opportunities to specialize and grow within the firm. The firm's commitment to building partners internally speaks to its culture, and its diversification and growth makes me confident that Willkie will withstand economic downturns.”
“The people are warm and collaborative, and there is no billable hours requirement; so, bonuses aren't linked to hours. They respect work life balance to the extent possible in BigLaw.”
“I chose Willkie because I admire the professionals I work with, the caliber of work product they produce, and the collegial culture of the firm.”
Pro Bono
|
85 |
91% |
|
average pro bono |
agreed the firm puts effort towards its commitment to pro bono and social impact activity |
Pro bono highlights: Willkie and Co-Counsel Secure a $5 Million Settlement with New York City Housing Authority, Diamond, Britt v. NYCHA (housing); Federal Pro Bono Project: Willkie Secures Jury Trial Victory for Pro Bono Client in § 1983 Eighth Amendment Case (constitutional rights).
Sustainability & CSR
The view from the firm: Willkie’s commitment to sustainability remained steadfast in 2024. Willkie is now committed to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), in alignment with the 1.5⁰C Paris Agreement adopted by the UNFCCC. Working with a carbon accountancy firm, Willkie has continued to collect full-spectrum carbon data across all offices, and is currently working to formalize a decarbonization strategy, as well as audit our carbon data.
Having gained a better understanding of our emissions in 2024, we focused on gathering more stakeholder data. Willkie developed a supplier code of conduct and survey, dispersing this to our top suppliers by spend, as well as issued an internal Sustainability Materiality Assessment. The data collected from these surveys both increases accuracy of our scope 3 emissions, which is the majority of our carbon footprint, and points us towards the priorities of our stakeholders.
Additional initiatives from 2024 that exemplify Willkie’s commitment to sustainability include introducing an official firmwide Sustainability Policy, as well as creating a Net-Zero Task Force that collaborates across offices and departments to support the firm’s net-zero target.
Willkie has had continued success with our Environmental Analyst Internship program. The program has hosted twelve undergraduate students to date from both US and UK colleges with environmentally-focused majors who support the research and development of the firm’s sustainability educational programming. The interns provide Willkie with fresh insights and help us stay informed on the latest sustainability issues.
The firm continues to report to CDP annually, and is prepared for any relevant climate-related regulations.
Contact
Learn more about opportunities at the firm
Recruitment contact: Susan Harlow (sharlow@willkie.com) for Partners and Counsel candidates
Kelly McTiernan (kmctiernan@willkie.com) for New York and DC associates
Tiffany Piccirilli (tpiccirilli@willkie.com) for Dallas and Houston associates
Kendra Abercrombie (kabercrombie@willkie.com) for Chicago associates
Marie Conemac (mconemac@willkie.com) for Los Angeles associates
Stacy Coglianese (scoglianese@willkie.com) for San Francisco and Palo Alto associates.