Greenberg Glusker LLP - The Inside View

While movies and entertainment belong to Hollywood, we here at Chambers Associate know a thing or two about recognizing a star. Well deserving a place on the Walk of Fame, this legal A-lister celebrates “a strong and well-respected history in LA.” Enter stage left, Greenberg Glusker: a single-office force renowned for its work for high-profile clients across the media and entertainment industry – with a range to match. In Chambers USA, the outfit receives a standing ovation worthy of Cannes for its corporate/M&A expertise, alongside critical acclaim for its environment, media & entertainment litigation, bankruptcy/restructuring, and real estate know-how. Over in Chambers High Net Worth, it receives further praise for its private wealth law offerings.

“Greenberg Glusker can do the same sophisticated work with interesting clients and complex cases, but in a way that is more lifestyle focused.”

Undoubtedly a standout choice for starry-eyed juniors, sources highlighted: “Greenberg Glusker can do the same sophisticated work with interesting clients and complex cases” as its BigLaw counterparts, “but in a way that is more lifestyle focused.” Equally as important to our interviewees was “that smaller firm experience that prioritizes teaching associates – which is the most important thing.” Coupled with incredibly friendly people and an attainable billable target, it makes for a “sustainable career,” our Los Angeles-based insiders happily concluded.

Strategy & Future

“We’re very well positioned in the legal market, primarily because of our size, structure, and culture,” managing partner Bob Baradaran reminds us, “We’re a one-office firm in Los Angeles that has been here for 65 years. We’re small enough that we’re nimble and can make all sorts of adjustments to pivot and function. But at the same time, we are large enough to work on very interesting, sophisticated matters, and have the resources to execute on that work,” with a 2:1 partner to associate ratio.

We’re steadily growing; we’re finding that we have been able to attract very talented individuals, not only from the top law schools, but the largest firms in the country – because they believe in our story,” Baradaran reveals. In fact, “we’ve never had as many lawyers as we do now. Today, we’re around 115 lawyers,” but, as Baradaran emphasizes, “we have no desire to be a 500-person, or even a 300-person firm, but a 10% to 15% growth in our lawyers is very positive, especially with good profitability in the process.”

And on that note, even with market fluctuations, the diversified nature of the firm’s practices means “we are small enough that despite what is happening in the domestic and international economy, and while we’re not immune, it doesn’t move the needle one way or another firmwide,” notes Baradaran. With a spread of mid-market companies, family offices, high-net-worth individuals, and some large institutional work, “we’re not trying to be everything to everybody,” Baradaran explains, “Each of our departments have a focus in terms of what their practice is. We have a laser focus on serving those types of clients and building a law firm to service around those clients.”

Read more of our conversation with Bob Baradaran under the ‘Get Hired’ tab.

Summer Program

At Greenberg Glusker, summers explore the various departments through rotation, gaining exposure to the work, and meeting associates and partners. Summers are also paired with a ‘big sibling’ mentor to help them navigate life at the firm over the ten weeks. There are also plenty of opportunities to socialize, with the associate committee hosting events throughout the season.

The Work

Juniors receive work through their relevant practice group leader, who ensures that associates have a good balance of work based on their availability, so “no one is overwhelmed.” Moreover, “if someone has an interest in a case or subject matter,” that is also considered.

Starting with the litigation practice, “it’s very diverse,” interviewees were quick to highlight, encompassing a wide range of general commercial, employment, insurance, consumer defense, environmental, probate, and real estate disputes. And unsurprisingly, disputes in the entertainment realm were common as well, from motion pictures to television, music, sports, and gaming matters. In turn, there is often an intellectual property element, either trademark or copyright related. Associates, being generalists, can work across the above. Given that “cases are staffed pretty leanly, there is more ownership,” sources agreed. As such, rookies get stuck in handling stock review, drafting motions – “actual substantive drafting” – and assisting with depositions, even potentially stepping up to the plate with oral arguments. They can also get involved in counseling: “For example, at the beginning of the year, the state passes new laws,” one described, “and we help them navigate how to comply with that.”

Litigation clients: Gerard Butler, Barstool Sports, Top Film Distribution Corp. Acted on behalf of an entertainment business management firm, NKSFB, in an alleged breach of contract and breach of confidence claim regarding the belief that touring musicians and bands could qualify for a COVID-19 relief grant program created by the federal government.

“Cases are staffed pretty leanly, there is more ownership…”

Moving along to the corporate practice, its offerings include M&A, joint ventures, financing, licensing and distribution agreements, as well as related intellectual property, tax, and employment law matters. Here, you’ll find a range of entertainment clients, branded consumer products, and technology companies that make up the books. As a rule of thumb, associate tasks look like carrying out due diligence, drafting disclosure schedules, assisting with general counsel, running compliance checks, and drafting ancillaries.

Corporate clients: Warner Music Group, Skims Body, Nutrawise. Represented Formation Nation on its acquisition of legal services provider, Legal Zoom, on a deal valued at $92 million.

Over in private client services, attorneys handle private wealth matters centered around estate and tax planning, including philanthropic planning, as well as contentious trusts and fiduciary litigation. There is a wide client base, comprised of high-profile tech founders, entertainers, family offices, investors, developers, and founders of multinational companies. So, “you have to understand a broad base of law – a lot of times, clients will come in with a specific problem, so the group is very collaborative,” insiders shared. With lots of estate planning work, juniors are tasked with drafting lots of trusts and wills – “the nuts and bolts drafting” – power of attorneys, and healthcare related documentation. There are also opportunities for client contact, particularly with intake meetings to “understand the assets and general strategizing.”

Private client services clients: Provided tax advice regarding the sale of a Bahamian island owned by a US family, alongside succession planning and wealth planning advice.

Career Development

Interviewees spoke highly of the firm’s investment in their professional development, citing a lean staffing model, on-the-job opportunities, client contact, mentorship, and formal training sessions. All newbies, including laterals, are assigned a ‘big sibling’ senior associate for any day-to-day questions, as well as a partner mentor for career advice. Sources valued that “guidance and mentorship is always there,” given the longstanding tenures of associates at the firm: “There is a culture of paying it back.” Practices host their own monthly updates covering new developments and case law. One-off tailored training programs are run as well; for example, junior litigators have deposition and oral argument workshops.

“If you bring in a client, even as a junior, you get credit for origination.”

Associates are also highly encouraged to get involved with business development early on. In fact, “the firm is incredibly unique with its marketing budget, which can be used for industry conferences or other marketing opportunities,” insiders highlighted, with associates putting together their own plan each year. The budget also extends to taking clients to dinner, authoring articles, and giving presentations. Moreover, “if you bring in a client, even as a junior, you get credit for origination.”

Regarding the path to partnership, sources agreed there is transparency for the non-equity tier: “Just last week, the managing partner had a Q&A, and one of the questions was about laying out the process and what we should consider,” an interviewee divulged. Overall, the consensus was that “it’s healthy and respectful; they want us to make Greenberg our professional home.”

Culture

Given the firm’s approach to career development, associates were quick to highlight that “people want to hear your thoughts. It’s a place where you need to take an active role, and if you’re willing to take the initiative, you will do well here.” Ultimately, we heard that “people who are eager, enthusiastic, and friendly” will fit right in. As a sign of the culture, an insider shared, “at the end of the year, associates review the partners, and that goes to the office managing partner. That is super unique.”

There are also plenty of events marked on the firm’s social calendar that highlight the sense of community at the firm. Memorable mentions include the daily newsletter which hosts a meme caption competition on Monday, allowing Tuesday for voting and Wednesday for announcing the winner. It also provides regular news about birthdays, baby announcements, and work anniversaries, or “restaurant closing updates with photos… except that restaurant stayed open, funny stuff like that.” There is also a weekly happy hour towards the end of the week, monthly birthday celebrations, and online coffee chats to welcome new hires. Occasions such as Halloween and Thanksgiving are marked, and there are numerous other events scattered throughout the year – including an annual attorney retreat!

Pro Bono

Everybody is encouraged to do at least 50 hours of pro bono a year, and with an unlimited creditable bucket, interviewees felt like it was very much supported. Opportunities are circulated frequently, we heard, making it easy to get involved. There is a good mix of short and long-term projects, many of which are focused on the local Los Angeles community. This includes helping distribute donations to food banks, legal clinics such as “helping tenants with potential eviction claims to know their rights,” veterans’ rights, and immigration cases. In particular, the firm has a relationship with the Alliance for Children’s Rights, assisting with guardianship and adoption cases. Evidently, “there are lots of opportunities for pro bono representation,” a insider shared, “People talk about how they enjoy the work, how important it is, and how helpful it is for their development.”

Pro bono hours:

• For all US attorneys: 717
• Average per US attorney: 6

Hours & Compensation

Billable hours: 1,750 target

Juniors agreed that the firm’s 1,750 billable target is both “attainable and reasonable,” especially as it’s made up of an equal weighting of client billables and pro bono. While hours can vary, with busier periods arising due to deadlines or trials, sources described averaging a “manageable” 30 to 40 billables a week. Insiders valued the ability to maintain a work/life balance, as “people are respectful of your time. If something isn’t urgent, it doesn’t have to be done quickly for the sake of it!”

“It’s a good environment to work in. Everyone’s doors are open to chat about work or life.”

Associates are expected to be in the office three days a week, although teams like private client are in for all five: “It’s a good environment to work in,” one rookie reflected, “Everyone’s doors are open to chat about work or life.” As for compensation, the firm follows a lockstep model, allowing for the distribution of discretionary bonuses too. While the salaries aren’t quite market-matched, they have recently been increased to narrow the gap, and everyone agreed they were satisfactory “for the work that we do and to have a more reasonable lifestyle.”

Inclusion

While acknowledging that Greenberg Glusker is a smaller firm, sources felt that “inclusion is always a point of emphasis.” We heard that the firm has a diversity committee and various sub-committees “promoting inclusion, as well as finding opportunities and events to sponsor.” Interviewees also highlighted that funding is often available for people to attend relevant external events. Cultural occasions like Black History Month and Latin American History Month are celebrated, and informative speakers are regularly brought into the firm to shed light on their significance.

Get Hired

The Recruitment Process 

Greenberg Glusker hires a small, selective class of summer associates each year, reflecting the firm’s single-office structure and commitment to maintaining a close-knit and collaborative culture. 

The firm participates in on-campus interviewing (OCI) at four law schools, conducting approximately 125 screening interviews through those programs. In addition, Greenberg Glusker accepts direct applications, which typically open 30–60 days prior to OCI. Direct applicants are screened and selected candidates (approximately 25) are invited to participate in a full round of interviews. 

The summer associate hiring process includes: 

• A screening interview (via OCI and/or direct application review) 
• A callback interview consisting of a full round of interviews with six attorneys 

The average time from initial application to offer is approximately 45 days. 

Entry-level hiring is primarily conducted through the summer program. Lateral hiring occurs on an as-needed basis for specific practice groups. 

Summer Program 

Greenberg Glusker’s summer program is intentionally small to ensure meaningful engagement and substantive work experience. Summer associates are typically given assignments across a range of practice areas, which may include: 

• Corporate/M&A 
• Litigation 
• Real Estate 
• Entertainment & Media 
• Private Client Services 

Rather than busywork, summers can expect hands-on assignments similar to those given to junior associates, including drafting, research, and exposure to client matters. 

The program emphasizes integration into the firm’s culture. Social events, attorney lunches, and informal gatherings allow summers to build relationships across practice groups. Because of the firm’s single-office model, summers have meaningful access to attorneys at all levels, including partners.

Offers for full-time employment are typically extended at the conclusion of the program. 

Junior Associate Experience 

New associates are placed into practice groups and begin working on substantive matters early in their careers. Work allocation is coordinated to promote skill development while ensuring exposure to a variety of attorneys and clients. 

Greenberg Glusker is known for providing: 

• Early responsibility 
• Direct client interaction (where appropriate) 
• Meaningful drafting and analytical work 
• Partner accessibility 

The firm maintains a formal mentoring program, pairing junior attorneys with more senior lawyers to support professional growth and integration. 

What We Look For 

Greenberg Glusker seeks candidates who will thrive in a collaborative, entrepreneurial, and high-performing environment. 

Successful candidates typically demonstrate: 

Strong Academics A strong academic record is important in our hiring decisions. 

Prior Work Experience Professional experience prior to law school or during law school is viewed as a plus and can distinguish candidates. 

Intellectual Curiosity & Preparation Candidates should demonstrate knowledge of the firm and a genuine interest in our practice areas and the Los Angeles market. 

Initiative & Ownership Comfort taking responsibility for assignments and proactively seeking feedback. 

Interpersonal Skills & Cultural Fit Because of the firm’s size and single-office structure, collegiality, professionalism, and the ability to work well in teams are essential. 

There are no formal skills assessments or testing as part of the hiring process. Evaluation is based on interviews, academic credentials, experience, and overall fit. 

The Interview Process 

Interviews typically begin with a screening interview through OCI or through the review of a direct application. 

Selected candidates are invited to a callback consisting of interviews with six attorneys across practice groups. These interviews are designed to assess: 

• Communication skills 
• Professional judgment 
• Career goals and long-term interest 
• Cultural fit within a collaborative office environment 

The firm aims to move efficiently through the process, with offers typically extended within approximately 45 days of the initial application. 

Advice for Candidates 

To stand out in the Greenberg Glusker hiring process: 

• Demonstrate strong academic performance. 
• Highlight prior work experience. Professional experience can meaningfully strengthen your candidacy. 
• Know the firm. Be prepared to articulate why you are specifically interested in Greenberg Glusker and its core practice areas. 
• Show genuine interest in Los Angeles. As a single-office firm, long-term commitment to the LA market is important. 
• Be professional and personable. Interviewers are looking for future colleagues who will contribute positively to the firm’s culture. 

Authenticity, preparation, and thoughtful engagement during interviews go a long way. 

Interview with Bob Baradaran, 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?  

Bob Baradaran: We’re very well positioned in the legal market, primarily because of our size, structure, and culture. We’re a one-office firm in Los Angeles that has been here for over 65 years. We’re small enough that we’re nimble and can make all sorts of adjustments to pivot and function. But at the same time, we are large enough to work on very interesting, sophisticated matters, and have the resources to execute on that work. We bring great value to our clients in terms of how we staff our deals, how we work with clients individually, and our competitive billing rates. The real key differentiating factor for us is having very talented lawyers doing sophisticated work over an extended period of time on client teams with less leverage. Currently, our structure is 2:3 partners and 1:3 associates, so we give our clients very well-seasoned, experienced people that are not just learning on their matters, but are executing and getting results. Our leverage is a strength not only with respect to our clients but with respect to our attorneys. The reason for that is we don’t hire ten people to keep one; every year, we hire three to five people out of school looking to make three to five partners every year. And so, for every person that joins our firm, our goal is not for them to come in, do a lot of work, get paid a lot of money, and then move onto the next job; it’s for them to build a career here.  

At every stage, we’re looking at what makes sense and what is reasonable. One thing is our target hours, because sometimes, the market is busier or less busy over the course of the year. We do work hard, but our billable target is 1,750 for our lawyers, and it’s a real one. It is not something that we post somewhere and expect everybody to exceed it; it’s a number that is manageable and doable. We encourage our youngest associates to get out there and build their career, do pro bono, and engage in business development. If they do well, there is space for them at our firm and in our partnership. That encourages our lawyers and staff to be here with very long tenures and little turnover. In turn, we deliver really good results for clients, because they have been dealing with the same people for the last two, three, five, ten, sometimes 20 to 30 years. We’re proud that our people have developed meaningful careers here.  

The combination of providing continuity for our clients and creating a place where our lawyers can have a career, as opposed to a job, is very appealing. We operate and manage the firm to deliver really good results to our clients, but at the same time have a manageable environment in which our attorneys and staff can thrive and do well – not only working hard at the firm but in terms of pro bono and being involved in the community.  

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

Baradaran: We’re steadily growing; we’re finding that we have been able to attract very talented individuals, not only from the top law schools, but the largest firms in the country – because they believe in our story. As a result, over the last 65 years, we’ve never had as many lawyers as we do now. Today, we’re around 115 lawyers, and usually, we’ve been trading around 100 or less. We have no desire to be a 500-person, or even a 300-person firm, but a 10% to 15% growth in our lawyers is very positive, especially with good profitability in the process. 

CA: What is your firm’s commercial strategy focusing on, and how do you expect the next year to unfold? 

Baradaran: Our focus is on mid-market companies, family offices, high-net-worth individuals, and some large institutional work. Although most of our clients are not institutional, we have a fair number of them. We’re not trying to be everything to everybody. Each of our departments has a focus in terms of what their practice is. We have a laser focus on serving those types of clients and building a law firm to service around those clients. We’re really focusing and doubling down on the practice areas and the industries we’re in, and some of those are leading us to related industries. But there’s nothing completely new that we haven’t been doing.  

CA: Are there any domestic or international events/trends that 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? 

Baradaran: The answer is yes, but it’s really not that impactful on our bottom line nor our firm because of the diversified nature of our practice areas. Restructuring is a bit slower than M&A work; M&A is maybe a little slower than litigation; and litigation may be a bit slower than entertainment work, or vice versa. It just plays out that we are small enough that despite what is happening in the domestic and international economy, and while we’re not immune, it doesn’t move the needle one way or another firmwide. I expect that the real estate market has been a little slower than it has historically, and M&A is a bit softer than it was three years ago, but the entertainment market is very active. Our tax practice is very active, and employment is very busy. When you have diverse practices, some industries and departments may be a bit slower or busier than others, but generally, the professional services firm in the legal industry has been doing well over the last ten plus years, and it is continuing.  

Inside the Firm 

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

Baradaran: I don’t view that this generation of lawyers is meaningfully different than every other generation since I’ve been practicing law. Professional services firms have people retiring and starting work over many generations, and in each generation, there are strengths and challenges that come with it. But at the end of the day, I think this generation has largely the same needs as three generations before, which is they want to work hard, have purpose in what they’re doing, and be engaged and motivated by the work they’re doing.  

If I were to pick a hot topic for this generation, I’d say remote working because of COVID, but even before then, we had 10% of our lawyers working remotely. I think there is a place in the world where some people can make it work, but with respect to younger lawyers and next generations coming into the workforce and starting out, it is very hard to manage that remotely. Over time, once you get more senior and understand what you’re doing and how you’re doing it, it becomes easier to manage that. Sometimes, the new generation may not realize that at the end of the day, whatever tools you have available to you – whether it be a cell phone, the ability to Zoom in or commute – one thing you can’t lose sight of is you have to put the time and work in to develop yourself in whatever practice or industry you’re working in. Sometimes, it is challenging to do it in a setting where you have so much tech and resources available to you. All those things can enhance your ability to develop, but you have to put in the time and effort – the elbow grease to learn it, despite these advancements in technology that make it easier and more efficient to do our jobs.   

The Legal Profession 

CA: How do you predict the legal profession will change in the next five years? Are there any particular challenges the industry is facing? 

Baradaran: AI is going to change the legal profession substantially. It will likely have a disproportionate impact on much larger, more leveraged law firms than smaller, less leveraged law firms. Based on what I see, AI, although it will make everybody more efficient, will probably result in not needing to staff armies of attorneys on every matter, which is not something that we do. The firms that do that are going to realize they’re not going to need as big an army, which results in a very meaningful change in their leverage. For us, most of our matters are handled by two or three people. Although, from what I can see, AI still has issues and a lot to work out. It’s a very powerful tool that will make everybody efficient, and the large bodies for transactions and litigations are going to shrink.   

The Fun Bit 

CA: Throwing it back to law school: it's been a long day of classes and studying. What's your go-to easy meal to have before you crash? 

Baradaran: Well, it has been 26 years since I went to law school! Either pizza or Chinese food.  

CA: What was the first concert you attended? 

Baradaran: That is a difficult question… It is probably one of the things I do the most in my adult life, and it is one of my favorite things to do when I’m not working. I’ve lost track of how many concerts I’ve been to, but my first concert may have been Michael Jackson, or Elton John.  

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

Baradaran: There are many, but one is understanding how to manage a client’s expectations. Whether it’s a transactional or litigation matter, it is a skill to learn so that there are as few surprises as possible.  

Another is to stay calm, no matter how crazy or stressful things get.  

The other piece of advice I would give is in order to develop as a lawyer and have a fruitful career, there are a lot of skillsets you need to learn, but the first and most important is to become an expert in the area of practice you’re working. That should always be a priority. Then, everything else should follow from that, because at the end of the day, you’re in the professional services business and need to deliver very sophisticated work at the very highest level for, sometimes, very demanding clients.