HSF Kramer - The Inside View

*The following research was carried out with Kramer Levin associates prior to the firm’s merger with Herbert Smith Freehills on June 1, 2025.

If there’s one message associates at legacy firm Kramer Levin could shout from the rooftops, it would be: “We punch above our weight!” Arguably, it’s this philosophy that has brought the firm to where it is today, having started out with just 14 lawyers and the sheer determination to take on its many rivals in New York. Nowadays, having successfully taken a bite out of the Big Apple and beyond, the firm is branching even further afield. In April 2025, Kramer Levin announced a market-changing merger with British-born Herbert Smith Freehills to create a behemoth known as Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer (or HSF Kramer to its pals), a transatlantic and transpacific practice set to become one of the biggest law firms with over 2,700 lawyers across 26 offices.

“We punch above our weight!”

Mergers had been on the mind for Kramer Levin for some time. It was a firm that bore the fruit of its success with its reputation as a litigation powerhouse, which was only strengthened by its merger with Washington litigation boutique Robbins Russell in 2022. The boutique’s attorneys joined the ranks of the New York homebase, the intellectual property specialists in Silicon Valley, and the tax experts overseas in Paris.

Fast forward to today, our sister guide Chambers USA celebrates HSF Kramer’s litigious strengths with raucous applause for general commercial litigation in New York and advertising litigation nationwide. The firm receives further praise in New York for its immigration and real estate work. Nationwide, the firm scoops up even more recognition for its corporate crime & investigations, National Advertising Division (NAD) proceedings, and capital markets securitization. As one corporate insider shared, “I looked at the kind of deals the firm had done recently and was immediately assured that exposure to sophisticated work wouldn’t be an issue.”

Strategy & Future

Newly merged HSF Kramer has its sights set on bolstering a number of its core offerings, including its private equity, bankruptcy/restructuring, disputes, real estate, securitization, and broader transactional practices. As far as geographical growth stateside goes, the firm’s New York, DC, and Silicon Valley offices have been earmarked for future expansion.

Keep an eye out for our upcoming interview with HSF Kramer’s leadership team.

The Work

Work allocation across each practice group at the firm varies. The corporate and litigation groups have dedicated staffing professionals, while other groups have their own processes for staffing work. Ultimately, sources felt the systems in place work well because “it lets people know if you’re busy or not; it’s a good checkpoint.”

“Usually, there’s a partner, senior, and a junior on a deal. There are a lot of opportunities to do tasks outside of the junior realm…”

Kicking off with the firm’s corporate practice, you’ll find variety is the spice of life with middle market M&A, private equity, securitization capital markets, and banking & finance for borrowers and lenders. Transactions regularly span $250 million to over $1 billion, ranging across industries like financial services, real estate, food & beverages, and technology – “it’s very diversified!” Juniors are encouraged to explore and figure out their interests before joining a specific subgroup. Sources were happy overall with their responsibilities and development as the deal teams are lean: “Usually, there’s a partner, senior, and a junior on a deal. There are a lot of opportunities to do tasks outside of the junior realm, like adding provisions to a purchase agreement.” On top of managing checklists and due diligence, insiders outlined working on legal research, contract review, as well as picking up the pen to draft ancillaries and sections of substantive agreements. Of this, one praised: “Being able to understand what’s happening within a transaction and writing parts of those agreements makes me feel like I can make a transaction happen, which is a real strength.”

Corporate clients: Energy Harbor majority shareholders Nuveen Asset Management and Avenue Capital; the special committee of the Board of Directors of Thoughtworks; Focus Financial Partners.

In litigation, the team tackles a variety of complex commercial disputes such as advertising litigation – “which is one of our strongest practices” – white-collar crime and government investigations, individual representations, international arbitration, and some appellate litigation. Of the latter, one commented, “We have a handful of trials each year; we pride ourselves on it, and we’re prepared to go to trial.” Junior litigators valued “being heard and getting involved” in matters, with one sharing: “I drafted the cross-examination outlines for trial and worked with counsel and partners to edit them. They were used at trial – it was such a great experience!” Although tasks vary depending on the stage of litigation, as a rule of thumb, juniors are expected to conduct classic doc review and legal research, “substantially reading through the law. I’ve had opportunities with a senior to hash out what the law is, and my perspective was treated seriously,” another highlighted, alongside preparing motions to dismiss and assisting with deposition prep.

Commercial litigation clients: EIG Energy Funds XIV and XV; Jefferies Strategic Investments, LLC and Leucadia Asset Management Holdings LLC; Deloitte.

Handling IP litigation with an emphasis on patents, the firm’s intellectual property practice asserts and defends claims in court before both the US Patent and Trademark Office and international agencies. Silicon Valley unsurprisingly attracts lots of technology and software focused work, and there’s a fair amount of biotech to tackle in New York; so, insiders noted that “we collaborate on different things and staff across offices.” On the patent litigation side, juniors outlined delving into due diligence and research relating to the patent and infringement, going on to draft a technical complaint and file when deciding to pursue a claim. Depending on how things unfold with the back and forth, one explained, “if you’re someone who wants the courtroom experience, we have people more focused on that aspect” too. We heard cases typically take two years or so from start to finish: “It’s a long process, and everything is high stakes!” Interviewees valued that “being part of a smaller office means that you’re able to touch on all the parts of a matter and get to know it inside and out.”

IP clients: Sirius XM Radio Inc.; Acceleration Bay; Centripetal.

Career Development

“It’s a great place to cut your teeth as an associate.”

“It’s a great place to cut your teeth as an associate,” insiders agreed. Starting at the firm, newbies are allocated associate and partner mentors. Informal mentorship extends beyond this, as one shared: “A number of partners have taken the time out of their day to walk me through things or grab a coffee to give me their two cents.” Building foundations, interviewees praised the various learning resources to hand, with corporate sources highlighting the recent investment in Praktio, “a new training system created by a previous BigLaw corporate/M&A attorney.” Some words of wisdom from this junior: “if you are interested in doing something, you need to be vocal about it,” as the firm’s good deal culture allows scope for increased responsibility. Interviewees went on to emphasize that “the ultimate training comes on the job with a ‘take a stab at this and we’ll talk it through’ approach.”

Partnership felt somewhat attainable to juniors; however, we heard that the pathway isn’t super clear. Insiders observed that the partner track “is definitely ten years or so,” to which one added: “I don’t know much about the process, but I would be comfortable asking about it.” With many routes to take, it was mentioned that the firm is supportive of externing and clerkships too, building out the alumni network.

Culture

Everyone knows the people you work with shape your experiences, and here, it’s no different. “It’s genuinely welcoming, kind, and supportive,” juniors were pleased to report, “It attracts the type of people who respect you as a person.” Day to day, sources relayed that “it’s common for people to take the time to explain things, and people are willing to teach you if you ask.” Moreover, we heard that when it comes to shutting the laptop and getting away from it all, “people going on vacation means they actually go on vacation.” As for the social calendar, there are seasonal and summer class events alongside quarterly to monthly practice get-togethers and lunches, with associates often informally grabbing coffee together. “It’s not the most social firm,” one admitted, “but it’s a nice balance.”

Pro Bono

“Pro bono is unlimited; it’s very much encouraged – it’s part of our DNA,” an insider raved. With an annual pro bono ceremony, it’s very much celebrated too. “If you bill 100 or more, you get a pro bono heart on your name plate. It’s super cute, and it’s a way of saying ‘this person cares a lot,’” a source enthused. Associates can bring their own matters to the firm too, and with frequent emails from the pro bono coordinator about the “many opportunities,” there is plenty to get stuck into. For example, we heard about asylum and immigration; domestic violence and family; housing and landlord; veterans’ rights; and advising at a variety of clinics such as the election hotline.

“Pro bono is unlimited; it’s very much encouraged – it’s part of our DNA.”

Corporate juniors highlighted getting involved with the firm’s Small Business Clinic: “We advise people in underserved communities on their business-related questions – from property issues to licensing problems.” For many, it’s an opportunity to not only make a positive impact, but to further develop their own skills and gain substantive experience. As one shared, “I’ve been able to draft the pleading and stand up for my client in court – everyone has been so supportive of it.”

Pro bono hours 

• For all (US) attorneys: 32,628
• Average per (US) attorney: 98

Hours & Compensation

Billable hours: 1,950 target

Overall, sources agreed the billable target was achievable – especially with the addition of unlimited pro bono and the 150-hour bucket for things like business development, training and mentoring, participating in inclusion initiatives, as well as recruitment-related events.

Speak to any attorney, and you’ll know it’s hard to describe an average day. But as a rough guide, associates outlined working from around 9am to 6pm, heading into the office at least three days a week. The peaks and troughs that come part and parcel with corporate work in the buildup to crunch time means that hours can be long, as one source described: “It can look like twelve-hour days and weekends, though if you’re asked to pull long hours, you’ll be given notice.” Similar things can be said of litigation: “There’s one thing you need to be aware of: your schedule can be unpredictable,” another warned. In turn, associates are paid and receive bonuses (if eligible) in alignment with the market rate – “it’s a lot of money!”

Inclusion

For many, the appointment of the firm’s chief diversity officer was a purposeful move from the firm to bolster inclusion efforts. “It’s a big step in the right direction,” one nodded, “you can go to them and express any concerns; it’s nice having the ability to have those conversations, even as a summer.” Moreover, there is a selection of affinity groups to join too, such as the Women’s Circles and Attorneys of Color.

Coming soon...