Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP - The Inside View

In the world of Mission Impossible, Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt proves time and again that he can achieve things that he thought were unimaginable. Enter (Ethan) Hunton, a firm that boasts the same accomplishment in the world of BigLaw: “I can do important work, see my family, and be happy!” an associate beamed. This sentiment was echoed by the firm’s managing partner Sam Danon who expressed that “you’ve got to like what you do at the end of the day,” which is no problem at Hunton where “you’re going to have challenging work and be challenged intellectually, but you’ll work with bright people who you can respect.”

The firm works across five primary industries: financial services, real estate, technology, energy, and consumer products. Chambers USA reflects this by showering praise upon the firm in over 50 departments including labor & employment, public finance, capital markets, bankruptcy/restructuring, corporate/M&A, litigation, and real estate. With such prowess across practices, it should also be noted that the firm has 13 national offices, including the main bases in Virginia and Texas, as well as six international offices spread across the globe. We spoke with people across the span of stateside offices, with most of our insiders hailing from the Richmond, Houston, and New York hubs.

“It’s awesome here, and it’s right where I want to be!”

Add high-quality work to the “warm and welcoming” environment, and it’s no wonder associates were gushing about the firm. “I get hit up by recruiters constantly, and I’m like, ‘who cares?’” one source revealed, continuing, “It’s awesome here, and it’s right where I want to be!” Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to read on and see if Hunton Andrews Kurth is where you want to be as well.

Hunton Andrews Kurth is recognized as a Strong Performer for Associate Satisfaction and three other categories in our 2025 survey.

Strategy & Future

“We’re thought leaders, and our strategies around our industries allows us to be knowledgeable and remain ahead of the curve on these trends,” managing partner Sam Danon divulges, explaining that the firm isn’t looking to grow for growth’s sake. Instead, growth is centered on its core groups. “It’s very practice driven,” he continues, “and we can really stand out in the market as a result of that.” Exhibit A: “We’ve had lawyers focused on energy join the London office,” Danon mentions, following with exhibits B, C, and D: “We have energy finance and energy project finance lawyers that specialize in Africa and the Middle East that have joined us, as well as an international arbitration group.” Additionally, “in the wake of the election, we’ve hired laterals in retail and consumer products in DC; we’re also bringing people in for cyber and data security,” he lists.

Looking to the future, Danon acknowledges that shifts come with administration changes, but Hunton is prepared. “There’s definitely going to be a way that impacts us, but I think we’re ready for that,” he affirms. The other instance Danon is also helping the firm brace for inevitable changes regarding artificial intelligence: “I think it’s going to change how we practice and the effectiveness of certain things,” he contemplates, “this is a tool we have to learn how to use in the most effective way.”

The Work

The associates on our list covered a plethora of practice areas, with most housed in the corporate, litigation, and capital finance & real estate branches. Work allocation was a hit amongst interviewees, as sources noted: “With us, it’s literally just coming from the partners. After you work with someone, they’ll come back to you and put you on something new.” This relationship-based system worked well for most of our sources who found it both simple and effective, because “as long as I keep doing good work for them, they’ll keep giving me more!”

In litigation, sources run the gamut of contentious work including energy, securities, antitrust, and insurance. A lot of the work is filtered through from the M&A group, and interviewees were quick to share that their clients are household names: “I’ve worked with clients that everyone would know, which is pretty cool!” Day to day, associates found themselves writing memos and letter motions, joining in with strategy meetings, drafting discovery answers, alongside a healthy amount of document review. Though, as one junior laughed, “There’s definitely a lot less doc review than I feared.” Insiders have also gotten a taste of the courtroom, having taken depositions and actually argued in federal court – much to their delight. “I like the level of responsibility that my partners are giving me,” one praised, “I’m up to the challenge, and you’re not going to learn until you get experience.”

Litigation clients: Fox News Network, Premium Cigar Association, The Dewberry Companies. Representing Huntington Ingalls – the largest shipbuilding company in the United States – as national strategic and trial counsel for an asbestos case arising out of the Newport News Shipyard.

“I’ve worked with clients that everyone would know, which is pretty cool!”

The real estate practice is the real deal at Hunton, with associates pointing out that “a lot of firms are usually known for one thing, but we’re not pigeonholed like that; if it touches real estate, we’ll do it.” This kind of range includes representing clients like buyers, lenders, banks, and everything in between. Juniors can delve into a whole host of tasks including ancillary documents, guarantees and environmental indemnities, completing purchase and sales, diligence, and getting everything ready for closing. “It keeps things fresh which I like,” grinned one source, “I don’t think I’ve marked up a credit agreement, but I’ve probably touched every loan document you can throw at a person!” Insiders also reported that they are largely given full autonomy with a safety net of support where required: “The partners are there to review my work if I ask or if it’s particularly complex, but by and large, they give me a lot of room to work and gain experience.”

Real estate clients: Beal Bank, Duke Energy Corporation, Pacific Life Insurance Company. Representing Chirisa Technology Parks in connection with the development of a $1.5 billion hyperscale data center in Virginia, the first of a five-phase data center park development.

Over in the corporate department, you can find numerous subgroups such as M&A, capital markets, structured finance & securitization, as well as global technology, outsourcing & privacy (GTOP). Clientele here is expectedly varied, with a structured finance & securitization interviewee noting investment banks tend to be the major players in their group – “pretty much half are originators, the other half are buyers and sellers of loans. A large portion of our practice is involved in that.” Repurchase agreements, credit lines, and securitizations are the bread and butter of that group, but more broadly, typical junior tasks include closing checklists, reviewing ancillary documents, document management, and client contact. An insider did point out that they work up the ladder of responsibility, but junior associates do have their day in the sun eventually. “The week before closing is the time to shine for younger associates,” they shared, “it’s where all our work pays off, and we do a lot of organization and coordination at once.” Nobody felt too thrown in the deep end however, largely due to the support of their colleagues: “The number of questions I’ve asked my fellow associates has been insane, but they’re always here and keen to help.”

Corporate clients: Darden Restaurants, The Hershey Company, Bain Capital Credit. Represented Paragon Medical, a global industry leader in highly engineered medical components and instruments, in its $1.9 billion sale to AMETEK, a leading provider of industrial technology solutions.

Pro Bono

Hunton allows for pro bono hours to be contributed to the billable target, and insiders described pro bono as “a major focus here. The firm really seems to care about these things.” Within that core aim, interviewees mentioned landlord/tenant disputes, family law, and immigration matters, as well as veterans’ benefits matters and veterans groups seeking special service recognition. There is also room for associates to get involved representing nonprofit groups in both transactional and adversary matters. “The firm has a strong infrastructure, making sure they find you pro bono matters you care about,” noted one associate.

“It makes me feel really good,” enthused one of many juniors who saw the benefits of the pro bono practice. Sources also keenly observed the positive impact pro bono has had on their growing skills; “it’s helpful for you and your development as well,” one nodded, “there’s a commitment to being a good citizen and making sure it’s beneficial for you at work.”

Pro bono hours

• For all (US) attorneys: 50, 714
• Average per (US) attorney: 60

Career Development

Associates felt their evolution at the firm was top of mind for Hunton: “There’s definitely an emphasis on them wanting us here and wanting to develop us as the next generation of Hunton lawyers,” one confirmed. This commitment shone clear to our interviewees who noted that it’s more than lip service; Hunton “walks the walk.” Examples of this include trial school for junior litigators, deposition training, and professional development programs. “Those are really helpful and educational,” beamed one source, “they really prioritize it as well, because they know that it’s a great resource.”

“There are people who have been here their entire careers, and that’s amazing.”

Hunton’s partnership ranks are brimming with homegrown talent, a fact that our associates found especially encouraging: “There are people who have been here their entire careers, and that’s amazing.” As such, multiple juniors pointed out that it’s not just great work that leads to partnership; there’s a secret ingredient as well. “Half the battle with making partner in BigLaw is ‘are you happy here? Are you going to stick around?’” posited one astute insider, “and Hunton has been doing a great job of that.”

Culture

“One of the things that drew me here was just how social everyone seemed,” recalled one junior. We heard of an “inclusive and welcoming” atmosphere which was especially prevalent during the semi-regular social events the firm puts on throughout the year. Naturally, most of these come around during the summer program, but other events include happy hours and birthday celebrations (with cake!) that are sprinkled across the calendar.

Among the various social opportunities, one event of note was Supper Club, a dinner program held once a quarter where associates can sit with partners they may not know to socialize and network: “You meet new people which is really fun, and it’s also on the firm!” an interviewee gushed. The firm is broadly family-oriented too, which means there’s no harm in skipping events to go home and spend time with loved ones. But during work hours, the culture is strong as an insider detailed: “We have an on-site cafeteria, and everyone is super social there.”

Inclusion

“The firm is really passionate about being a welcoming place for everyone…”

Of the gender split, we heard the firm has over 50% of women at the associate level to the delight and amusement of our interviewees: “It’s usually a bunch of women giving advice to men on Wall Street – it’s great!” Mentorship within this space was praised too: “They take mentorship really seriously,” an interviewee nodded, “allowing us to give back with programs involving mentoring law students.” Insiders pointed out that “the firm is really passionate about being a welcoming place for everyone, putting things in place to support historically underrepresented groups.”

Hours & Compensation

Billable hours: 2,000 target

Hunton gives its attorneys a 2,000-hour target to reach with extra hour credits going to pro bono and for non-billable initiatives – comprised of activities like drafting services for Congress and helping with Habitat for Humanity – to soften the commitment. Alongside their market rate salaries, sources noted that the merit-based bonus was very much within their sights. “I’ll be hitting the target this year,” one excited interviewee conveyed, “there’s plenty of work to go around, and there’s always something to do.”

There is room for hybrid working at Hunton as associates are expected to be in the office for the first four days of the week, getting to work from home on Friday ahead of the weekend. It was mentioned among juniors that this isn’t a militant policy; however, “we mostly adhere to it, though the firm’s priority is you getting your work done wherever you are.” Hours fluctuated – not just by practice group, but by time of year – with one insider explaining that “my slowest month was below 100 hours, while my busiest almost reached 300.” Generally speaking, juniors felt supported when the work ramped up. “People try to be cognizant of your time,” one nodded, “and there’s no expectation that every time I get an email on the weekend, I have to drop everything.”

Get Hired

The first stage: recruitment on and off campus

OCI applicants interviewed: undisclosed

Interviewees outside OCI: undisclosed

Hunton currently conducts OCIs at 22 law schools, including top institutions and other regional schools. The firm also participates in job fairs including the Lavender Law Career Fair and the Southeastern Law School Consortium. OCIs are typically 20 minutes long and with two attorneys (mostly senior attorneys, including senior associates.) Diversity of interviewers is also a focus for the firm to “better reflect the changing demographics of our law student body and the future of the practice,” according to firm-wide hiring partner Rudene Mercer Haynes.

Interviewers at this stage ask behavioral questions to “see how well the law students can think on their feet.” Here, the conclusions are less important than the analytical reasoning used to reach them. The firm is also looking for evidence of “resilience, passion and grit.” Hunton tends to focus on candidates’ successes, whether those are academic, professional or personal: “We want to recruit individuals who desire excellence in their professional pursuits, and our interviewing process is intended to glean as much as we can about the candidates’ potential for success by examining their academic records and personal and professional accomplishments.”

Top tips for this stage:

“It is impressive when candidates have done some research on the firm and the practices in which we specialize and can articulate, authentically and persuasively, a link between our firm’s strengths and their career aspirations. We are also impressed by those who ask thoughtful questions. The interview process is an opportunity to run intel on prospective employers, so using that time wisely reflects positively on a candidate.” – firm-wide hiring partner Rudene Mercer Haynes

Callbacks

Applicants invited to second-stage interview: undisclosed

At the callback stage, interviewers are typically members of the specific office’s recruiting committee and, where possible, from the practice area the candidate is interested in. “Typically, although it varies from office to office, each callback interviewee is scheduled for at least four and no more than six 30-minute interviews.” Offices generally provide lunch with a junior to mid-level associate, where “the callback interviewee gets the perspective of someone closer in their perspective who can answer questions about transitioning from the law school to law firm experience, finding housing and local cultural opportunities.” The questions at this stage are similar, though the candidate has the opportunity to “meet a wider range of individuals and get a better feel for the firm’s culture. It is also an opportunity to assess the candidates’ general preferences regarding their future practice.” The firm offers both virtual and in-person options for callbacks.

Top tips for this stage:

“The thing that drew me here at the beginning is the people. They’re extremely intelligent, quick on their feet and good-quality attorneys, but they’re also humble people from humble backgrounds and they’re easy to be around. It helps a lot in stressful situations and speaks to the teamwork aspects of the firm: whether it’s a team of two or twenty, the base-level teamwork is pretty special.” – a junior associate

“I would reiterate researching the firm and the practices/industries in which an individual office specializes. I would also recommend showing a familiarity with or having a nexus to the city in which the candidate is looking to summer.” – firm-wide hiring partner Rudene Mercer Haynes

Summer program

Offers: undisclosed

Acceptances: undisclosed

Summer associates “are active members of legal teams working on important projects and attending client conferences, depositions, trials, hearings and closings.” The matters they’re staffed on reflect the interests of each summer associate, and some offices do practice group rotations. Summers get matched to mentors and attend a “wide variety of social events to allow our summers to get to know our lawyers on a more personal basis.” There are also trainings, guidance on judicial clerkships and pro bono opportunities. The firm strives to recruit the “brightest and best summer associates — most of whom, we are happy to report, return as junior associates after graduation.” At the conclusion of the summer program, 2L summers who receive offers to join as entry-level associates receive an offer for a specific team and practice group based on their interests and team hiring needs “One of our partners penned five 'Tips for Having a Successful Summer' which are posted on our intranet’s summer associate orientation page.” How very helpful! The five tips are:

1) Be diligent – do your very best work

2) Be professional – use your very best judgment

3) Be client service-oriented – the legal industry is a service industry

4) Be thoughtful in your communications – choose your mode of communication wisely

5) Be entrepreneurial – take every opportunity to get to know the firm, the lawyers and to be exposed to work that interests you.

Top tips for this stage:

“The summer program did nothing but reinforce my opinion that I’d picked a good place. When I got an offer at the end of summer I was excited to accept it.” – a junior associate

“If you are looking for a career that offers challenging work in a collegial setting, alongside lawyers who are supportive and eager to see you succeed, please let us know.” – firm-wide hiring partner Rudene Mercer Haynes