Irell & Manella LLP - The Inside View

With so much choice available when sifting through law firms, it can be hard to narrow down your options. Yet, this small but mighty outfit, Irell & Manella, stands out from the crowd as “a creative litigation boutique and trial shop” in the intellectual property realm, placing it squarely at the top of the list for any IP aficionados. A swift glance at our sister guide Chambers USA confirms this: the firm is best in class for intellectual property: patent litigation and related life sciences patent litigation, as well as nationwide recognition for its intellectual property know-how. With around 75 lawyers across its three offices in Century City, Newport Beach, and Washington DC, here, “I get to be a trial attorney, an administrative attorney before government agencies, and an appellate lawyer,” an insider proclaimed.

“Half the first years have argued in court or taken depositions; it is very real here in a way that you can quantify.”

A modest first-year class intake of roughly ten juniors equals lean teams, so juniors could not emphasize enough the ability to gain trust and early responsibility: “Half the first years have argued in court or taken depositions; it is very real here in a way that you can quantify,” they attested. Moreover, there is a low partner-associate ratio, allowing for plenty of day-to-day partner interaction. Sources also highlighted that from first impressions, “it seemed more laid back. People are hard-working, but I got the gut feeling that they’re easy to talk to.” This sentiment rang true, thankfully, as our associates shared: “I spend a lot of time here! It’s fulfilling to work someplace that feels familial and welcoming, where you feel known.”

Irell & Manella is recognized as an Excellent Performer for Junior Satisfaction and a Strong Performer for Mid to Senior Satisfaction in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Strategy & Future

“We are well known for supporting clients in a variety of industries, but always in complex high-stakes litigation with a particular focus on technology – it could be life sciences, semi-conductors, or medical devices,” executive committee member Ben Hattenbach reminds us. He continues: “We’re regularly described as having few rivals in the courtroom, and, particularly in patent cases, and having some of the greatest records of success of any firm out there on the plaintiff and defense side.” Adding to the arsenal, Hattenbach highlights, “We have developed a custom AI powered platform for analyzing US patents and patent applications. Internally we call it Irell Programable Patent Platform software, or IP3 for short. Unlike what most firms have done, we have built it entirely in-house using code written by our full-time people and run it entirely inside the firm’s own firewall and computers,” assisting with clients and their litigation strategies.

Although the forecast predicts “a greater amount of litigation than there has been over the past couple of years,” Hattenbach explains, “we have always intentionally avoided the ‘growth for growth’s sake’ mentality.” Having a lower leverage (AKA ratio of associates to partners), in turn, the firm focuses on the quality of individual hires. “We are able to succeed in an economical way by staffing matters leanly and giving younger folks the amount of responsibility that they have earned. Rather than pulling people back because they have fewer years of experience, we like to look at people’s capabilities,” Hattenbach determines, “which gives young folks the ability to build their skillset and confidence much more quickly.”

Read more from Ben Hattenbach under the ‘Get Hired’ tab.

Summer Program

Summer hires and junior associates come from a range of academic backgrounds, so there’s a real mix of those with and without STEM degrees. Throughout the summer program, summers can take assignments from a work coordinator (while also having the option to dive straight into the free market system). “The assignments are real projects that associates would otherwise we doing,” sources highlighted, like memos, research, and drafting motions. There is also a mock trial to expose summers to advocacy as well. “Should you come in, don’t be afraid to ask questions of any attorneys in instances where you don’t know,” sources advised, “Make sure you put your best foot forward at work and the social events,” the latter of which are many. There is a summer associate retreat with activities such as scavenger hunts, trips to Disney Land and the aquarium, Dodgers games, concerts, and the annual summer party.

The Work

When newbies arrive at the firm, they are able to seek out work via the firm’s free market right away, although a work coordinator is also allocated to them and helps out with additional assignments if needed. “You can reach out to those you want to work with,” and vice versa, as insiders explained: “It allows you to build strong relationships and get those neat opportunities earlier on.”

Irell & Manella is recognized as an Excellent Performer for Work Allocation & Autonomy in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

“…high stakes intellectual property litigation.”

Predominantly, the firm’s work centers around “high stakes intellectual property litigation,” juniors quipped, often going to trial on ‘bet the company’ type cases. The group acts mostly on behalf of plaintiffs, but there is also some defendant work for rookies to get their hands on. As generalists, juniors can work across the range of soft and hard IP issues, from contract disputes to trade secrets cases. As such, the clients that make up the firm’s books come from a whole host of sectors, from biotechnology and pharmaceuticals to computer software and storage devices. “Patent attorneys argue the merits and the bounds of the scope – like whether teal is green or blue. In patent law, that matters a great deal,” an interviewee explained, “It’s nerdy! People pull dictionaries off the shelf.” Even without a technical degree in the area, associates are expected to get stuck in and “learn about a new technology quickly and efficiently.”

Given the lean team structures, juniors were pleased with the level of responsibility available. Project management shapes part of the role, “having knowledge of everything that is happening on a given case, keeping track of deadlines and documents going out… With discovery, there is a tremendous amount of coordination of what is coming in and going out the door.” Associates also roll up their sleeves to conduct research, interface with experts, and assist with reports – “getting into the nitty gritty and understanding the narrative from a technical standpoint.” There are also plenty of substantial motion drafting opportunities: “I’d only been at the firm for a couple of months before drafting two briefs, and the opportunities kept up!” an insider attested. These opportunities involve preparing for and taking depositions, assisting with trial prep, readying exhibits, general strategizing, and attending trial.

Intellectual property clients: Skechers, Foresight Diagnostics, StreamScale. Secured a victory for Netlist, including $118 million in damages, in a suit against Samsung involving patents relating to computer memory technology.

Career Development

Career development received a solid thumbs up from juniors, especially given the ratio of associates to partners (which is about 2 : 1). With “the smaller teams, it’s not just one-off assignments; you’re expected to wrap your arms around the case,” interviewees emphasized, “You’re tasked with doing more early on; the firm wants everyone who arrives to feel empowered to seize this job.” Aside from the on-the-job learning, there are formal training sessions too, such as the induction for newbies, lunch & learns covering patent and intellectual property issues, AI developments, and general soft skills for attorneys. In particular, the deposition training workshop for first and second years received high praise: “The firm invests a lot in that. It is a multi-day affair. Partners give presentations, and on the second day, there are real court reports and actors, with associates having the opportunity to take or defend,” insiders detailed – all with real-time feedback. Mentorship was also a key aspect of the associate experience. Rookies are assigned a senior associate mentor and then receive a partner mentor later in their associate career, “but also, everyone has informal mentors – senior associates or partners who they can turn to for a chat, and often it is a different person.” Moreover, associates receive credit for mentoring by going out to lunch with a fellow associate – either a year above or below – monthly.

“The biggest rainmakers were summer associates.”

As for the path to partnership, “it is one of the highlights for me,” a source revealed, “Our partner track is seven to eight years, and we don’t have a non-equity tier.” In fact, the firm is “very focused on homegrown talent; the biggest rainmakers were summer associates. It is a small firm that wants its summer class to be the next group of partners.” Even if that isn’t on the cards, associates were confident in their long-term options: “I’m satisfied with the choice to come here, and my career prospects because of that.”

Irell & Manella is recognized as an Excellent Performer for Career Development in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Culture

With around 70 attorneys, the firm offers a small firm culture. Where there isn’t a certain ‘type’ of Irell associate, “generally, we’re a nerdy bunch,” an insider shared, “That may manifest itself in a number of ways for patent law, including sci-fi, reading, or art,” for example. Couple this with “being intellectually curious about technology (without needing to have a tech background), and being comfortable in the high risk, high reward situations” that come with litigation, such as “taking a deposition or arguing in front of court. That is stressful, but being uncomfortable is the trade-off to be able to do the things that a litigator does as a junior attorney. This is a cool place to be,” another added. Sources also highlighted that it’s a welcoming environment: “There is not a single partner who terrifies me, or that I’m too scared to go into their office and own up to a mistake,” an interviewee admitted, “They have always been kind and made it a learning opportunity.”

As for the social calendar, we heard “there is no shortage of food and places to gather!” This includes lunches hosted every Monday, lunch-time presentations on Tuesdays, and weekly happy hours. These happen alongside “Erewhon smoothies or acai bowls on a Friday in an effort to get more associates together,” as the firm has no strict work from home policy. Even though the summer is arguably the busiest season for events, there are also sponsored happy hours, seasonal parties and retreats, and a biennial alumni event to look forward to. For example, “the other month, a partner went to the wilderness up north and took a bunch of associates on leisurely hikes to see the scenery.”

Irell & Manella is recognized as an Excellent Performer for Culture in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Hours & Compensation

Billable hours: 2,000 target

While there can admittedly be a bit of a ramp up period in first year, thereafter, clocking in 2,000 hours to be bonus eligible was determined to be “very achievable” by our sources. Better still, client billables and pro bono are weighed equally! The consensus was that “I’m definitely going to hit it this year, but there is an understanding if you don’t hit it; there’s a holistic process to determine who gets a bonus.” In turn, associates are remunerated at market level following a lockstep model. What’s more, “historically, Irell does well on bonuses – even more than market,” insiders divulged, so there were absolutely no complaints there!

With the typical ebbs and flows of litigation, juniors shared that “an average week is between 40 to 50 billables,” while busy periods can hit highs of 60 and above. That said, “you usually know well in advance if you have lots of deadlines coming up, or whether you’ll be in trial.” There is also a degree of flexibility regarding working hours, with some logging on earlier or later in the morning to finish at different times during the day.

Irell & Manella is recognized as an Excellent Performer for Benefits & Quality of Life in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Pro Bono

Everyone we spoke to felt well supported and encouraged to be involved in pro bono, especially as all pro bono hours count towards their billable target. Each week, the head of pro bono circulates a list of opportunities to hop on. These range from short-term commitments – such as helping out at the pro se clinic in the central district of California – and assisting with adoption and children’s rights cases, to high-impact litigation. For example, recently, the firm successfully defended Measure ULA, constitutionally passed by the voters, making it the largest affordable housing ballot initiative in LA. “I appreciate the opportunities to do pro bono, make a difference, and feel integrated in the local community,” an interviewee enthused.

“I appreciate the opportunities to do pro bono, make a difference, and feel integrated in the local community.”

Pro bono hours

• For all US attorneys: 4,047
• Average per US attorney: 55

Irell & Manella is recognized as The Elite for Pro Bono in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Inclusion

On the topic of inclusion, sources noted that the firm is a “familial, human, and welcoming environment,” though it was acknowledged that when hiring from a pool of mostly STEM graduates, there is a challenge with gender representation. Even with Irell being a smaller outfit, an interviewee observed that “looking around the firm, I see the ranks becoming more diverse.” Insiders also highlighted the appointment of Morgan Chu as one of the first Asian American managing partners at a major law firm. “There is a long history of being an inclusive environment for people, and making sure people feel welcome to be successful,” a junior emphasized.

Get Hired

The first stage: recruitment on and off campus   

OCI applicants interviewed: undisclosed  

Interviewees outside OCI: undisclosed  

Irell does most of its recruitment through OCIs – Berkeley, Chicago, Columbia, Duke, Georgetown, GWU, Harvard, Howard, Michigan, Northwestern, NYU, Penn, Stanford, UCI, UCLA, USC, UVA and Yale are always on the OCI list, and the firm also does Resume Collections at over 40 law schools. Candidates can also apply by sending in a cover letter, resume and transcript. 

Where possible, alumni from the school conduct interviews there. They're looking for “communication skills, leadership qualities, initiative and creativity” on top of the standard academic credentials. The questions posed during the interview are focused on drawing these out. Irell also recommends interviewees have their own questions to ask. 

Top tips for this stage:   

“We always ask some kind of legal question – maybe based on your favorite class or something on your resume – as we want to see candidates engage in substantive legal discussions, though you don't have to memorize rules.”– a 3rd-year associate   

 “Because we're a smaller firm it's important that recruits bring a new perspective and will practice law with integrity. We appear before the court early in our careers so we need someone who can be the face of the firm.”– a 3rd-year associate   

Callbacks   

Once they've reached this stage, interviewees can expect to speak with at least three partners and several hiring committee members as part of their callback interview. Whether they're at a morning or an afternoon session, they'll get a meal (lunch or dinner). Successful candidates are invited back to get to know Irell better before summer.   

How to impress here? There aren't real differences to the OCI – it's all about candidate and firm getting to know one another better. By this point you'll have a pretty good idea of the work Irell does and the character of the firm, so should definitely have some of your own questions at the ready.   

Top tips for this stage:   

“One initiative the firm's taken is structuring callbacks more effectively to remove implicit bias. We'll ask standard questions in various areas to seek out qualities like leadership and creativity.”– a 3rd-year associate   

“I talk to a lot of people who don't know how to sell their resume. Focus on what demonstrates creative thinking and leadership skills.” – a 2nd-year associate   

Summer program  

Offers: undisclosed  

Acceptances: 26 

Matching faces to names is one of the key roles of Irell's summer program – attendees are encouraged to work with as many attorneys as possible to see everything from depositions and trials. Day-to-day work is complemented by formal programs with exciting titles like 'Intellectual Property at Irell’ and 'Trademark Year in Review.' Pro bono is another key aspect of the summer – adoption proceedings are one of the most common options.   

Weekend retreats and dinners are a means for attorneys to get to know summers. Successful candidates will be those who've thrown themselves into everything, and in doing so have shown off their professionalism, ability and judgment.  

Notable events: Summer party, summer associate weekend retreat, rock climbing, cooking classes and Disneyland.   

Top tips for this stage:   

“We have an unbelievable support staff who are always willing to help and make sure you use all the resources available.” – a 3rd-year associate   

“A huge advantage of summering at a smaller firm is that when you come back, attorneys you've made connections with will inevitably be your mentors.” – a 3rd-year associate   

And finally...   

Irell's summer program includes the chance to get involved in a mock wrongful death trial, which is overseen by a judge. 

Interview with Ben Hattenbach executive and management committees member and 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?  

Ben Hattenbach: We are well known for supporting clients in a variety of industries, but always in complex high stakes litigation with a particular focus on technology – it could be life sciences, semi-conductors, or medical devices. We’re regularly described as having few rivals in the courtroom, and, particularly in patent cases, having some of the greatest records of success of any firm out there both on the plaintiff and defense side.  

We have some of the features of boutique firms as well as BigLaw firms, and we try to combine those when it comes to our work. Most of the work that we do in some way makes a real difference to clients; they aren’t cases that have already been done a dozen times before. It is often ‘bet your company’ type litigation. We are able to succeed in an economical way by staffing matters leanly and giving younger folks the amount of responsibility that they have earned. Rather than pulling people back because they have less years of experience, we like to look at people's capabilities. 

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

Hattenbach: I would say in the world at large, AI has been a huge development. It seems like every few years there is something that people think will be earthshattering, like at one point it was the year 2000 bug, there was medical marijuana, and there was cryptocurrency. Every time something happens, we see firms create big groups to address these things and they turn out to be not nearly as big as people expected. Speaking on behalf of myself, and not the firm, I do think that AI will be different and that it will make a real impact on how we live our lives and the economy.  

We have put a lot of effort into integrating AI into our practice. We have developed a custom AI powered platform for analyzing US patents and patent applications. Internally we call it Irell Programmable Patent Platform software, or IP3 for short. Unlike what most firms have done, we have built it entirely in-house using code written by our full-time people and running it entirely inside the firm’s own firewall and computers. One of the benefits of that is it gives us absolute confidence that no client information is ever going to be exposed by using third party solutions, which is currently one of but not the only problem of using externally developed AI technologies. We have been recognised for this IP3 technology through a number of third-party awards, but really the biggest validation is having the program help us with our clients and their litigation strategy and winning in court. To be clear, we do a lot of work in AI, but this is used across the board for all our clients in a variety of spaces.  

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? 

Hattenbach: A lot of larger litigation-based firms are forecasting greater amounts of litigation next year and have been growing accordingly. That is not typically how we think of growth. We tend to focus on the quality of individuals as opposed to the number of people, rather than staffing client matters with those that don’t meet our standards. We see firms growing 20 to 30% a year; I don’t think that is something we are ever likely to do, but it is happening in the industry. 

The other one is the integration of AI: having the right tools and having the right people who really understand how AI works, and where it doesn’t work most importantly. Where most people run into trouble with AI is when they are misled into believing whatever it is thinking is correct, and they rely on it. I’m not talking about people who file briefs with cases that don’t exist, that is at the far end of the spectrum, but even just accepting factual statements or conclusions not realizing that they may be completely incorrect, unsupported or totally fabricated. We are well suited to understanding those dangers, navigating them and identifying them in a way that a lot of firms aren’t. This applies to both our practice across technologies but also, personally I have seen some new clients who have been told by AI that they have come up with something very valuable; they believe it and don’t scrutinize it appropriately, and we have become good at identifying situations where people are being misled by AI. It is almost as important as using it in a positive way, knowing when it is not delivering the value it purports to be.  

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

Hattenbach: We expect there to be a greater amount of litigation than there has been over the past couple of years. We have always intentionally avoided the ‘growth for growth’s sake’ mentality. When I graduated from law school almost 30 years ago – I remember a lot of firms in 2007, before the dot com crash, building new offices to house all the new lawyers, and a lot of them went bankrupt because it didn’t work out. We take a different approach, like I said, focusing on the quality of individual hires at a level of granularity, not looking at the number of people we want to bring in or even setting goals like that. One of the benefits of that is we have a lower associate to partner ratio, with a lower leverage than other similarly situated firms out there, which results in a much more hands on experience for associates. We have young associates going to court, handling witnesses at trials in their first few years of practice, which at other medium to large sized firms is not normal. Then to correlate to that, we have a quicker path to partnership. Not only do associates have earlier experiences but partners actually get to know them and work hand in hand with them, as opposed to younger associates working with mid-level associates who then in turn report to partners. That is another positive which gives young folks the ability to build their skillset and confidence much more quickly. 

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? 

Hattenbach: Well, let’s see... I think I survived on Trader Joe’s frozen food!  

CA: What was the first concert you attended? 

Hattenbach: I don’t remember... it’s been too long! My daughter’s first concert was two years ago; we sent her to Elton John’s last concert in North America, and my wife got her tickets from our neighbor who couldn’t go. They were very inexpensive. It turns out it was first row at Dodger Stadium; she had to sit next to this old guy and said it was really annoying as everyone kept coming up and taking his picture. I said, ‘Who was it?’ She said, ‘His name is Paul McCartney.’ She likes The Beatles, but the significance didn’t register, so she got to watch Elton John’s last concert next to Paul McCartney.  

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? 

Hattenbach: There are a lot of them – I would say optimism, which is a broad term. I’m an engineer by training – I studied engineering before I went to law school. There is whole science of engineering and optimization: trying to figure out the best solution to a technical problem, not the only solution but the best of many. I think when working with and managing people, optimization is equally important. There are some people who are not good at everything but are fantastic at some things. Identify what that is and allow them to make the most of those skills while also trying to build them up in other areas which aren’t their great talent. This is really important for working with teams of people.