Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP - The Inside View

There’s no denying Morgan Lewis’ position in the global marketplace. “We’re pretty clearly established as a premier law firm,” says firm chair Jami McKeon, “and we’ve come through this period really well.” But what’s behind this success story? In part, it’s down to “the breadth and depth of our practices, which have stood us in good stead,” McKeon explains. ML certainly has a broad practice that includes top-notch nationwide strengths in areas like capital markets; corporate crime & investigations; corporate/M&A; energy; investment funds; retail; tax; and everything and anything tied to labor & employment work. There are plenty more Chambers USA accolades bestowed upon the firm’s work across nine states, including ML’s home turf of Pennsylvania. 

McKeon adds that ML’s cross-practice taskforces have also been instrumental in its recent success: “We’ve done extremely well in helping our clients through this period. We put together a robust COVID taskforce for our clients, which resulted in nearly three million visits to our website during the first wave of COVID. We’ll be continuing with this approach as we move into the next phase of the pandemic, but we’ll also be bringing together our cross-practice resources to equip clients with information relating to areas like climate change, US/China relations, and now Ukraine. We want to become the number resource for our clients.” 

“…it’s actually scary how genuinely pleasant everyone is.” 

Our associate sources were spread across 13 of ML’s 18 domestic offices, with the Philadelphia, New York, DC, Boston, and San Francisco bases absorbing the highest concentrations of juniors (note that ML announced the opening of its latest domestic office, in Seattle, in late June 2022). We collected over 100 reasons for why associates joined ML, but among the most common was the sense that the firm could offer a better take on the world of BigLaw: “The firm demonstrated a more humane approach to BigLaw,” said one, while this source underlined that “it felt less stuffy than some of the other old school BigLaw firms I interviewed for.” This atmosphere is underpinned – as this survey respondent emphasized in capitals – by “the PEOPLE: it’s actually scary how genuinely pleasant everyone is and how much people care to support the folks around them.”  

Strategy & Future 

“We’re always in growth mode,” says McKeon, but it’s not the kind of growth mode that announces itself loudly: “We are never out there saying, ‘We’re going to get bigger!’ – we just focus on our clients and what they need.” McKeon tells us that ML is “continuing to focus on London and continental Europe, where we’ve had some opportunities to bring in some really terrific talent.” Also on the agenda is the ongoing expansion of ML’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) team, as well as its new(ish) infrastructure group. Cross-referrals are the name of the game at ML, and “in the last year, almost all of our top five clients by revenue have been serviced by at least half of our practice groups,” McKeon points out. 

The firm has continued to onboard laterals of late, with “20 lateral partners coming over in fiscal year 2021 to us from in-house, government, consulting firms, and other global law firms,” McKeon explains. “We’ve had a lot of successes across our practice areas,” she adds, including “a win for our client Teva Pharmaceuticals in a trial in California; our work with Merck in relation to the manufacturing of the COVID vaccine; and our dismissal of a shareholder derivatives lawsuit against our client Zimmer Biomet.”  

The Work  

Assignment coordinators dish out work in most groups depending on associates' schedules and business need. A source explained the usual process: “On some cases I’m staffed on matters directly by partners over email, but there are other times when I reach out to partners if I’m interested in a particular type of work.” Associates appreciated the smooth assignment system: “It’s been wonderful to make connections with the partners I work with. I’ve been able to develop a niche area of practice and really explore my interests.” Most of the associates on our list were in ML’s corporate business transactions, labor and employment, and litigation practices. The rest were based in departments like IP, tech, finance and energy. Some sources commented on the increased workload of late (a familiar story across BigLaw), but we did hear that ML is concentrating on hiring more talent to meet the demand: “The firm’s aware and it’s something they’re actively trying to improve on.”  

“Labor and employment is fascinating; the law doesn’t change as often as other areas, so it’s a nice one for juniors to get a handle on things.”

The corporate coop covers a plethora of transactional areas including (but not limited to) capital markets; M&A; private equity; real estate; and technology/commercial transactions. One interviewee enthused: “I work on anything and everything, that’s what keeps the practice exciting!” Associates had recently been taking on plenty of SPAC (Special Purpose Acquisition Company) matters. A junior working on a bigger corporate deal told us: “I was working with a company that was going private through a merger. The deal married a lot of the public company considerations with SEC requirements, which gave it an interesting nuance.” Junior associates were more than happy with the amount of involvement they got on deals: “My input really makes a difference; I’m not just left to work on the sidelines.” Day to day, associates conduct due diligence; handle data rooms; produce initial drafts of purchase agreements; monitor and add comments to documents; and assist with getting signatures for deal closings.   

Corporate clients: Apollo Global Management, Oracle, Lightspeed. Represented Far Peak Acquisition Corp. (a Special Purpose Acquisition Company or ‘SPAC’) during its merger with tech company Bullish, which had an equity value of $9 billion. 

ML’s litigation department handles securities, antitrust, white-collar, environment and broad general commercial disputes, as well as class actions. Associates got to work on matters from all corners of the department: “There’s plenty of quality assignments to be shared out and opportunities to work with people across the various offices.” Even the most junior members got real responsibility: “I took the lead on a smaller case under the direction of a partner, which allowed me to use the skills I had developed after having direct client contact on previous matters.” Our interviewees found themselvestaking depositions; drafting pleadings and motions; attending court sessions and meetings; exchanging communications with clients; and even visiting clients’ headquarters.  

Litigation clients: Spark Energy, Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Philips North America. Secured a victory for Zimmer Biomet against various claims (valued at over $25 million) brought by a former distributor of the company’s pre-merger products.  

Over in labor and employment, the practice covers everything from trade secrets and whistleblower claims to wage and hour litigation, class actions and discrimination cases. Associates within the offering mainly advise employers on workplace policies and practices. A source enthused: “Labor and employment is fascinating; the law doesn’t change as often as other areas, so it’s a nice one for juniors to get a handle on things.” Since the pandemic took hold, the practice has seen an uptick in matters related to compliance-related public safety issues, as well as more standard medical injury, harassment and discrimination cases. Newbies got a lot of drafting experience on motions to dismiss and motions for summary judgment.   

Labor & employment clients: Amazon, Merck, Comcast Corporation. Represented Whole Foods Market as it faced several race discrimination and retaliation claims over the enforcement of its neutral dress code policy.

Culture  

Associates across the US often used the words “welcoming, warm, and personable” when describing the culture at the firm. One of the happy campers told us that “everyone is super kind and the firm has a family-like air to it – we all work as a team.” A friendly smile during a long working day made all the difference for our interviewees: “People actually like each other at the firm; we work seamlessly across offices and practice areas all while keeping the energy light and humorous. It’s easy to get through a late night when you enjoy the people you’re working with.” Many felt that ML had a more progressive culture compared to other BigLaw firms, and often cited the firm’s approach to areas such as diversity and wellbeing as evidence of this: “Senior staff are very conscious of our mental health. When I’m working, the other members of my team are always asking me if I’m okay or if I’m stressed. Associate wellbeing comes before deadlines.”  

I’ve had the opportunity to connect with associates all around the US.”  

Juniors are welcomed to the firm via a variety of social events, although – understandably – fewer have occurred due to the pandemic. Aside from happy hours, the firm puts on holiday parties, including an ‘ugly’ Christmas sweater party: “The firm does a great job of including everyone in all the events across the firm. I’ve had the opportunity to connect with associates all around the US.”  

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion  

Sources praised firm chair Jami McKeon for taking DE&I “very seriously.” An interviewee gushed: “I've been extremely impressed with her – Jami is incredibly committed to diversity and it shows in her leadership.” McKeon tells us that “45% of the 2021 partner class is diverse, while 55% of the individuals in our fall associate class identify as a person of color and/or LGBTQ+.” Associates felt the firm has been particularly focused on recruiting diverse candidates recently: “ML has stepped up its game in terms of hiring – the firm looks at people from a diverse range of schools, backgrounds and ethnicities.” 

McKeon launched ‘ML Women’ – an initiative to support and create opportunities for women in the industry – in 2015. McKeon has this advice for women starting out in law: “There are a lot of myths out there that remote/hybrid working will be bad for women, and that’s not true. They need to find a firm where they can fit the different pieces of their life together, work at a place that understands what that looks like, and that values their time and choices.” 

"It’s been great to expand my network."

“The firm does a good job with the different affinity groups that are here,” an associate told us. “There are specific mentorship programs for diverse individuals; I’ve participated in that and it’s been great to expand my network. They try to invest a lot in diversity and they do it really successfully.” 78% of survey respondents said they were satisfied with ML’s efforts to retain and promote diverse lawyers, and the same percentage agreed that there is diverse staffing on matters at the firm. 

Hours & Compensation  

Billable hours: 1,900 target  

ML doesn’t have a billable requirement, but if associates want to make themselves bonus-eligible, they’ll have to reach the firm’s 1,900-hour target. That said, the firm encourages its associates to reach 2,000 hours. Much to attorneys' appreciation, Morgan Lewis has consistently met each market salary bump, including the most recent one.   

“Our salaries and our bonuses are representative of the amount of work you do,” said one source, which, as you can imagine, is usually quite a lot in the world of BigLaw. The average number of working hours estimated by our survey respondents for the preceding week was 50, which is just under/over the market average we’ve recorded. Our sources typically started their days at 8:30am and could finish anywhere between 6pm and much later, depending on what stage a matter was at. This interviewee was pleased to note that “the COVID bonuses they’ve given out over the past year have been nice – the demand has been intense, so it was good to see this level of recognition for everyone’s work.” The majority of survey respondents felt that they were free to spend their vacay how and when they pleased. Each attorney is offered 20 days of vacation – if unused, associates can roll over up to five days to the next year.   

Career Development  

Almost 30% of our survey respondents said that they intended to make partner at ML, which is above the average we record from participating firms. 94% of respondents agreed that partners are nurturing future leaders, with this source explaining: “When I joined I reached out to numerous partners and I got a 100% response rate. I was excited that these partners had taken time out of their busy schedule to meet with a new associate.” We also heard that associates are given the opportunity to have a coffee catch-up with firm chair Jami McKeon: “She encouraged us to reach out to her!”

This high morale is fostered as soon as newbies walk through the gates of ML – all newcomers take part in the New Lawyers Academy, which equips them with what they need to know to get started. Once all the initial formalities are out of the way, each junior is assigned an associate and partner mentor: “Based on the communication I’ve had with my mentors, I feel very supported and invested in.” While there are a variety of formal training programs on offer, sources felt that their on-the-job learning kept them up to speed excellently: “The partners that I have worked with point me in the direction of people who can help me build upon my interests. The people here go out of their way to train you and really develop your skills.” 

Pro Bono  

“100% of our lawyers met our pro bono challenge,” says firm chair Jami McKeon, which involved billing at least 20 pro bono hours in a year. ML encourages its associates to get stuck into public service work, with all pro bono hours counting as billable. “The firm is incredibly committed to pro bono,” this interviewee enthused. “ML actively partners with civil rights groups to make the world a better place.”  

“I had an interest in pro bono work and I was immediately linked up with a case,” another source reported. “The pro bono work I have done has included taking depositions, conducting client calls, drafting complaints – basically whatever I can do to support the client at that time!” ML’s pro bono work encompasses the likes of public benefits, immigration, civil liberties, family, and nonprofit matters. In 2021, every summer associate was allocated a naturalization application to prepare. Practically all of our survey respondents (99%) agreed that ML is committed to pro bono, and 96% agreed that they had autonomy over the volume of pro bono work they could take on. 

Pro bono hours 

• For all US attorneys: 114,522
• Average per US attorney: 58

Get Hired 

NEW: Find out more about lateral recruitment with Morgan, Lewis & Bockius here. 

The first stage: recruitment on and off campus 

OCI applicants interviewed: 1429 

Interviewees outside OCI: 161 

Morgan Lewis takes part in on-campus interviews at 34 law schools and numerous job fairs across the country. Firmwide hiring partner Christina Melendi explains, “We have developed relationships with certain law schools that have an exceptional and diverse student body and an abundant alumni presence at our firm.” 

The interviews on campus are conducted by a partner and associate team, and collectively they represent our various offices and practice groups.  “We like our potential recruits to see the relationship dynamic between our partners and associates, one that we feel is both instructive and collegiate.” Questions are aimed at “identifying behaviors that align with the culture and values of Morgan Lewis. We are looking for students who exemplify client service, on-the-spot problem-solving, collaboration, and a commitment to diversity and inclusion.” 

Top tips for this stage: 

“Be yourself! We understand that interviews are stressful, and love to see candidates’ personalities shine though – it is the best way to develop an organic connection during the on-campus interview process.” – Christina Melendi 

Callbacks 

Applicants invited to second stage interview: 514 

Successful candidates can expect to meet with a combination of partners, associates and hiring committee members. “If a student has expressed specific interests prior to their visit, we aim to select interviewers who can speak to that interest or practice.” We work to align our candidates’ interests with our hiring needs. At this point, the meetings include behavioral interview questions based around core competencies used in annual associate evaluations: “This allows us to evaluate future performance at the firm, while giving the students insight into what makes a successful Morgan Lewis associate,” Melendi explains. Particularly in this remote working environment, interviewers also ask about a students’ connection to the location they interview for, in order to find a good match geographically. Prior work experience and extracurricular, community or volunteer activities are also considered to help demonstrate “what is driving them to achieve” and “what have been their greatest accomplishments and challenges,” adds Melendi. 

Top tips for this stage: 

“I am always impressed when a candidate has connected with our associates or past summer associates ahead of the callback. This shows that the candidate is proactive and enthusiastic about the firm. Students who demonstrate ownership of their careers, the ability to build relationships on campus and in the community, as well as excellence in client service typically stand out among their peers.” – Christina Melendi 

Summer program 

Offers: 202 (2L) 

Acceptances: 82 (2L) 

Morgan Lewis’ summer program runs for ten weeks and kicks off with a firmwide multiday gathering of summer associates, hiring partners, firm leaders and select attorneys. Our program provides a clear sense of firm culture, market-leading practices and our commitment to well-being, diversity and inclusion and pro bono. In addition to providing interesting and challenging work assignments throughout the program, our Summer Academy training curriculum will include a balance of practice training as well as broader professional skills and development programming. “We also build in many fun and engaging social activities so that summer associates can interact with our lawyers and each other. Relationships are key at Morgan Lewis.” 

Amid the pandemic, the firm pivoted to a virtual program, providing substantive training, challenging client work, and multiple social touchpoints with attorneys across all offices. A robust mentorship component of the summer program, including connections with partners on the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion committee and affinity group networks, helped summer associates feel linked to the firm while not being physically in the office. 

Top tips for this stage: 

“The relationships built by being present are the best way to get to know the firm and to the let the firm get to know you! In every interaction, show enthusiasm for the work and appreciation for the time the lawyers spend training you.” – Christina Melendi