O'Melveny & Myers LLP - The Inside View

For many budding attorneys, BigLaw’s greatest attraction is the chance to take on sophisticated work with the support of caring and intellectual colleagues. Finding somewhere with the perfect blend of the two is often hard to come by… wait a minute. As luck may have it, if that is what you’re looking for, you’ve stumbled upon the right page! “O’Melveny has the reputation for being a place with an excellent culture and having smart people doing interesting work,” one interviewee declared. As a result, another recalled their student days where “it was actually my dream firm to work at!” That’s because while “I knew I could go to any firm any get training, what I was actually looking for were kind people who would be invested in me.”

“O’Melveny gives us lots of flexibility to pursue different practice areas.”

Yet, it’s also the firm’s wide array of practices that makes so many sit up and take notice of this Californian native. As such, “O’Melveny gives us lots of flexibility to pursue different practice areas,” one source confirmed, and why wouldn’t you want to immerse yourself in that? Practice area diversity really does reign supreme at O’Melveny. Need more proof? Wait until you hear about O’Melveny’s impressive scores in Chambers USA. The firm is highly regarded for its work in antitrust, corporate crime and investigations, ERISA litigation, intellectual property, insurance disputes, and projects – all nationwide, in addition to media & entertainment litigation in California and investigations in New York.

Speaking of locations, it should come as no surprise that most of the associates on our list were California-based – between the firm’s Century City, San Francisco, Newport Beach, and Los Angeles – but a handful were scattered between bases such as New York and Washington DC.

Strategy & Future

Associates underscored the multitude of recent partner hires at the firm across a number of O’Melveny’s practices. With one describing the strategy as “full steam ahead” in corporate and litigation, the firm has also made additions within the project development and real estate, IP and technology, and labor and employment groups. In fact, at the end of last year, O’Melveny announced the inauguration of seven new hires to the firm’s partnership class. Geographical expansion is always front of mind for the firm too, and our sources explained that Texas has been a recent focus for the firm.

The Work

Interviewees made it clear that newbies don’t need to rush into any practice group decisions, as juniors join the firm as generalists. During the summer program at O’Melveny, one source detailed: “You can try work from all areas and they’re very good at providing opportunities for that.” In fact, another added: “I appreciated the flexibility to work in different areas, and I communicated to work coordinators that I wanted to try lots of different things.” Conversely, “you can articulate a preference” if you have one. Summer associates are then required to choose between the corporate and litigation practices at the end of the summer before joining the firm as juniors, where they then spend their first two years finding their niche ahead of an official practice group decision at the beginning of their third year. With a central staffer on hand to make sure nobody’s too idle or too busy, associates explained that “in the end, it become quite free market.” As such, “people you work with will reach out to you again,” but “the backstop of a coordinator paying attention to workload is always there.”

“We’re staffed leanly, so we’re very much exposed to stuff!”

Sources were – as ever – highly enthusiastic about the firm’s litigation practice, which has “a really good mix” of work to offer its newbies. Interviewees highlighted “the broad range” of clients they’ve represented, spanning industries like insurance, entertainment, education, and pharma to social media, tech, financial services, and healthcare; this includes large institutions like banks, hospitals, and universities. “We’re staffed leanly, so we’re very much exposed to stuff!” an associate quipped, and another agreed that they’ve found themselves with more hands-on experience than expected. One insider who was initially reluctant to engage in insurance defense joked that “I’d said, ‘this couldn’t possibly be any fun,’” before admitting that “it’s actually really interesting!” Interviewees listed drafting, doc review, discovery requests, and attending to client matters as their typical tasks. “I found myself surprised at the amount of drafting early on,” said one, before adding that “I never touched a doc review project after my first year!”

Litigation clients: Fox Corporation, NBC Universal, The Walt Disney Company. Represented Morgan Stanley in nationwide litigation and arbitrations seeking to upend its deferred compensation program for financial advisers under federal and state laws.

O’Melveny’s corporate practice predominantly focuses on M&A and capital markets while also covering sectors like private equity, real estate, funds, energy, and project development. Clientele here looks like entertainment companies, banks, private equity funds, and startups amid recognizable tech giants. Smaller groups also offer more niche clients, giving newbies the chance to get into the nitty gritty of their deals. Associates explained that much of their daily tasks consist of drafting ancillaries, due diligence, and “dealing with many moving parts, making sure everything looks straight.” With the range of deals described as “very broad,” one interviewee happily told us that “we don’t get siloed into doing any particular type of deal because our corporate group is a lot smaller.” What’s more, our corporate sources added that cross-collaboration with other teams was totally the norm, allowing juniors to network and build relationships across the firm – all while dipping their feet into a wide range of “fulfilling” work.

Corporate clients: Citibank, State of Hawaii, Metrolink. Represented the California High Speed Rail Authority on a multi-billion-dollar high-speed intercity rail passenger infrastructure project in California.

Career Development

Newbies at O’Melveny are assigned a partner and associate mentor upon arrival, with one source explaining that “they take into account people’s characteristics in order to find the right match.” While that’s the formal side of things, interviewees noted that they’ve found most of their mentorship naturally by working on deals and forming bonds with colleagues. Associates also highlighted the array of structured training and orientation provided from day one, mentioning weekly sessions for the first couple of months walking juniors through different skills. “They have a lot of ways to promote your professional development,” a junior added, as “partners are very invested in making sure I get exposure to different tasks and matters.” Plus, the path to partnership felt highly attainable, with one source referencing the prevalence of current partners who had initially summered at the firm.

Pro Bono

Pro bono hours at O’Melveny are unlimited, and interviewees reveled in the lack of billable cap set by the firm. “You can bill as many hours as you want!” one source enthused. There is an official minimum of 25 hours, but associates highlighted that the real expectation is to be around 50 hours instead. This wasn’t a problem for our pro bono pros, as most of our insiders were hitting three figure hours. “They regularly send out newsletters, and you can fill out a survey to show what type of work you’re interested in,” an associate explained. “It’s a great learning opportunity and a chance to take on more substantive work,” a colleague philosophized, and with matters encompassing immigration, domestic violence, and non-profits, associates really are free to take ownership on whatever catches their eye.

Pro bono hours

• For all (US) attorneys: 95,394
• Average per (US) attorney: 123

Culture

“People here actually want to hear about how you’re doing; they care about you as a person and as a young lawyer.”

While much of the culture, as one associate described, is about training and mentorship, it’s also about understanding, a sense of community, and connection. “People here actually want to hear about how you’re doing,” they explained; “they care about you as a person and as a young lawyer.” For instance, they continued, “we talk about things like music, or ask about people’s kids and how they’re doing!” Many thought the slightly more relaxed cultural environment could be down to O’Melveny’s Californian roots, feeling grateful for the environment’s kindness. The firm also hosts social events to build camaraderie, such as happy hours, firm retreats, an aquarium visit, and Olympic watch parties. “We even had a croissant pop-up at the bar,” one insider added. All of that leaves us entirely unsurprised that associates “love coming into the office!”

Hours & Compensation

Billable hours: 1,900 target

Those we spoke to had no problem hitting O’Melveny’s 1,900-hour billable hour target. The figure was described as “achievable,” particularly as juniors can include unlimited pro bono and 50 hours of inclusion efforts in their grand total. The natural ebbs and flows of market forces duly dictated the rhythm of work associates found, but “it never stays one way for a really long time,” one junior assured us. “There really isn’t an average week,” an additional source reflected, adding that for them “it’s actually one of the beauties of the job!" A helpful colleague confirmed that “we’re encouraged to do seven or eight billable hours a day,” while another junior highlighted how “I’ve never had to pull an all-nighter!”

“I’ve never had to pull an all-nighter!”

Running a unique office attendance system, associates are simply expected to “be in more than you’re not” within a year’s timeframe. Therefore, juniors should be in at least 51% of the time in any given year, one insider joked that “you could theoretically not come in for the first half of the year!” We wouldn’t necessarily recommend doing so, but at least now you know the drill!

Inclusion

While “there’s room for improvement,” one associate noted, “I know that they’re putting a lot of focus into it and that they’re actively engaged in fostering an inclusive environment.” Another agreed that “the legal industry has room to grow across the board,” but at O’Melveny specifically “I’ve felt very supported a woman and a first-generation lawyer.” With employee networks for Women, Black, Latinx, and LGBTQ+ lawyers, we also heard that the firm is big on inviting in external speakers. Besides, engaging in inclusion efforts at O’Melveny is actively “encouraged,” and any hours spend doing so are treated as completely billable. As such, “we get up to 50 billables per year to work on eligible inclusion initiatives,” one insider explained.

Get Hired

The first stage: recruitment on and off campus 

O’Melveny recruits from a range of top national schools and more regional schools “that are important to our individual offices.” The number of attorneys who interview varies, as does the number of students. Two attorneys – of varying seniority, practice areas and experience levels - usually conduct each interview, with the firm striving to include alumni from that law school in the interview process. 

Through a broad range of questions, interviewers are encouraged to ask questions “to allow us to get to know each candidate” and their strengths. This stage also allows students to learn about the firm, including “our distinctive culture, cutting-edge client work, commitment to pro bono, and thoughtful approach to inclusion and wellbeing.” Questions – such as, “'tell me about a successful team effort and why the team was effective'” – allow students to demonstrate how they might handle a situation. Beyond academic achievement, O’Melveny is looking for enthusiasm for the firm, extracurricular activities (like journal work and moot court), prior work experience, and “candidates with a diverse set of experiences.” 

Top tips for this stage:                          

“Students stand out for a variety of reasons. One thing they all have in common, however, is a keen interest in O’Melveny — our practices, our culture, our attorneys. We want our future summer associates to be enthusiastic about us and help us understand why they think O’Melveny will be a successful place to begin their legal career.”- O’Melveny hiring source. 

Callbacks 

The firm tells us the callback interviews are a “deeper dive into getting to know the candidate.” As such, students generally meet several attorneys during their callback interview. Alongside a variety of practice areas and expertise, O’Melveny often includes members of the local office employment committee, including the hiring partner. Students should be prepared to clearly demonstrate what differentiates them from other candidates. The firm wants to hear from students about their “interest in O’Melveny, why they went to law school, their writing experiences and skills,” occasions when challenges were overcome, or leadership positions assumed, as well as indications of community involvement – whether that be with “student organizations, community services groups, or volunteer organizations.”  

Top tips for this stage: 

“Our attorneys appreciate candidates who are prepared with questions about the firm, our practices, and our summer program. We are also particularly impressed with excellent writing skills as they are critical to every lawyer’s professional development. Writing is a craft that we continue to hone throughout our careers. We encourage students to seek out opportunities that enable them to improve their writing skills, including joining a journal or participating in moot court.”– O’Melveny hiring source 

Summer program 

During the summer program, summer associates witness “an inside look at what it is like to practice at O’Melveny.” As such, summers work on “major cases and deals,” support ongoing pro bono matters, and “join in social events to get to know our attorneys.” Alongside experiential training highlights – such as Advocacy Institute or Mock Deal Program – summer associates participate in deal closings, client meetings, depositions, and court appearances. The firm also hosts cross-office training programs – such as brief writing and oral advocacy arguments. Summer associates receive work through formal allocation systems, and have formalized midsummer and final reviews to “help our summer associates make the most of their experiences.” 

Beyond “hard work,” opportunities to connect with colleagues are also to be found. A smattering of social events allows for summer associates to “engage with partners and associates through a variety of social activities.” Past highlights include cooking classes and attending sporting events. 

Top tips for this stage: 

“Successful summer associates do great work and make an effort to get to know our attorneys and staff. Our summer class sizes allow summer associates to build a rewarding career and create lasting connections with each other and with the attorneys and staff in each office. Summer associates are able to tackle new challenges while feeling appreciated, included and supported.”– O’Melveny hiring source 

And finally... 

The firm expresses pride in the fact that “the vast majority of our summer associates return to the firm as junior associates. Generally, attorneys narrow their preferences for practice groups after two years at the firm and these are based on a variety of factors including the interests of the junior associate and business needs of the firm.”