This New York mainstay draws the pitter-Patter of law school grads with the promise of top-tier trial work and a tight-knit boutique culture.
Patterson is by no means a one-trick-pony. In fact, the idea has always been to build a “single office, full-service firm,” according to co-chair and managing partner Dahlia Doumar. That said, we would be remiss to not mention the firm’s “particular strength” in litigation. Especially given that almost all of our interviewees pointed to the firm’s strength in contentious matters as one of their reasons for joining the firm. Prestige, for one, was a key pull factor. Chambers USA notes Patterson as among the top firms in the US for advertising litigation, as well as for securities (mainly RMBS) in New York. There’s also nods for practices like investigations and intellectual property in New York too. Associates can “try as many different areas as you want,” but the general consensus was that Patterson is “very trial heavy” (in the best possible way), and that was part of the appeal: “A lot of the bigger firms just don’t do that as much.”
“…it seems like everyone knows each other!”
Although Patterson Belknap does sit in the BigLaw tier of firms, we heard that the reality of the firm on the ground was more of a boutique feel – “but it’s not super small, 200 is still a good number!” For associates at Patterson, “it seems like everyone knows each other! Unlike at a thousand-attorney firm.” And for Doumar that structure is intentional, and “even more unique because, as the single equity tier seems to be disappearing at the top firms, it remains important to our culture and keeps us tight knit.”
Strategy & Future
As a single, equity-only office, the focus at Patterson is on internal recruitment and growth. It’s something that goes somewhat against the grain in an industry where mergers and acquisitions are all the rage at the moment, but Patterson is still susceptible to the traditional political and economic shifts: “Certain practices have been impacted more” than others regarding things like executive orders – Doumar points to the firm’s large tax-exempt team as one such practice – and the firm’s trust and estates department has been busy with internal revenue code changes: “We’ve seen consistent busyness across the firm, so people are busy regardless of international trends,” Doumar assures us. Even in places where there has been a dip in work, other areas have picked up the slack. For example, Doumar also points to IP litigation practices, anti-counterfeiting and patent as particularly fruitful.
Moving forward, Doumar acknowledges the importance of AI to the market and, in that vein, to Patterson; the firm has recently rolled out Harvey which for them has been particularly useful given its integration of LexisNexis: “More and more, clients are starting to want law firms to consider use of AI tools to make things more effective,” Doumar explains, and as a result “we’re introducing training modules – and plenty of them – so that associates can take advantage and understand how to best use these tools...”
The Work
Patterson doesn’t host a summer program, instead hiring straight from judicial clerkships. Upon joining, everyone is considered a generalist. While conversations about honing your practice begin in an associate’s fifth or sixth year, there is no official time to declare a specialism. Of course, litigation is a broad area of practice at any rate and as such, the firm uses central staffing to both balance out workload and help allocate matters by interest. Before starting “you fill a form on areas of interest you might have, which the assigning partner keeps in mind when staffing you on cases.” Juniors we spoke with felt that allocation “is balanced; the assigning partner’s door is very much open, so I bug him if I don’t have work!” Associates can get work elsewhere “but they still need to go through the system.” As a result, “it seems like when the firm is busy, everyone is busy.” There was the general feeling that “they try and match you to the best of your abilities.”
“…the assigning partner’s door is very much open, so I bug him if I don’t have work!”
In litigation “you get your feet wet immediately” – while “they do try to integrate you slowly,” ultimately “it does lean towards jumping into the frying pan!” Even with this in mind, as expected of an elite practice, “your responsibilities do evolve; Patterson let you grow at your own pace – if they feel you’re ready they will let you do it.” Unavoidably juniors often start on doc review, “which is understandable,” but beyond traditional junior tasks like research assignments our interviewees felt they got good experience second chairing depositions, drafting briefs, expert discovery, writing reports, drafting witness statements, interacting directly with clients, and even getting the opportunity to go to trial. Associates work across a spectrum of sub-practices, from investigations, white collar and contracts to class action, IP, media & entertainment and beyond. The group is well known for their work with Fortune 500 companies and financial services, but their clientele stretches outside of the public arena giving associates an extensive range of matters they can be placed on.
Litigation clients: Coca-Cola, Dow Jones, and NBC Universal. Represented Wells Fargo in a group of cases where Wells Fargo is alleged to have conspired with Visa, Mastercard, and other banks to keep payment card swipe fees artificially high.
Career Development
“It’s on the job,” associates told us of the training, “but they have CLEs, training on the litigation nuts and bolts like putting together a complaint, what a summary judgement looks like, that kind of thing.” Mandatory training on AI was also brought up which received a slightly mixed response from associates. When it comes to use on active cases, “you need permission from the firm and the client; I use it to help me find data or understand a confusing topic, so it’s more like a more advanced Google for me!” Our interviewees gave a lot of praise for mentorship at Patterson which begins with being assigned a partner and an associate mentor when startingwho they meet with monthly. “When that dissolves, you have your feet under you, and the informal mentorship is really good,” something that is helped by the fact that “most people have a mentorship desire, a growth mindset for senior associates.” Because the firm often staff fairly leanly, “you become close with case teams,” which helps with teaching and mentorship as “people focus on junior associates more.”
“…most people have a mentorship desire, a growth mindset for senior associates.”
When it comes to career development at the firm, managing partner Dahlia Doumer tells us that Patterson has a distinctive “focus on promoting from within.” One junior told us that while partnership does feel attainable “we are a very clerk-heavy firm, so your class gets bigger as you progress,” but Doumer notes that while “we take advantage of strategic laterals with specific skills,” ultimately, “we look internally. We are committed to recruiting the top talent and promoting them.” For our interviewees, while they acknowledged that the firm’s smaller size might limit opportunities at the top, “generally the people who’ve spent their career here do get a chance at partnership.”
Culture
Beyond being “very nurturing and concerned about your success,” we got the impression that on the whole juniors at Patterson felt the firm is “wholesome; everyone is welcoming and supportive without feeling like there is any required socializing – you can enjoy your coworkers at work and then go home!” Associates felt like there were no expectations when it came to going to events like happy hours, partially because “a lot of people have families (…) there’s no fraternity vibe here.” Our interviewees were aligned on the fact that “it’s a place that supports people having a family and spending time with them.”
“…everyone is welcoming and supportive without feeling like there is any required socializing – you can enjoy your coworkers at work and then go home!”
Partners still expect associates to be in the office at least three days a week (with Wednesdays as an anchor day), something which those we spoke with weren’t too disappointed with because “interactions happen much more organically.” Associates are spread across the headquarters – “we have our own offices which is great!” – without being segregated by subject matter or department “so we’re all conversing throughout the day.” Although associates are under no obligation to attend socials, they do still happen for those who are interested. Every month associates have a class lunch – “it’s good to see what everyone your level is doing” – there’s a ‘new hires tea’ to celebrate newcomers to the firm, and the office holds monthly lunches and evening activities to keep people familiar with each other.
Pro Bono
Our interviewees were very positive about Patterson’s approach to pro bono, especially around the firm’s praise for associates taking it on, the opportunities provided, and the pro bono policy. Patterson hosts a pro bono tea, which is a 45 minute presentation on the top cases the firm has worked on with a cocktail hour at the end of it!– and “we take on a lot of big pro bono that can take up significant time, and that’s given me good experience.” Every new starter is assigned a pro bono matter to do alongside their billables, which is given to them by their assignment coordinator. “It battles for billable hours” in a way that can allow associates to take on hundreds of hours a year, although all are highly encouraged to take on at least 20 hours -“they do make a concerted effort to ensure we do it.” Associates work on a “broad range of matters,” either getting them directly from the pro bono assigning partner or from “weekly blasts from different clients we work with, like federal courts looking for people to take on cases.” We heard that immigration cases were par for the course for newbies at the firm, but a number of associates mentioned that they do “a lot of AMICUS briefs and SCOTUS” work.
Pro bono hours
- For all (US) attorneys: 31,200
- Average per (US) attorney: Undisclosed
Hours & Compensation
Billable hours: 1,850 target (2,100 overall target)
Patterson expects people to do at least 1,850 hours of client billable work, with a further 250 hours of non-billable work that can contribute to the 2,100 hour overall target for bonus eligibility. When it comes to compensation, the firm matches the market, so “if other firms bump up you can be reassured,” and this - in combination with the firm’s PTO - was seen as a big plus. With a policy of 22 weeks paid parental leave, fertility benefits and other wellness initiatives on offer, interviewees reveled in the benefits. When it comes to PTO, “people are respectful of it as long as you plan it well and give advance notice – I went on a two-week vacation and barely got bothered at all!”
Inclusion
Resource groups at Patterson are “open to everyone,” and they hold events throughout the year to celebrate cultural occasions. The firm, for example, hosted a Lunar New Year party, and we heard that the Women Lawyers at Patterson group seemed relatively active. Other groups include Black Lawyers at Patterson, Out Lawyers at Patterson, Parents at Patterson, and Veterans and Families of Service members at Patterson. “Those events haven’t really changed,” over the past year, and the firm’s raison d’etre “is still about championing women and gaining mentorship.” Patterson also reflects its commitment to inclusion by delivering a fellowship to first years who have demonstrated a commitment to civil and human rights.
Get Hired
The first stage: recruitment on and off campus
Patterson Belknap focuses their OCI and first year recruiting efforts on the East Coast, but also “strongly encourage and regularly receive” applications from candidates throughout the US. H. Gregory Baker, partner in the firm’s litigation department explained: “As a firm with a single office, we’re interested in students who want to be in New York..”
The screening interviews are usually conducted by a partner or a member of the firm’s Talent team. Given the interviews last around 20 minutes only, “we try to get a sense of the candidate as an individual and legal thinker to see if they’re a fit,” which means “intellectually curious, engaging, collaborative people who want early responsibility and are highly motivated to solve complex legal problems,” said Baker.
Top tips for this stage: “Be prepared to talk about a legal issue you have worked on. And of course, we like to hear why you are interested in Patterson Belknap in particular!”– Litigation Partner and Chair of Securities Litigation H. Gregory Baker.
Callbacks
This stage sees candidates meet with five partners or counsel and two associates, plus a member of the Talent team. Candidates are asked to speak about a legal issue from their resume, summer internship or law school classes: “We ask questions to determine intellectual ability and enthusiasm for litigation and whether they are prepared to take early responsibility for their matters,” explained Baker.
Throughout the process, Patterson ensures candidates are given the opportunity to connect with associates: “We find that our associates are often the most valuable resource for prospective candidates, so we make every effort to ensure candidates have the opportunity to speak with associates during the formal interview process,” explained Baker.
Top tips for this stage: “Ask questions that demonstrate you have thought about our firm and our clients. Show that you are motivated to work hard, think independently, and take ownership of your work.”– H. Gregory Baker.
And finally…
"Be yourself and don’t be afraid to ask hard questions!”
Interview with co-chair and managing partner Dahlia Doumar
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?
Dahlia Doumar: We’re a single office, full-service firm, with a particular strength in litigation. Our single office model is even more unique because, as the single equity tier seems to be disappearing at the top firms, it remains important to our culture and keeps us tight knit.
These are strategic choices for us – it’s part of our larger strategy to remain a single office, equity only partnership. Of course, we are profitable , but also remain committed to pro bono, and for the twenty-second year in a row we’ve had 100% participation, averaging 160 hours spent on pro bono per lawyer in 2025.
The other thing that makes Patterson somewhat distinctive is our focus on promoting from within. We take advantage of strategic laterals with specific skills, but we look internally. We’re committed to recruiting the top talent and promoting them.
CA: Have there been any developments at the firm over the past year that you’d like law students to know about?
Doumar: We are focusing on AI. We’ve rolled out Harvey, a market leader – especially with its integration of LexisNexis – because, more and more, clients are starting to want law firms to consider use of AI tools to make things more effective. We’re introducing training modules – and plenty of them – so that associates can take advantage and understand how to best use these tools.
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?
Doumar: Certain practices have been impacted more than others. We have a large tax-exempt organizations group reacting to various changes, such as executive orders and changes in the law, and our trusts and estates department has been busy with internal revenue code changes. However, we’ve seen consistent busyness across the firm, so people are busy regardless of international trends.
There’s been a dip in government investigations, but white collar in general has been busy in other areas. And with various IP litigation practices, anti-counterfeiting and patent have been fruitful.
The Legal Profession
CA: How do you predict the legal profession will change in the next five years? Are there any particular challenges the industry is facing?
Doumar: Technology in general, whether it’s AI or anything else, will be a major challenge so we will need to think about every part of how we do our work, the different multigenerational working styles, and what expectations we should have going forward.
You need to find the right middle ground with being in-person where everybody is working well together and feels like their time together is worthwhile. You need a development impact to working in the office, but also to have some flexibility; there isn’t a single winning formula, you just need to find the right middle ground that makes sense.
When we’re in the office, we plan “firm teas” where we serve food and generally try to get everyone together or do some offsite activities. We focus a lot on mentorship too. We have small working groups focused on different professional development conversations.
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?
Doumar: Back to law school?! Easy mac and cheese probably – that’s winding the clock back!
CA: What was the first concert you attended?
Doumar: I don’t know that it’s the first, but the Billy Idol concert. He is very pop – one of those pop icons that you were very excited to go to when you were 12.
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?
Doumar: I think it is important for them to say yes and be willing to stretch when they have opportunities – that will lead to a lot of success. It might be a bit of a stretch to say yes when it’s something you haven’t done before, but sometimes you have to because you should try new things. When someone gives you an opportunity it’s because they believe you can do it!
Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP
Main areas of work
Patterson Belknap delivers a full range of services centered around three areas: litigation and disputes, corporate and transactions, and the legal needs of tax-exempt organizations and private clients.
Our litigators are known for their big trial victories and formidable track record in high-stakes disputes. We have deep bench strength in key litigation areas including commercial litigation, IP litigation, and white-collar defense and investigations, as well as a diverse collection of leading niche practice areas including advertising litigation, anti-counterfeiting and brand protection, media and entertainment, and law firm defense. We also provide sophisticated counsel on a wide range of transactional activities and serve as a single point of contact for the legal needs of cultural institutions, tax-exempt organizations, and private clients. Our practice groups and attorneys are regularly ranked among the leaders in New York and nationally by the most respected industry guides, based on client and peer reviews.
Our clients include a diverse group of institutions and individuals including major pharmaceutical and medical device companies; media and publishing empires; household-name consumer products companies; leading financial institutions; galleries and museums; and various private foundations and charities. We have a global client base ranging from foreign companies seeking to transact business on U.S. stock exchanges to U.S. companies doing business abroad.
Firm profile
We have a long-standing commitment to public service that is driven by our sense of professional responsibility and is recognized by our 100% Pro Bono participation from all firm lawyers. We care about our attorneys, our staff, and the communities we are privileged to serve. As a result of our performance and our values, the firm is consistently included on The American Lawyer’s “A-List” of 20 leading law firms in the United States.
Since our founding in 1919, we have been guided by our core values of Excellence, Integrity, Accountability, Inclusion, and Service. These priorities have kept us at the forefront of the profession for more than a century and will continue to guide us through the next hundred years and beyond.
Recruitment
Recruitment outside OCIs:
Patterson Belknap looks for intellectually curious, engaging, and collaborative people who desire early responsibility and are highly motivated to solve complex legal problems. We hire new associates following law school graduation and directly from judicial clerkships.
Patterson Belknap Fellowship:
Following the invitation to interview with the firm's attorneys, interested candidates are encouraged to apply for the Patterson Belknap Fellowship (the "Fellowship"). The Fellowship may be awarded at the firm's discretion to recipients who join the firm as a first-year associate or immediately after their judicial clerkship, and whose accomplishments and passions demonstrate a longstanding commitment to civil rights, human rights, or equal access to justice causes.
Judicial law clerks selected for the Fellowship will be awarded $40,000, payable in two installments: $20,000 included in the first paycheck following the recipient's employment start date, and an additional $20,000 upon the recipient's one-year employment anniversary, provided they remain in good standing.
First-year associates selected for the Fellowship will be awarded $25,000, payable in two installments: $12,500 included in the first paycheck following the recipient's employment start date, and an additional $12,500 upon the recipient's one-year employment anniversary, provided they remain in good standing.
A statement of interest is required to be submitted, which should be no greater than 500 words and describe your:
• Unique and longstanding commitment to justice, including your demonstrated passion for civil rights, human rights, or equal access to justice;
• Aspirations for continued engagement on civil rights, human rights, or equal justice for all; and
• Overall readiness to serve as an agent of positive change within the firm and the broader legal community, including any experiences navigating obstacles to achieving academic or professional success.
In determining whether to award a fellowship, the firm will consider your statement of interest, resume, official law school transcript, and writing sample (all of which will have been submitted in connection with your employment application).
Social media
LinkedIn: patterson-belknap-webb-&-tyler-llp
This Firm's Rankings in
USA Guide, 2025
Ranked Departments
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New York
- Intellectual Property: Patent (Band 4)
- Intellectual Property: Trademark, Copyright & Trade Secrets (Band 3)
- Litigation: General Commercial: Highly Regarded (Band 5)
- Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations: The Elite (Band 3)
- Real Estate: Mainly Dirt (Band 5)
- Securities: Institutional Plaintiffs: Mainly RMBS Litigation (Band 1)
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USA - Nationwide
- Advertising: Litigation (Band 1)
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