Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP - The Inside View

Nothing beats a great team. Whether it be the most impressive thieves around coming together for Ocean’s Eleven, the Fellowship forming in the Lord of the Rings, or the world’s mightiest heroes assembling in the Avengers, it takes the best of the best to make a memorable team, and for intellectual property, that team has assembled at Finnegan. “What differentiates us is our sole focus is IP and everything to do with that,” explains managing partner James Barney, noting that “we’ve developed true experience and a specialist expertise in that field.” Juniors clearly saw this as a huge reason for their interest, although they put it in slightly different terms: “we have a lot of nerds at the firm,” one said, “and it was important to be around people of similar backgrounds.” Our sister site Chambers USA recognizes the firm’s prowess, awarding nine of Finnegan’s departments top honors in intellectual property.

“I can really do anything I want on the IP side of things.”

“I can really do anything I want on the IP side of things,” one source rejoiced, but it’s not just the work that drew in our interviewees. Finnegan’s top-shelf IP opportunities may get the attention of PhD grads and science aficionados, but what gets them to stay? Grab a tissue, because the answer is *sniffles* the people! “I wanted somewhere I could fit in, somewhere I could help others fit in, and somewhere I could grow,” one insider recalled, adding that, in this regard, “Finnegan stood out a legion above the others.” As sentimental as that may seem, it’s backed up by hard evidence from across our interviews, which consistently highlighted the firm’s “good rep for internal culture” and its “friendliness and camaraderie.”

Finnegan is recognized as a Strong Performer for Junior Satisfaction and a Strong Performer for Mid to Senior Satisfaction in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Strategy & Future

Just because Finnegan is an IP boutique, don’t mistake it for a firm that wants to stay small. “Our offices are growing and becoming busier,” James Barney explains, highlighting the firm’s operations in both London and Munich as examples of its European push. In terms of expanding practice areas, he notes that litigation is particularly booming right now,although there’s plenty of activity on “all fronts.”

Barney is also not shy about the firm’s involvement with artificial intelligence, including its newly created practice 'AI + Finnegan'. “We’ve been involved in AI for some time and we’ve been dealing with the inner workings of that for some time,” he elaborates. “You can’t just deploy it without some foresight and planning, but when done correctly it makes our profession more proficient.”

Finnegan is recognized as a Strong Performer for AI Integration in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Summer Program

Those participating in the firm’s summer program receive work through a centralized system. We heard that this work was “not dissimilar to what you’ll be doing as an associate” and that “they do a great job of giving you a flavor of the work you’re going to do.” Despite the work matching the associate experience in terms of quality, there’s a clear difference in quantity; juniors reported that Finnegan is “less interested in you being busy with work and more keen on you meeting as many people as possible.” This helps incoming associates to become sufficiently networked before entering the free-market system that full-time attorneys use.

On the social side of things, events came at summers thick and fast and included top golf, boat tours, happy hours, lunches, concerts, pickleball, cooking classes, paint n’ sips, cinema trips, and a big event where all the attorneys from every office are flown into one location. “They’re really open to suggestions as well,” one junior explained, and they didn’t just mean ideas for party snacks: “we wanted a yacht for the 4th of July, and they were like ‘sure thing’.” Needless to say, sources were more than pleased with the program, with one pointing out that “obviously it was a great experience as I wanted to come back for good!”

The Work

Unlike the summer program, the rest of the firm operates on an exclusively free market basis, with the exception of “some semblance of staffing when we first join, but nothing formal.” The system had both its pros and cons for our insiders, with the main advantage being the flexibility it afforded them to pursue the careers that appealed to them. “One cool thing is it means you’re not boxed into prosecution or litigation,” a junior mused, adding that “they let you do your own practice so long as you’re keeping busy and finding good work.” On the less positive side, the free market does make it challenging for some associates to meet their billable targets, but there’ll be more on that further down.

Finnegan is recognized as a Strong Performer for Work Allocation & Autonomy in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Most of our associates were housed in the DC office, with a pretty even split among the firm’s practice groups, including biotech & pharma, chemical & metallurgic, electrical, and mechanical.

“You can pursue the work that suits your strengths.”

Those in the electrical group argued it’s the place to be, as the practice is “exploding with work right now.” This work is split into several buckets, notably including patent litigation, administrative matters, and PTAB proceedings for simple electronics or software. Work on more technical electronics is generally reserved for those with advanced scientific backgrounds, at least at first. “You can pursue the work that suits your strengths,” one source told us, and “with time you can narrow in on a niche as there’s usually enough work covering everything.” Clients ranged from startups to Fortune 500 companies and “the top tech giants in the industry,” which put a wealth of experience at associates’ disposal. Juniors would often find themselves getting stuck into drafting memos, motions to stay/dismiss/compel, leading discovery, deposition preparation, legal research, and client meetings. “You can do the whole shebang with what’s on offer,” we heard from one insider, who felt that they “made a lot of significant contributions to each of my matters.”

Electrical clients: Volkswagen Group of America, CyberArk Software, Samsung. Obtained a $240 million jury verdict for client Promptu in a patent infringement lawsuit against Comcast. The jury found that Comcast willfully infringed Promptu’s patents covering voice recognition technology for TV. 

The chemical & metallurgic group mainly represents branded companies rather than generics and focuses on matters involving chemical processes, opinion work around freedom to operate, and invalidity opinions. “It’s a good group to get an all-round view of patent law,” was one source’s view, as “there’s a lot of work for us to get involved with.” Interviewees spoke of typical tasks that included writing motions, doing legal research, patent office examiner interviews, client counseling, due diligence, and drafting documents. Newbies praised the fact that they received “real tangible experience in this group” and noted that the partners “are really keen for us to get as much knowledge as possible.”

Chemical & metallurgic clients: Novartis, Merck, Ecovyst Catalyst Technologies. Secured a significant victory for client US Synthetic Corporation (USS) with a precedential decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) overturning an unfavorable 35 U.S.C. § 101 eligibility ruling from the International Trade Commission (ITC).

Over in the biotech & pharma group, juniors are exposed to clients as big as global pharma companies and as small as fresh-on-the-scene biotech investors, ensuring a wide range of experience is on offer. Client counseling, which a source described as “a real cross between litigation and prosecution,” forms a significant part of the department’s workload, alongside other aspects of managing clients’ IP portfolios, trade secrets, and patents. Typical day-to-day tasks associates can expect include drafting depositions, legal research, discovery, memo writing, putting together and delivering presentations to clients, and validity analyses. Sources had their own favorites, with one pointing to discovery “because you never know what you’re going to find” while another highlighted depo preparation as they “love getting the chance to work with experts.”

Biotech & pharma clients: Eli Lilly, Alzheon, Bausch Health Ireland. Managing the global prosecution of AstraZeneca’s portfolio for Beyfortus® (nirsevimab), the recently FDA-approved extended half-life monoclonal antibody (mAb) aiming to protect all infants entering their first RSV season, when they are at highest risk for severe RSV disease.

Career Development

Juniors reported there was a plethora of training available, to the point that “if anything, I feel like there’s so much going on that I can’t do it all.” We heard there are seminars and presentations regularly, with consistent monthly practice group meetings for juniors to join and download some fresh knowledge. “They’re useful and can often go into a subject pretty deep,” one source told us, confirming that “there’s so much development here designed to make you a better lawyer.”

On the mentorship side of things, the firm formally assigns newbies both an associate and a partner mentor, who were described as “always available for questions and to be a sounding board.” That being said, perhaps the real mentors are the friends we made along the way; an associate reports having “definitely found a nice handful of partners and associates who wanted to train me in areas I wasn’t super familiar with, so that’s been super nice.” Overall, juniors were especially pleased that Finnegan seemed like a firm where they could settle for good, with one source observing that “in general, this is a place where people spend their whole career, which is reassuring.”

Finnegan is recognized as a Strong Performer for Career Development in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Culture

Given the firm’s remit, it won’t be surprising to hear that a common denominator among associates is their passion for IP and impressive knowledge of specific subjects. That kind of mutual interest fosters a strong working culture filled with camaraderie and teamwork. “People pick up the slack or step in if other people have family things,” one source was pleased to report, adding that “we support each other” and that “people understand you have a life outside of your job.” Having each other’s back to that degree has only led to several natural friendships forming and most associate classes end up being quite tight.

“People pick up the slack or step in if other people have family things.”

The firm’s encouragement of these kind of relationships is shown most clearly by looking at Finnegan’s social calendar. Happy hours, birthday celebrations, holiday lunches, and even VR experiences are all on offer. Ad hoc socials are covered as well, with one junior explaining that “if people go to a restaurant, the firm tends to cover it.” Finnegan asks for associates to be in-office for three days a week, but a $500 stipend is provided for the purchasing of home office equipment for those other two days. Even so, juniors expressed a desire to be in often, not just for the social element but also for the working environment the firm has built. One insider gave us the scoop on the major renovation that recently happened at the firm’s DC office: in addition to a swanky sky garden, “we got a new gym, cafeteria and more parking spaces, which is great!”

Finnegan is recognized as a Strong Performer for Culture in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Hours & Compensation

Billable hours: 2,000 target

Juniors at the firm have a 2,000 billable hour target to look forward to, but never fear: within that, 100 hours can be devoted to pro bono and a further 50 can be made up of community activities and shadowing. So, with a more specific target of 1,850 hours of client work, did insiders feel that this target was attainable? Well, not for first years. “The issue with the free-market approach is you’re not ramped up straight away,” we heard from one interviewee, who doubted that “anyone really reaches it in their first year.” Thankfully though, the firm pro-rates compensation based on first year start dates. We did hear that things get into a steadier pace by years two and three and that “the firm won’t hold anything against you” if you don’t meet your target.

The salary is lockstep with the industry, but there are a couple more layers to the bonus system. There are two bonuses on offer at Finnegan, with the first being a market-rate offering awarded once an associate makes their hours target. The second is a discretionary bonus that is based on individual merit, which is calculated by grading an associate’s work product score and citizenship score. “It’s a bit more nebulous and mysterious,” one junior admitted, as “no one is really sure how it works.”

Finnegan is recognized as a Strong Performer for Benefits & Quality of Life in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Pro Bono

Juniors felt opportunities to do pro bono work were plentiful and that the firm “certainly encourages it.” That seems evident, with up to 100 hours of work in the space being billable. Typical opportunities include asylum, social security, veterans’ work, and landlord/tenant matters, and, most recently, criminal matters as well. Sources praised the last of these as “a great opportunity because, as we’re an IP firm, that’s new for us.” Most insiders we spoke with saw pro bono as the best way to develop substantive experience early on. “I think it’s a great chance to utilize the skills you have and develop the ones you don’t,” one interviewee explained, noting that “it’s been great to use new tools and show off your abilities to partners.”

Pro bono hours

• For all US attorneys: 20,445
• Average per US attorney: undisclosed

Finnegan is recognized as The Elite for Pro Bono in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Get Hired

The first stage: recruitment on and off campus

OCI applicants interviewed in 2025: 84

As well as 16 law school campuses (including several close to the firm's offices), the Finnegan team also attends six countrywide job fairs – many of which have a technical or science leaning. With the aim in mind to attract potential attorneys with the scientific know how necessary for its practice, the firm particularly prizes the Loyola Patent Law Interview Program and Southeastern Intellectual Property Job Fair.

Interviewers tend to take a conversational approach. An attorney and a member of the recruitment department team up to conduct each interview, and typically probe candidates for their interest in patent law and ability to fit in at Finnegan. You'll know who the interviewers are in advance so do some research about their particular practice and have a read of the firm's website for examples of recent matters.

Top tips for this stage: 

"The biggest thing the firm looks for is genuine interest in our practice. It's very important to express a believable enthusiasm for copyright, trademark or patent law."

"What Finnegan does well is making sure there's a good personality fit: will we get along working at 2am the day before a trial?"

Callbacks

The trick to impressing at the callback is much the same as it is in the first instance: excellent academic credentials, commitment to the firm's way of doing things and a distinct interest in IP. In this round you'll speak to someone in the recruiting department plus pairs of attorneys from different practice areas: all the better to get to know Finnegan. Throughout a mix of meetings and lunches, applicants will meet ten or so people over the course of a day.

Top tips for this stage: 

"Don't be overly concerned with trying to prove you know the most about patent law, rather than engaging in interesting conversation. I'd much rather work with an interesting person."

"Pay attention to the environment here and make sure it's a place that YOU will want to come to every day."

Summer program

Offers 2025:  19

Research and writing; patent prosecution and trademark applications; client meetings; depositions; and getting to observe an oral argument at the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) or Federal District court are common components of the Finnegan summer program. Every summer associate gets work via a central assignment coordinator; each summer is assigned to a practice group that matches their technical background.

Meshing into the team is crucial at this stage, as being a team player is the quality the firm most closely evaluates. Time management, taking initiative, coherent writing and strong legal analysis are also part of the criteria, and getting stuck into whatever work you've been connected to provides the means to prove yourself.

Notable summer events: Summer Firmwide Week in DC, cooking classes, baseball games, networking receptions and lunches, The Nation's Capital Segway Tour, District Pier Cocktail Reception.

Top tips for this stage: 

"Building your internal brand here is huge because of the free-market system. You really have to knock on doors, go to all the events and focus on meeting people."

"Pay attention to the energy in the office you're working in. Get a sense of how you're being treated by supervisors and be aware of how everybody interacts with one another."

And finally...

90% of summers rejoin the firm as junior associates – good odds!

Interview with James Barney, managing 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?

James Barney: Finnegan is an IP boutique, so we focus entirely on that, but we’re fairly large with over 325 attorneys and IP professionals. What differentiates us is our sole focus is IP and everything to do with that, including privacy and advertising. And because we’re all focused on the same thing here at the firm, we’ve developed true experience and a specialist expertise in that field.

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

Barney: In the last couple years, the firm is quite busy on all fronts especially litigation, our offices are growing and becoming busier, we have offices in London and Munich, so we’re practicing in those jurisdictions as well so we’ve got European litigations happening also. That’s an exciting development in our firm and in Europe. We’ve launched a new practice called AI + Finnegan . We’ve been involved in AI for some time and we’ve been dealing with the inner workings of that for some time, we decided to take a leadership role in that space so that entails looking at and handling AI for our clients in that space. We’re assisting our clients in all manners of that area. Developing strategies and protecting AI technology, so we have an AI +  copyright practice that advises our clients on protecting their materials and avoiding infringing on anyone’s rights. That’s an exciting thing we launched this past summer. In general, we’ve seen a shift in the past 18 months or so around our clients’ enthusiasm, the majority view is it’s being embraced, it’s a new tool and it’s being implemented very broadly and it’s here to stay. You can’t just deploy it without some foresight and planning, but when done correctly it makes our profession more proficient.

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?

Barney: We’re IP oriented so there has been significant policy changes at the patent office due to the new administration, so there have been practices changing and we’re navigating that and helping our clients understand it all.

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

Barney: We are continuing to see demand increase in our litigation practices, we’re very busy there, we’re seeing significant demand for litigation in Europe as well.

Inside the Firm

CA: How is the firm evolving to accommodate the needs/expectations of the next generation of lawyers?

Barney: We’ve always focused on wellbeing so that’s not new for us. We want to make sure everyone is mentored and receives the training and support they need to succeed. Our junior associates receive training, we have well developed training materials and sessions that continues throughout their associate career. We want to set them up so they can succeed as partners. We provide all the tools necessary to become partners here. It’s an important part of our culture. I started as an associate here in 1998 and have been here ever since and that’s not an unusual direction to take.

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?

Barney: I would have to say pizza, I like sausage and mushroom.

CA: What was the first concert you attended?

Barney: Foreigner.

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?

Barney: Effective writing. Above all else. Just being able to make convincing arguments in writing, is the most important skill as an attorney.