Mayer Brown LLP - The Inside View

“The way it stood out from other firms was the culture,” began one associate, when asked how Mayer Brown caught their attention. “Everyone I met who worked at Mayer Brown spoke about it well, even if it was in their past.” While a welcoming culture is certainly a key part of recruiting and retaining associates, that’s not all it takes to make it to the top of the BigLaw world. “People here are supportive of your goals,” shared one insider, with agreement across our associate interviews, further validated by the firm’s more conservative approach to hiring, which ensures that “they really develop your talent.”

The firm has also built itself a strong reputation on the work front, which is well demonstrated by its rankings in Chambers USA. In its home base Illinois, it came in the top band for antitrust, employee benefits & executive compensation, environment, and technology & outsourcing. On the national level, it achieved the top category in capital markets, financial services regulation (consumer finance), litigation: general commercial, government contracts, product liability: toxic torts, projects: PPP and tax: controversy. We could say more but we’ll have to limit ourselves for the sake of space!

Strategy & Future

“I feel like they’re treating us as part of the team instead of just worker bees.”

In recent years, Mayer Brown has expanded its practice on the West Coast, notably in its areas of real estate and hospitality. Further afield, the firm has made a series of high-profile hires in its international offices to expand its project finance practice. Are associates kept in the loop? “I think they’re very proactive in doing that,” one confirmed, “I appreciate it because I feel like they’re treating us as part of the team instead of just worker bees.” Transparency is key in ensuring an all-in investment from associates, and the firm is keen to have their involvement. One insider told us: “Last year we had a really cool presentation from the CFO about the firm’s finances.”

Insiders praised this level of transparency from Mayer Brown as “incredibly respectful towards our involvement” in the firm’s strategy. Most offices have an associate committee that meets with the office manager once a month to receive insights into the firm’s strategy and an opportunity to pass on feedback from associates. Associates told us there’s a “genuine dialogue” between juniors and senior leadership. A new employee engagement officer holds sessions with particular groups, e.g. rising second years or corporate associates, to hear what currently works for them and what the firm could do better.

Summer Program

Each summer associate receives a partner mentor and an associate mentor who provide support and treat mentees to dinners and coffees. “I love that they encourage you to try everything,” said one junior, “because you don’t really know until you try!” As such, summer associates are welcome to pick up assignments from several practice groups during the ten-week program. They’re also encouraged to get involved in pro bono, which often takes the form of will clinics where they get to take phone calls with real clients.

And a helpful hint for summers: those involved in evaluating their suitability for Mayer Brown employ the ‘cold pizza at 2am test’. As one associate explained: “Who is the person you’re going to be okay with in the breakroom at 2am?” On the more fun side of the summer, Mayer Brown is “notorious for having a lot of events,” and whilst this generally went down well, with trips to Beyoncé and Drake concerts to post all over insta, some felt overwhelmed by the program’s itinerary. So, if Broadway shows, baseball games, and boat tours are more than you can handle… who are we kidding? Lean in and live as these summers do.

The Work

In the US, Mayer Brown has offices in Chicago, Charlotte, Houston, LA, New York, Palo Alto, Salt Lake City, and Washington, DC. It has a further thirteen offices across Europe, Asia and South America. The majority of associates are based in the Chicago and New York offices. Generally, associates get their work through a free market system. While some associates expressed initial difficulties in getting staffed on enough matters, most had positive experiences with this way of working, with one source explaining: “It’s nice because I’ve never really had to beg or reach out for work, it’s come to me pretty consistently,” and in time it allows associates to tailor their work to their interests.

“I’m on a first-name basis with a lot of our clients.”

Broadly speaking, the finance practice works on lending, mostly on the lender side but also a bit of work for borrowers, the exact split depending on the office, and it’s the largest practice at the firm. There’s a mix of work in each office with insiders reportedly working on fund finance, representing lenders and providing financing to private equity funds, as well as securitization work, mortgage-related matters, standard repurchase agreements, and project financing too. This could mean working on subscription credit facilities by taking care of the relevant documentation required for the loan.

Matters within this group tend to be transactional, meaning juniors are often tasked with drafting, negotiating, and carrying out diligence on documents they receive before a deal officially starts to move forward (e.g. a partnership agreement). “I think our group is very unique because we have a lot of direct contact with clients early on,” said one associate, “I’m on a first-name basis with a lot of our clients.” Juniors are even encouraged to go to clients’ events and reach out to them with offers to go for coffee. A fair amount of work is project and energy related too, which is great according to sources, because “it’s a lot less theoretical, this is really practical stuff I’m working with.” Associates will also be happy to note that there are no restrictions placed on the types of matters assigned, meaning juniors are free to get stuck in with all manner of finance work. 

Finance clients: Guideline, Nippon Life Insurance Company, Argos SEM LLC. Advised BlackRock on its outsourcing arrangement with Citibank’s Citi Investment Management private wealth business.

The corporate & securities department is made up of several subgroups, including M&A, corporate governance, insurance, and fund formation. We heard M&A deals are often staffed cross-office, now and then providing the opportunity to work with international colleagues. “Sometimes you work with the same client again and again, and you get to really know them, even down to the little things like how they want an email written,” said one junior, “it makes you confident when you know exactly what they want.” Juniors do a lot of drafting and revising agreements and “the higher up you get, the more control you’re given.” For example, getting the opportunity to draft an acquisition. “A decent amount of the job is communicating within the firm,” said one associate. “If we have an agreement, we’ll have specialists working on it, like tax or environment lawyers. That coordination, I enjoy that. I like that back and forth with my colleagues.”

Corporate & securities clients: The Boeing Company, GATX Corporation, the Packaging Corporation of America. Represented Unilever in its acquisition of Dr. Squatch from the private equity firm Summit Partners.

“I’m doing very meaningful work.”

Litigation regulatory enforcement is a wide group, incorporating white-collar crime and investigations, securities, data privacy, employment, international trade, antitrust, appellate, mass torts and even a cross-disciplinary group that works across the corporate and transactional departments. Within the group, “No type of work is off the table, for the most part. We are pretty much all generalists but have somewhat informal specialties, particularly as you get more senior,” explained one associate. “A lot of the groups will have bi-monthly meetings where everyone will talk about what they’re doing,” another insider told us, “that’s a good way to get involved.” Associates can expect lots of research, doc review, preparing for witness interviews, and drafting (including deposition outlines). When working on matters with international elements, juniors collaborate with their colleagues in Mayer Brown’s extensive network of offices abroad. Associates described being given a high level of responsibility and room to maneuver: “I’m doing very meaningful work,” one enthused.

Litigation regulatory enforcement clients: Zillow, Krispy Kreme, Bank of Montreal (BMO). Represented TikTok and ByteDance in a consumer privacy class action.

Career Development

The learning and development team host frequent training sessions on different topics that typically count towards CLE credit, whilst practice groups train juniors using practice-specific training programs. Many groups also hold a monthly call to go over a topic that’s relevant to the market or necessary to upskill associates. The finance, corporate and litigation groups organize development programs for their first years to break down the basics. Associates from across the country gather together for this to learn and get to know each other, which they felt “allows you to not be so dependent on your own home base” by making contacts in other offices.

Mayer Brown places a big emphasis on mentorship, assigning newbies two mentors: one in-office and another cross-office. Insiders praised this setup as they felt able to “call any of them for questions; they’re always there to help me.” Informal mentors arise organically too by working closely with certain seniors on a regular basis. “I’ve benefited from really generous colleagues who want to teach me and give me opportunities maybe a little bit above my level,” said one junior, reflecting the general consensus among our interviewees. The firm also offers small group sessions with a career coach where associates can discuss their career plans and how to progress at the firm, with one feeling especially assured that “the people in charge here are invested in your development.”

Culture

“You can lean on each other when things get busy since everyone is willing to pitch in and help out.”

Office events feature breakfasts and lunches providing opportunities for juniors to hang out with colleagues in a low-pressure environment. Interactions here feel genuine since “everyone interacts and wants to know how you’re doing at a personal level.” Though despite some choosing to spend time with colleagues outside of work, this is by no means an expectation of the job. Instead, having friendly relationships with colleagues means “you don’t feel like you’re alone in this. You have others with you going through the same things and you can lean on each other when things get busy since everyone is willing to pitch in and help out.” We also learned that oftentimes people who started their career at Mayer Brown end up spending their whole career at the firm. “I like the idea that I could be at one firm my whole career,” shared one junior. And it seems that this attitude stems from a real sense of being one team: “It’s going to be long hours, and you’re going to be in the trenches together. You’d rather be working with good people in the middle of the night.”

Hours & Compensation

Billable hours: 2,000 target

Of the 2,000 hour billable target, between 1,800 – 1,900 hours of this is expected to come from client billable work. The remaining 100 – 200 hours can be made up from pro bono and business development tasks. Associates must also reach 1,900 billable hours in order to receive their bonus. And just how manageable are these targets? “As a first year, I was very worried looking at my hours,” admitted one junior, “but after a couple of months I knew I was okay.” Associates agreed that achieving these targets comes down to an understanding of “what group you’re in and how your work flows through the year.” Compensation seemed to be a non-issue, with those in regional offices being particularly happy to be on the New York scale. “It’s solid compensation and I don’t feel like Mayer Brown has a secret extra billable hour requirement,” one associate told us.

Pro Bono

“They… help you find pro bono work that would be most meaningful to you.”

Associates are encouraged to complete 20 hours of pro bono each year and even get a sticker to put on their office door each time they hit a milestone as an added incentive. “The diversity of offerings is impressive,” shared one junior. “When I was onboarded, I took note of the fact that they’ll sit down with you and help tailor your legal skills and personal interests and background to help you find pro bono work that would be most meaningful to you.” Every week, attorneys receive an email with pro bono opportunities, but should nothing pique their interest, there is also the option to search their internal Paladin system for assignments.

A lot of the lawyers attend criminal record expungement clinics, drafting letters in support of those who made mistakes in their youth, but who now seek a second chance from life. “That was pretty rewarding,” smiled one associate: “they’ve grown up and we get to help them out of these tough situations.” Other popular opportunities include wills clinics and driver’s license restoration clinics. “I think of it as fun lawyering,” laughed one associate. “The pro bono side is very much about saying ‘you have a problem, and now we’re going to fix it.’ You helped someone. It’s nice. It’s great for morale at the firm as well.” Attorneys in New York loved the accessibility of pro bono opportunities, as the firm hosts clinics within its office, helping lawyers fit pro bono into their busy schedules: “They make it so accessible, you walk downstairs and there’s the clinic!”

Pro bono hours:

• For all US attorneys: 49,468
• Average per US attorney: 47

Get Hired

Stage One: Recruitment On and Off Campus    

Mayer Brown takes a national approach to hiring, with dedicated teams focusing on key pipeline schools. The firm also recruits from many regional schools.  Most of the students interviewed at each campus will meet a senior and a junior attorney – often these are alumni of the school and will be able to discuss their track to the firm.    

The firm is primarily looking for interest in their practices and any particular niches the candidate has their eye on. The firm is strong in both transactional and litigation work and has a significant focus on finance companies, funds, asset managers, insurance companies and banks. Transactional practices are a particular focus of the firm’s recruiting. Research is key: approach the interview with a good idea of what Mayer Brown does and doesn't do and tailor your own questions accordingly.     

Top tips for this stage:     

“The most important things to ask about are day-to-day life and what type of responsibilities associates get on matters – get a sense of what life would be like as a junior.”    

“As an interviewer, I ask what the applicants see themselves doing five years from now, which can link to a practice group interest.”    

Prior to interviews with partners or senior attorneys, look your interviewer up on the firm website or LinkedIn to get a sense of their primary practice area. This will help you craft questions specific to your interviewer, and better understand the firm and its practices ahead of and during your interview.  

Stage Two: Callbacks    

When candidates are invited for a callback interview, they'll meet with partners and associates from the practice areas they've expressed an interest in for a series of four or five 20- to 30-minute interviews. In most cases, each applicant will meet a junior associate in order to get the opportunity to talk about starting one’s career at Mayer Brown. Where there is mutual interest, the firm encourages candidates to have additional follow-up meetings and even return for additional introductions over lunches and dinners.    

Engagement and focus are key during callbacks: Mayer Brown wants to hear thoughtful reasons behind the motivation to practice law at the firm. The firm is looking for a long-term relationship as most future partners come for the summer program or join as associates. “The ideal candidates are smart, thoughtful, and care about their work. They are also going to be engaged in the practice of law and client satisfaction,” sources say.    

Top tips for this stage:     

“Some of the process is about trying to figure out life experiences beyond what's on your resume: what are your passions? What experiences do you value?”    

“When I'm interviewing I'm typically just gauging their interest in the firm, and whether they can articulate an interest in Mayer Brown in particular.”    

Stage Three: Summer Program    

Mayer Brown has a ten-week program across the US. Each of our eight US offices develops a summer calendar filled with social events. The social events are designed to help the summer associate build relationships with each other and firm lawyers and also include practice area events. Training is provided through both national and local programs.

While summer associate work assignments can vary by office, the firm works diligently to assign work based on individual practice area interest expressed prior to the summer program and by practice area needs. The summer program committees, HR teams and partner mentors also meet with each summer associate periodically throughout the summer to check in on the summer associate’s satisfaction with the work they are doing and their summer experience in general. Summer associates are also encouraged to regularly connect with their mentors and HR teams to discuss their workload and overall experience. 

Each summer associate is assigned at least two mentors to steer them in the right direction, but the firm takes an autonomous approach and advises they “reach out to partners and associates with whom they have an interest in working.” Members of the recruiting committee and the summer program committee check in with summer associates throughout the process to keep an eye on which practice they'd like to join upon receiving an offer.   

Top tips for this stage:     

“Some summer associates come in with the mindset that they'll get easy assignments – instead, they should approach the work as if they were already full-time associates here.”    

Part of the summer program is learning how to operate as a full-time associate. That said, the firm also offers various resources for support as summer associates grow and develop during their time at the firm. Summer associates are encouraged to leverage their resources, each other, and other associates. Junior associate development is a key priority of the firm. 

And finally...    

An OCI applicant will typically know who their interviewer is in advance, so take the time to research your interviewer’s practice and role in the firm.