Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP - The Inside View

The hunt for an associate position can be a long one, littered with firms promising newbies everything under the sun. Add to that the scope and scale of many of the firms offering top-of-the-market work and it’s easy to see where the fear of getting “lost” in BigLaw can arise. Enter Hunton Andrews Kurth, a firm which blends the benefits of a BigLaw client base with a smaller class size. We’ll dive deeper into the firm’s culturea little later, but it is worth noting juniors’ feeling that “everyone is like a big family! How people balance family life with work life… the conversation here is different; I saw that practice group leaders have kids and know that balance – they seemed really relaxed so I felt that I could be as well!” Balance at Hunton seems to also be reflected in the firm’s approach to learning and growth, as associates felt that at interview “Hunton were interested in what I was doing at law school – they showed they cared about my development.”

“How people balance family life with work life… the conversation here is different.”

Again, more on that later, but before we move on, it’s worth noting a few of the firm’s notable accolades across its thirteen US offices. Chambers USA has Hunton down as a top firm nationwide for capital markets securitization – MSR and RMBS; climate change; energy finance (electricity); environment; privacy & data security; and product liability. The firm has even more top regional rankings, shedding light on its more local areas of expertise. The largest part of its associate headcount is based in Richmond, followed by New York and, close thereafter, Houston, Washington DC, and Dallas. A few juniors are also located in Atlanta or on the West Coast in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Strategy & Future

Speaking with managing partner Sam Danon, we find that Hunton’s success comes from its focus on specific industry sectors, namely financial services, real estate, retail, energy, and technology. The firm doesn’t act as “all things to all people,” associates explained,instead concentrating on serving these industries across the practice areas that affect them. “Data centers, for example,” Danon explains, “are very key right now, and combine a lot of the practices in which we are well known. You need real estate, you need to power it, then you need the technology, so it’s a good example of many of our practices operating in one area.” Outside these areas, Danon draws particular attention to the firm’s work in cybersecurity and privacy. He notes, "Every day we read about cybersecurity breaches and other cyber threats, so staying on top of those trends is an important aspect of the practice."

Over the past year, Hunton has worked on a number of headline-making deals nationally, including Amtrak’s public-private partnership with the Department of Transportation to redevelop Penn Station, and the firm’s representation of the San Antonio Spurs in connection with their new $1.3 billion arena, but the firm’s focus is global. Danon outlines that “Africa is one area in which we are well known and have a strong history, and energy is a part of that. It continues to be very active in the renewables space, so we’ve stayed very busy advising clients in carbon capture, oil and gas, utilities, and financing nuclear. These are areas in which we continue to be leaders."

“There’s been an emphasis integrating AI technology – even from some senior partners.”

Within the walls of the firm, the importance of changes in technology is not lost on anyone. If anything, Danon says, “We’re still learning, and we’re relying on the young lawyers entering the practice to really learn about the use cases and where to use new technology in the most effective way to advise our clients." The associates we spoke with felt that this was reflected in the training on offer, as “there’s been an emphasis on integrating AI technology – even from some senior partners.” Associates are given training on how to use AI internally, research-wise, and how to do it safely and securely, so “we’re devoting our time to understanding this new frontier; if you are educating on it you become an asset so that’s a big goal – to use it and become efficient using it.” For Danon, "It’s certainly an interesting time, and an exciting time to think about how you can leverage this technology."

Read more from our conversation with Sam Danon under the 'Get Hired' tab.

Summer Program

“Summer wasn’t misleading in a nefarious way,” one junior chuckled. Although summer program attendees get to experience activities like white water rafting, going to baseball games, and even being hosted for dinners at partners’ houses (“It’s cool to see that hospitality!”, we were told), there’s also an honest preview of the work ahead. The work experience as a summer, though, is “interesting because we have a flexible work pipeline.” As a summer, you’re not assigned to a particular practice and can pick up work across multiple practice groups of interest. Our interviewees were positive about this, as “your choices can range as broadly as from litigation to corporate, so you can try any practice” – perfect for those who aren’t yet set on a group. At the end of summer, once you’ve received your offer you rank your preferences, something that is then aligned with the hiring needs of each team.

The Work

Hunton’s various practice areas are similar to each other in terms of their systems for work allocation. Although most groups do submit workflow reports to ensure nobody is falling behind or getting too far ahead on work, work is ultimately allocated via a free market system. Juniors use contacts they have worked with over summer and when joining to get work further down the line by developing a workflow rapport. “If you’re running low, the practice group leader helps,” one newbie explained, but “getting work and making contacts is very easy.”

“Getting work and making contacts is very easy.”

Having a free market system also means that, though you might technically be in one litigation team, you can work with other groups; “the firm sends out emails on new cases that are happening, and if you express interest they like to bring you on.” Associates in litigation can work across the team’s practices, which include: corporate securities & government investigations; intellectual property; complex commercial litigation; energy litigation; products & mass tort litigation; antitrust; insurance; and issues & appeals. Our interviewees’ experience of starting as a junior in litigation was similar to the summer program in many ways, although “the biggest difference is discovery – that’s probably 50% of my day to day.” The other 50% is made up of a lot of research, including briefing of motions to dismiss, written discovery – “that takes up a lot of time” – and preparing clients for depositions.

Litigation clients: MGM Resorts and Yahoo. Secured a $16.3 million verdict for Spotlight Ticket Management on its claims against StubHub for breach of contract and tortious interference with contract.

Although most of the real estate juniors on our list were based in New York, “for big projects we engage multiple offices.” Regarding the development, investment, and finance sides of the practice, we heard that the day-to-day work “is pretty consistent; a huge portion of my work is joint venture, representing more of the moneyed interests, but then there’s also a lot of lender experience - typically loan- and JV-related items.” Starting out as a junior, you’re “learning what the steps are, making checklists, but as you see things turn you get a better idea of what’s important.” After the first year “it starts to feel more like a client-facing role,” so even though you’re still working on running checklist calls you start reaching out to clients with requests. One source reported of their work on JVs that “I can do the first draft now, if it’s simple – everything aside from the loan agreement.”

Real estate clients: Beal Bank, Bluerock Real Estate, and Fairstead. Represented Atlantic Union Bank in the sale of a $2 billion commercial real estate loan portfolio.

Capital markets, structured finance & securitization, M&A, global technology outsourcing and privacy, financial regulation, oil & gas, and private equity all fall within the corporate team. Like in the other groups, “work comes from all of the offices,” and for newbies the work is fairly consistent across the board: “observing to learn how cycles of work proceed, helping with checklists, and organizing diligence.” One junior in structured finance informed us that “especially as a first year you don’t really know anything,” but moving into second and third year “you know a lot more.” At this point, youmove into drafting, starting to manage more junior associates, and taking the reins on matters.

Corporate clients: Grant Thornton, BankUnited, and Peaceinvest. Advised FCC Environmental Services in its acquisition of Wheelabrator South Broward.

For those working in the energy and infrastructure department, “there’s no slow period!” The practice has a transactional focus, with associates working “almost exclusively” cross office, mostly on investor-side M&A work. The team works on anything from oil, gas, coal, and nuclear to wind, solar, hydro, and biomass. Despite working with big clients like Bank of America, oneassociate reports being trusted to get stuck right in. As they put it, “When you start going up the ranks there’s this expectation that they’ll treat you as a toddler, handholding and looking over your shoulder – because they saw you as a summer – but they assume you know what you’re doing here so I haven’t dealt with that at all.”

Energy and infrastructure clients: Citigroup Global Markets, JP Morgan Securities, and Morgan Stanley. Represented Barclays Capital in connection with an SEC-registered offering by CenterPoint Energy.

Associates in the environmental practice are litigators and transactional lawyers who primarily work with natural resourcesclients: mining, oil and gas, and electricity, mainly within private industry. We heard that “Day to day, it can be really different,” but that doesn’t translate to purely doing discrete tasks for newbies. “You follow through from start to finish, doing background research on things,” alongside email memos, but generally “researching regulations, reviewing responses to comments from the EPA, and analyzing regulatory language.”

Environmental clients: American Forest and Paper Association and the Texas Oil and Gas Association. Secured the first pathway authorization for an e-fuel under California’s Low Carbon Fuels Standard program for Highly Innovative Fuels.

Pro Bono

Alongside 25 hours of recruitment, training, marketing, and inclusion activity, associates can put up to 125 hours of pro bono towards their billable hour target – or you can put all 150 hours towards pro bono. Those we spoke with generally worked on asylum and immigration cases, veterans work, and a reproductive rights project which “lots of people are on,” but associates get updated by email on a wider range of available matters.  There’s also the option to contact the pro bono coordinator directly and ask if specific work is possible. Different offices offer local pro bono opportunities, such as work with the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Organization or Atlanta-based partnerships such as “a general arts group, a volunteer group for landlord-tenant issues, and general helping with transactional matters.” In particular, associates in Virginia report that Hunton’s flagship office has an especially strong reputation for pro bono work, because “we have a pro bono office in the Churchill neighborhood of Richmond, which people can walk up to! If the fellow determines they have a case, they’ll email us what might be a good defense – the pro bono partner will even go to court with you if you want him to, so for litigators it can supplement that experience, and it looks good!”

Pro bono hours

• For all US attorneys: 39,846
• Average per US attorney: 55

Hours & Compensation

Billable hours: 2,000 target

Like their counterparts at many firms, associates across Hunton’s practices find the hours go “up and down – we definitely follow the market.” As a result, the firm’s 2,000 hour target – or 1,850, not including pro bono or other allocatable hours – can be an effort to reach, “but it’s not a barrier – the attitude to work delegation is ‘ask and you shall receive’.” The main issue encountered by our interviewees, both in litigation and transactional teams, was that “it’s hard to predict the hours.” However, juniors found that the partners take everything into account “as long as you’re asking for work and not turning things down.”

Everyone we spoke with was happy about the base compensation, but there was a little bit of confusion surrounding the bonus structure. Although we heard that “the bonus is dependent on hitting your hours,” reaching this target isn’t the only factor taken into consideration. “It’s a little convoluted,” according to one junior’s verdict; ultimately, sources wanted “more transparency” around the structure.

Career Development

Hunton’s general approach to developing associates, and particularly the significant mentorship support, was a key draw for many of our interviewees. “A big fear when joining is if you’re going to grow, learn a lot, and become a skilled person,” one newbie admitted, so the fact that “everyone is super open to mentoring a new attorney” was much appreciated. Every new starter is assigned a more senior associate mentor they can schedule formal lunches or check-ins with; this, in addition to informal mentorship, ensures that they receive “a lot of mentorship opportunities. Everyone is checking in, asking if I need help with anything, so I’ve gotten a really good experience.” Training is centered around learning on the job, but “there are specific seminars and training programs for things the firm feels is important.” Training sessions are “always available” as “there are so many things we subscribe to,” and practices conduct training at least once a month covering core topics related to that practice.

“They don’t want me to leave, which is nice!”

When it comes to making partner, associates felt that it’s “definitely attainable – I’ve seen someone go from associate to counsel and seen his progress, so I have an idea of what that step is – it’s more of a financial metric.” With regard to going in-house, “there isn’t as much of a push for that. I feel like they want to keep me; they don’t want me to leave, which is nice! But if I wanted to do a clerkship or work for an agency there is support for that.”

Culture

“Supportive” and other synonymous words were used to describe Hunton’s culture, something that one junior felt “uplifts my spirits.” One of our interviewees called the firm “a hidden gem; there’s support, mentorship and kindness – you get the sense that people are going to root for you, and I don’t think there’s much of a difference between offices.” The firm’s flagship office in Richmond is set on the riverfront – “a great perk of the office!” – with associates expected in four days a week – “most people do a remote day on Friday.” In terms of the office atmosphere, we heard that “there aren’t a lot of conversations around the water cooler, so it’s not just people getting up to hang around, but people are very much open doors and happy to chat!” Although some associates would have liked more autonomy to work remotely, others were very positive about being regularly in the office, with one enthusing that “the work is really about relationships with people – it’s a very human way to do things.”

A strong social culture underpins life at Hunton, with the Richmond office in particular being involved in “community events, charity, and fundraising – it’s a great way to get our names out there!” Different teams host their own orientation events and happy hours, plus “we even have birthday buddies responsible for asking what treats you want, and we’ll sing happy birthday in the office.” All in all, a mixture of formal and informal work events make up the social experience, so for those that want to get involved “week to week there are always some events happening.”

Get Hired

The first stage: recruitment on and off campus

OCI applicants interviewed: undisclosed

Interviewees outside OCI: undisclosed

Hunton currently conducts OCIs at several top law schools. We encourage students to apply directly through the online application available in the Careers section of www.hunton.com if they prefer. OCI interviews are typically 20 minutes long and conducted by two attorney interviewers.

Interviewers at this stage ask questions to “see how well the law students can think on their feet.” Here, the conclusions are less important than the analytical reasoning used to reach them. The firm is also looking for evidence of “resilience, passion and grit.” Hunton tends to focus on candidates’ successes, whether those are academic, professional or personal: “We want to recruit individuals who desire excellence in their professional pursuits, and our interviewing process is intended to glean as much as we can about the candidates’ potential for success by examining their academic records and personal and professional accomplishments.”

Top tips for this stage:

“Preparation makes a meaningful difference at the interview stage. Strong candidates can articulate not only why they are interested in our firm, but also why a specific office and practice area align with their long-term goals. Thoughtful questions also matter. An interview is a two-way conversation, and using that time intentionally signals both maturity and genuine interest.”  – firm-wide hiring partner Andrea DeField

Callbacks

Applicants invited to second-stage interview: undisclosed

At the callback stage, interviewers are typically members of the specific office’s recruiting committee and, where possible, from the practice area the candidate has expressed interest in. Although it varies by office, each callback interviewee is generally scheduled for at least four and no more than six interviews.

The questions at this stage are similar to those asked during OCI, but the candidate has the opportunity to meet a wider range of individuals and get a better feel for both the firm’s and the office’s culture. It is also an opportunity to assess the candidates’ general preferences regarding their future practice. The firm offers both virtual and in-person callbacks options, which may vary by office.

Top tips for this stage:

“The thing that drew me here at the beginning is the people. They’re extremely intelligent, quick on their feet and good-quality attorneys, but they’re also humble people from humble backgrounds and they’re easy to be around. It helps a lot in stressful situations and speaks to the teamwork aspects of the firm: whether it’s a team of two or twenty, the base-level teamwork is pretty special.” – a junior associate

“Callback interviews are an opportunity for candidates to demonstrate that they understand both our practice and the realities of Big Law. We are impressed by candidates who can explain why they are drawn to sophisticated, high–stakes work, who understand the clients we serve, and who have thoughtfully considered the expectations that come with working on complex matters as part of a team.” – firm-wide hiring partner Ryan Glasgow

Summer program

Offers: undisclosed

Acceptances: undisclosed

Summer associates “are active members of legal teams working on important projects and attending client conferences, depositions, trials, hearings and closings.” The matters they’re staffed on reflect the interests of each summer associate, and some offices do practice group rotations. Summers get matched to mentors and attend a “wide variety of social events to allow our summers to get to know our lawyers on a more personal basis.” There are also trainings, guidance on judicial clerkships and pro bono opportunities. Trainings include those on professional development and business development, appropriate for the career stage of summer associates, to help law students hit the ground running once they graduate law school. The firm strives to recruit the “brightest and best summer associates — most of whom, we are happy to report, return as junior associates after graduation.” At the conclusion of the summer program, 2L summers who receive offers to join as entry-level associates receive an offer for a specific team and practice group based on their interests and team hiring needs. “One of our partners penned five 'Tips for Having a Successful Summer' which are posted on our intranet’s summer associate orientation page.” How very helpful! The five tips are:

1) Be diligent – do your very best work

2) Be professional – use your very best judgment

3) Be client service-oriented – the legal industry is a service industry

4) Be thoughtful in your communications – choose your mode of communication wisely

5) Be entrepreneurial – take every opportunity to get to know the firm, the lawyers and to be exposed to work that interests you.

Top tips for this stage:

“The summer program did nothing but reinforce my opinion that I’d picked a good place. When I got an offer at the end of summer I was excited to accept it.” – a junior associate

“If you are looking for a career that offers challenging work in a collegial setting, alongside lawyers who are supportive and eager to see you succeed, Hunton is the firm to apply to.”

Interview with Sam Danon, 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?

Sam Danon: Our differentiator is our strategy surrounding the industries in which we are well known. We are focused on financial services, real estate, retail, energy and technology, and we’ve adjusted that over time. As opposed to operating as separate practices, we are focused on servicing an industry across all practice areas.

Data centers, for example, are very key right now, and combine a lot of the practices in which we are well known. You need real estate, you need to power it, then you need the technology, so it’s a good example of many of our practices operating in one area. We have been able to use this approach to provide the best service to our clients who are best served by a team of people who thrive in a collaborative setting.

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

Danon: We are globally recognized in the cybersecurity and privacy sector, and that is an area where we continue to see our clients impacted. Privacy in particular continues to be impacted as countries navigate the necessary parameters regarding its regulation.

Every day we read about cybersecurity breaches and other cyber threats, so staying on top of those trends is an important aspect of the practice. We continue to invest and recruit in that practice to continue building what is already seen as a top-tier practice. Our securitization team has also continued to grow.

On the transactional side, we’ve been focused on developments in M&A, particularly in professional services, assisting with investments in accounting firms or other types of professional services. We will continue to see that for the next few years.

Over the last year we have also seen infrastructure development, which is an area that’s been very important to the firm throughout its history. Recently, we worked with the Department of Transportation to help with the redevelopment of Penn Station, which is breaking ground in 2027.

CA: Last year we spoke about the firm’s growth in the energy space with lawyers joining in London, and the addition of energy finance and energy project finance lawyers specialized in Africa and the Middle East. What do events in the Middle East mean for that practice?

Danon: Our focus is global, and we’ve seen that pick up as people are investing elsewhere. Africa is one area in which we are well known and have a strong history, and energy is a part of that. It continues to be very active in the renewables space, so we’ve stayed very busy advising clients in carbon capture, oil and gas, utilities, and financing nuclear. These are areas in which we continue to be leaders.

Previously, I would say the Middle East is an area in which we are currently engaged by a number of clients because of our energy and infrastructure focus. Obviously with current events, we are concerned about our people and clients there, but we remain optimistic about the future of investment in infrastructure in the region.

The Legal Profession

CA: How do you predict the rise in AI will affect the ways in which lawyers work? How will it affect the services law firms provide?

Danon: It’s an incredibly exciting time to start practicing, because technology is an important part of how we’re advising clients. We’re still learning, and we’re relying on the young lawyers entering the practice to really learn about the use cases and where to use new technology in the most effective way to advise our clients.

Technology, including AI, is going to make the next generation of lawyers even better, and we’re giving them opportunities to use the platforms and technologies in an effective way. It’s certainly an interesting time, and an exciting time to think about how you can leverage this technology.

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?

Danon: Philadelphia had a lot of food trucks, so chicken and black bean sauce.

CA: What was the first concert you attended?

Danon: Donna Summer and the Village People.

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?

Danon: Patience. Understanding that you need to look at it on a long-term basis, rather than an immediate or short-term basis. As a young lawyer you want that success and recognition right away, but I think patience allows you to be more discerning on how you make decisions.