Arent Fox
Visit Website: www.arentfox.com
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Overview
Introduction
Self-starters will thrive at Arent Fox, with challenging work and strong mentorship there for the taking. Associates are proud of the firm’s diversity and pro bono initiatives, such as the recently established Center for Racial Equality. In addition to real estate, patent, trademark, and finance work, the firm also takes justifiable pride in its litigation, health care, and regulatory practices. With more than 450 lawyers and strengths across core practice areas, the firm’s client roster ranges from ...
Firm Stats
Total No. Attorneys (2021)
250 - 500
No. of Partners Named (2020)
7
Featured Rankings
Vault Law 100
No. of 1st Year Associates Hired (2020)
2
Base Salary
All offices
No. of U.S. Offices
5
Vault Verdict
Arent Fox values academic credentials, work experience, and an entrepreneurial spirit. The culture strikes the balance of professional and collegial—as one associate describes it, “elite but not elitist”—and the firm makes efforts to keep people social and connected. Relationships between associates and partners are strong, but some associates feel that firmwide decisions aren’t always clear or reflective of associate perspectives. Most associates think the billable-hours requirement of 1,950 hours is fair, especially since non-billable work can count for 150 of them, but there are some gripes about uneven workloads. There are mixed levels of satisfaction with compensation—the biggest sticking point is bonuses, which are based on billable-hours and lag behind market for many. Asso...
About the Firm
Arent Fox has developed a symbiotic relationship with the nation’s capital over the past 75 years. In addition to real estate, patent, trademark, and finance work, the firm also takes justifiable pride in its litigation, health care, and regulatory practices. With more than 450 lawyers and strengths across core practice areas, the firm’s client roster ranges from Fortune 500 corporations to trade associations.
Fab Five
A quintet of Beltway insiders pooled their legal and political resources to shape Arent Fox into a Capitol institution over its first 30 years. Henry Fox, the main man behind the firm’s foundation in 1942, laid the first stones in labor, government contract, and administrative specialties—in a case before the U.S. Supreme Court, Fox secured overtime pay for public employ...
Associate Reviews
- “It is a great culture, socially and professionally. Everyone is collegial, enjoys hanging out for happy hours, having weekly lunches, and the firm offers great mentorship.”
- “Elite but not elitist. Lawyers are normal people, often with interests and passions outside of law. Even during the pandemic, the firm has done an amazing job of keeping everyone happy and connected—sending us sweatpants and cookies, organizing trivia nights, and holding baking contests. The culture is not classic BigLaw.”
- “Great culture—people are friendly [and] socialize in and out of work. I've met some great long-time friends, and it makes coming to work much improved.”
- “I lateralled here during the pandemic; however, I have really enjoyed the firm's culture thus far. The attorneys take their work seriously, but themselves less so.”
Diversity at Arent Fox
"For more than a decade, Arent Fox has had a Diversity and Inclusion Committee comprised of many members of the senior management team. This Committee's goals are to recruit, retain, and promote lawyers of color, women, and LGBTQ+ lawyers, while ensuring that firm resources are dedicated for training, mentoring and business development. Arent Fox has made great strides in diversity and inclusion initiatives. This success can be attributed to increased formal involvement and collaboration by firm leadership, including the Executive..."
Getting Hired Here
- “[The firm seeks] top law schools, high grades, and diversity.”
- “The firm welcomes variety in its candidates, especially in lateral associate candidates, but largely looks to local universities when hiring straight from law school.”
- “Firm highly values relevant past work experience and hires specifically for needs.”
Perks & Benefits
