Carter Ledyard successfully combines a sophisticated, full-service Wall Street legal practice with a collaborative environment where friendliness and professionalism are compatible. We have a diverse and international clientele, with substantial portions of the firm’s matters coming from overseas-based clients and their U.S. affiliates, financial institutions and other financial services providers, governmental entities, industrial and technology companies and affluent individuals and families. Our international focus is exemplified by our commitment to provide a Gateway to America® for our foreign clients. Our association with the Meritas® and Legalink legal networks provides us with access to capable and knowledgeable colleagues in the U.S. and around the world and allows us to assist those colleagues with their New York based matters.
Lawyers like working at Carter Ledyard because of our manageable size (approximately 80 attorneys), associates and partners willing to support other attorneys’ matters, competitive billing rates and active integration of lateral attorneys into firm life. The Carter Ledyard difference is perhaps best expressed by some of our colleagues who have come to us from other firms or from law school.
Since the very beginning, I’ve known that I’ve made the right choice by accepting an offer at CLM. Coming out of law school, I hoped to land a position with a firm that provided the resources and experience of a large firm in a smaller office environment. The firm invests heavily in the professional growth of the associates through both department-specific and general skill development programs. Partners and senior associates do a tremendous job with the initial training by providing in depth background and feedback on each new matter. As a result, I was able to quickly get hands-on experience with transactional matters for some of the firm’s largest clients. I look forward to my continued growth as an associate at Carter Ledyard alongside such a sophisticated and supportive group of attorneys. [Louie Ayash, Associate]
During the hiring process, I had excellent conversations with partners about their work, their professional interests, and even their interests outside the office. The Director of Recruitment and Attorney Development also kept me well informed about the hiring process. After the hiring process, I received a warm welcome from the firm and I felt grateful for joining. The firm has since encouraged me
to grow, has contributed to my well-being, and has continued to be a setting for great conversation. Overall, I am honored to be a part of this team. [Jodutt Basrawi, Associate]I have been working at CLM for a year and have enjoyed my experience the entire time. As soon as I interviewed with two partners, I knew that this firm was different than the rest. I was immediately at ease and comfortable sharing my experience and skillset as well as getting to learn more about the firm itself and its culture. CLM has a great mentorship program, and I always feel welcome to ask questions and reach out if I need assistance from partners. Everyone is incredibly open and nice, and we have a collaborative team when working on projects together. Even as a more junior associate, I am fortunate to receive substantive work and my opinion is always heard and valued. There are ample opportunities for growth and joining new projects when associates are interested in a particular client or transaction. The working groups and practice areas are excellent and give partners and associates the ability to work together to help solve clients’ problems across all departments. We have wonderful associate-only and firm-wide social events and activities. Also, CLM offers competitive compensation and numerous bonus programs for associates. In addition, CLM has done an amazing job providing flexibility during the pandemic and in general with personal and vacation days. I’ve always felt welcome and like I’m an important part of the team. I hope to spend the rest of my career growing and excelling in CLM’s positive culture and learning environment. [Jennifer Frank, Associate]
My experience at CL&M so far has been great. The onboarding process was smooth and I felt that I had a lot of support. The firm has genuinely welcomed me, from support staff to partners outside of my practice group. I feel lucky to be an associate here. [Arielle Kraus, Associate]
We encourage our attorneys to develop broad legal practice capabilities. These capabilities are enhanced and sharpened in specific practice areas by considerable in-house training, mentorship and significant involvement in all aspects of transactions and cases, all beginning in an attorney’s first year with the firm.
We believe that an attorney’s legal education is an ongoing process which extends for his or her entire career. We devote substantial resources to training associates, including encouraging attendance at our ongoing program of accredited in-house continuing legal education classes and specialized external continuing legal education courses. The firm also conducts departmental training programs designed specifically to educate young lawyers in the practice areas and skills not comprehensively addressed in law school and to further the education of associates of all levels in the skills most beneficial to their practice.
Staffing and handling of client matters sets us apart from other elite firms in New York. Each lawyer is expected to assume considerable responsibility early on in his or her career, and our size and structure encourage associates to take on additional responsibility as soon as they are ready. Matters normally are staffed by small working groups, with associates reporting directly to the partner supervising the matter. Junior associates work very closely with partners and counsel, resulting in direct and meaningful participation in all aspects of the case or transaction, the opportunity to assume considerable responsibility for advanced work early on in their careers and significant contact with clients and adversaries. As an intentional by-product of this approach, associates receive meaningful and practical on-the-job training, mentoring and feedback.
Additionally, each associate is paired with a partner or counsel mentor, and junior associates also are paired with an associate mentor. Our mentors provide guidance and are additional resource to help associates learn and develop as lawyers.
Carter Ledyard encourages our attorneys’ marketing and practice development efforts. We assist our associates with developing and implementing their own marketing strategies, both through the support of our marking department and, if requested, assigned partner/counsel marketing mentors. We recognize that practice development is a career long endeavor and that assisting our associates in developing their marketing skills brings both individual and firm-wide benefits.
We are a lawyer-managed firm, and our attorneys participate in a wide variety of firm management committees and activities. Our associates also serve on committees, including our associate development and diversity committees, where their input is sought and valued. Over the years, many associate suggestions on matters of firm administration and associate life have been implemented. This is part of our commitment to provide the type of positive and collaborative working environment which many firms say they offer but do not deliver.
Attorneys who succeed at Carter Ledyard are those who are sincerely interested in our practices, size and culture and who thrive in a creative and friendly atmosphere, work well both independently and as members of a team and, for junior attorneys, want to assume considerable responsibility early on in their careers with a view toward a long-term association with the firm.
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