Haynes and Boone, LLP
2323 Victory Avenue
Suite 700
Dallas, TX 75219
Suite 700
Dallas, TX 75219
Phone number: (214) 651-5000
Visit Website: www.haynesboone.com
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Overview
Introduction
Headquartered in Dallas, it’s no surprise the culture at Haynes and Boone is as supportive and social as its Southern roots. With friendly colleagues and invested partners, associates get top-notch legal experience at a firm where they feel welcome. From its roots in Dallas-area corporate securities law, Haynes and Boone has expanded to 18 offices across the U.S. and abroad. Although much of its bread and butter remains with the Texas corporate scene, Haynes and Boone has used its presence in Shanghai and Mexic...
Firm Stats
Total No. Attorneys (2021)
No. of Partners Named (2021)
Featured Rankings
Vault Law 100...
No. of 1st Year Associates Hired (2020)
No. of Summer Associates (2021)
Base Salary
1st year (class of 2020): $205,000...
Vault Verdict
Haynes and Boone hires diverse, well-rounded candidates who will contribute positively to the firm’s culture. Associates take pride in the firm’s collaborative, friendly environment where fellow attorneys and staff genuinely care about one another. Partners consistently demonstrate investment in their associates—they are open to questions and generous with ongoing feedback. The firm hosts regular town hall meetings to discuss firmwide matters, but compensation is an area where associates wish there was more transparency. Some associates think the firm could divide up work more evenly, but they otherwise find the 2,000-hour billable requirement to be reasonable. They’re also satisfied with compensation, as salary and bonuses are market. Associates have the opportunity to handle sub...
About the Firm
From its roots in Dallas-area corporate securities law, Haynes and Boone has expanded to 18 offices across the U.S. and abroad. Although much of its bread and butter remains with the Texas corporate scene, Haynes and Boone has used its presence in Shanghai and Mexico City to profit from Latin American and Chinese energy deals and international trade.
Like Teacher, Like Student
With $1,600 and a handful of small clients, Richard Haynes opened a solo law office in Dallas in 1964 while moonlighting as a securities law seminar teacher at Southern Methodist University School of Law. Michael Boone joined Haynes’ office when he graduated in 1967, after impressing Haynes as a student in his classroom; the firm became Haynes and Boone three years later. Over the n...
2022 Vault Rankings
Associate Reviews
- “Texas friendliness pervades firm culture. Management seems to genuinely care about retention and associate well-being.”
- “The culture is unique, supportive, and collaborative. I often interact with other attorneys outside of work-sponsored events and enjoy catching up with other attorneys and staff in the office.”
- “Since I started during COVID, my experience has been strange with limited face-to-face interaction. However, team members call or email to check in often, and we get together for monthly drop-in meetings to update each other on what's going on in our lives.”
- “Multiple happy hours each month within each practice group and office-wide events every month. All attorneys and staff are extremely friendly and genuinely care about your life outside of the office.”
- “Partners and associates work well together, and partners genuinely care about the associates at the firm. However, firm management is not very transparent when it comes to associate compensation.”
- “All of the partners I have worked with have been great at explaining things, and they have never gotten mad at mistakes—even really basic mistakes. Almost all of them are fine with associates calling them to ask questions, and they are really good about giving stretch assignments to junior associates.”
- “The firm conducts town hall meetings in order to keep partners and associates up to date on firm performance and finances and other matters. These are conducted perhaps quarterly. Associate/partner relations in my practice group are good. Associate contributions are valued, and associates are considered an important part of the team.”
- “We receive bi-annual reviews—one mid-year and one at the end of the year. The end-of-year reviews are [with] the key partners that you work for the most, which is the most beneficial. Generally, the partner/associate relations at our firm are great. Our partners are busy but make time for questions and actively seek to get associates involved in deals. …”
- “I feel I am given an appropriate amount of work. There are busier times for sure, but there are also slower times where the job is very relaxed.”
- “There is flexibility in when and where to work, which is great. Our section is rather lean, so work is not hard to come by, and sometimes can be a lot—but I rarely feel that I'm underwater and without help. Work is not necessarily evenly distributed, as it depends on the partner's trust of the associates working for them. The billable-hour requirement is 2,000 [hours] for standard bonus consideration, and that seems fair.”
- “The work is distributed well, there is just a lot of work.”
- “Obviously, there are ups and downs in corporate law work, and the hours can be uneven due to the nature of the work. That said, I think Haynes and Boone does its best to ensure that work is allocated evenly and that no one is getting overloaded. …”
- “The relationship between billable hours and compensation is handled fairly. I am satisfied with my compensation and have received bonus as expected.”
- “The firm is very fair in its compensation and awards additional bonus amounts above and beyond market for those that bill in excess of our billable hour targets.”
- “Firm pays market bonuses for end of year, but firm did not pay COVID bonuses.”
- “We are paid the same as the Cravath scale. It is great to live in Texas and still get paid this much.”
- “Most of my time is spent on substantive work at or above my level. Given the small size of our practice group, I spend some time on assignments that could be considered below my level, but everyone pitches in when things need to be done, including partners.”
- “I often get to draft ancillary documents and review documents that have come in from opposing counsel. I'm also given assignments that are meant to be difficult in order to learn how all of the pieces of a deal come together. Overall, I have been very impressed with the caliber of work I am given, considering how junior I am.”
- “I've negotiated directly with partners on deals at other firms as an associate. There really is an environment here that allows for as much responsibility as the partners think you can handle.”
- “I am nearly always given substantive legal work. I have had the opportunity to take the lead on preparing and drafting of all governing and offering documents for several fundraises.”
- “The firm adapted easily to accommodate remote work during the pandemic. We haven't had issues with technology being out of date or anything, and the firm is always updating and looking for new technologies that will make our work easier.”
- “The firm's tech support is very good overall. The main area where there could be improvement is soliciting more feedback from associates in the planning/adoption stage for major tech changes.”
- “The firm does a good job of investing in new technology and ensuring that we have what we need to work remotely. The firm made sure that everyone had a full desk setup for working remotely, though this was already something that attorneys could request pre-pandemic, so many already had this setup at home.”
- “The firm adapted very quickly to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially with respect to working from home. The firm's IT department was very responsive to issues that arose as I was setting up my home office and adjusting to working from home.”
- “The firm has weekly wellness events and also has been active about offering CLE presentations and resources encouraging attorneys to maintain emotional and physical health during the pandemic.”
- “HB has formed a wellness committee and does seemed to be really trying to support attorney wellness. There has been tons of programming, weekly meditation meetings, and more resources dedicated to wellness.”
- “There are a plethora of mental health and wellness initiatives—webinars, exercises, counseling, meditation, etc. These are offered all the time, and you can take advantage of as many as you want. …”
- “I think the firm could focus more on physical wellness (i.e., workout/gym memberships). For example, they have a corporate partnership with Equinox that I didn't even know about until I signed up for the gym separately.”
- “Formal training has greatly expanded at the firm through workshops given by more experienced attorneys, video training, etc. The firm places a lot of emphasis on informal training, mentoring, and sponsorship, and this is something the firm does particularly well.”
- “Most training, following an orientation program, occurs organically. The firm maintains formal mentorship programs, but they are not enforced particularly rigidly.”
- “I have an assigned mentor who helps me with just about everything and is very helpful. However, I haven't received a lot of relevant formal training and mostly learn on the go by being thrown into being the only associate staffed on a case—which I prefer.”
- “We had a formal training program as first years. I would say that most of the training since has been informal mentorship, but that has been first-rate. The partners in my office and practice group do a great job of explaining not just what to do but why we do it.”
- “Partnership prospects are very good here, and the process is very straightforward. There are also tons of exit opportunities, which the firm is happy to facilitate [for] those interested. Great alumni network.”
- “I believe promotion to partner is realistic for those who are committed to that path. Associates can also transition into a counsel role. Associates have strong in-house opportunities at leading companies in their field, if they prefer.”
- “Yes, I feel a promotion to partnership is realistic and my mentors/sponsors have been open with me about. Conversations in that regard have increased as I reach mid-level.”
- “We get 100 pro bono hours to count towards our billable hours. We have a dedicated team running our pro bono program, and it is very easy and encouraged to plug into projects.”
- “… My sense is that most partners and attorneys have at least one pro bono project they are working on, and our pro bono partnerships with community organizations are celebrated and promoted by firm management. I am currently working on an asylum matter, and I have recently helped to prepare wills for healthcare workers.”
- “The firm has done a ton of pro bono work this year for Feeding America, which was great to see. Overall very supportive of any pro bono work attorneys want to take on.”
- “One-hundred hours of pro bono is creditable to billable hours, or more with approval from certain section chairs. The firm highlights pro bono efforts publicly and internally, and there is an expectation that all attorneys do at least some. The firm has taken on a number of non-unanimous jury cases out of Louisiana.”
- “The firm's diversity department is very active and has stated targets to increasing diversity at both partnership and associate levels, both for women and racially or ethnically diverse lawyers, by 2025.”
- “[The] firm has a diversity retreat every other year. Last year it was virtual, and all attorneys were encouraged to attend. This is a real focus for the firm, with lots of programs and activities (no billable credit for them, though). There is an effort to have meaningful conversations, and the firm hosted a fantastic panel last summer with firm and outside speakers engaged in a candid discussion about race in America (particularly in the context of the BLM movement and police violence).”
- “[The] new Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity is doing a great job of prioritizing this firmwide, so it seems like the firm is improving on this front, but [there is] still some ground to be made up in terms of retaining African-American lawyers. …”
- “Many women have recently made partner in the normal time frame, including those who had multiple children while associates. As a woman, I find it encouraging that there are tons of incredible female attorneys to serve as role models and mentors at this firm.”
Why Work Here
Vision
After 44 years of success, our commitment to excellence remains our utmost priority. We are built on a foundation of strength that enables us to continually be a top-tier law firm of international scope and global capabilities.
Mission
The scope of business is becoming increasingly focused on international corporate transactions, financing and partnerships. Haynes and Boone maintains operating principals founded on teamwork, a healthy working environment and a strong work ethic, which allow us to seamlessly serve clients across time zones, borders and boundaries.
Diversity at Haynes and Boone, LLP
"OUR VISION OF SUCCESS Excellence in diversity and inclusion is a Haynes and Boone core value. We recruit the best and the brightest and seek to attract, retain, and promote individuals who reflect the global marketplace, our clients, and the communities we serve. We strive to create an environment in which each individual at every level has the opportunity to succeed professionally, regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, national origin, parental status, race, religion, sexual..."
Getting Hired Here
- “Law school, grades, and work experience are important. The firm has a strong focus on maintaining its culture through personality and diversity and looks to hire associates who will work to stay and grow at the firm for more than a few years.”
- “It seems apparent that the firm will look anywhere for qualified candidates and is not handcuffed into only considering candidates from specific pedigrees or backgrounds. This diversity is one of the firm’s great strengths and goes a long way to contributing the collegial atmosphere wherein all attorneys are valued equally for their contributions.”
- “The firm wants well-rounded and smart people that will fit in to the firm's culture. Grades are certainly important but fit is equally important. Haynes and Boone very much has a firmwide personality and I think that starts, or is continued, with the efforts of our recruiting department.”
- “The Dallas office gets most of its 2L summer associates from a week-long program called ‘Fast Track’ that occurs the summer after students' 1L year, before and in lieu of on-campus interviews. It gives the firm a better chance to get to know candidates (and vice versa) than callbacks would. The firm typically uses OCI to round out the recruiting class rather than relying on it as the primary source. …”
- “Candidates are asked to reflect on experiences noted in their resumes, and interviews are designed mainly around the questions candidates have for interviewers.”
- “The firm asks attorneys to ask candidates the same questions in order to enable them to adequately compare attorneys. Key questions address why the candidate is interested in the firm, any particular practice areas they might be interested in, why they are interested in their stated geographic area, examples of challenges they have faced and overcome, what they see as their strengths, characteristics of the work environments in which they thrive, etc.”
- “For laterals, they ask about your experience and your work style. They also trade to gauge culture fit.”
- “Every interviewer is different. It varies greatly by practice area.”
- “I lateraled over just prior to COVID, so that made integration a little bit strange, but I was made to feel welcome with my practice group and integrated fairly seamlessly. The firm maintains an attorney integration committee which works to assist laterals and new attorneys with integration into the firm by setting up events, etc.”
- “The Denver office is small, and so integration is not difficult. When I joined, the firm flew me to Dallas and I went through a really great orientation. They go out of their way to create internal connections and expose new hires to the rest of the firm.”
- “… Haynes and Boone has a dedicated committee on attorney integration that made me feel welcome. Partners and associates within my section have been supportive from day one and integration was seamless.”
Perks & Benefits
