Holland & Hart LLP
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Overview
Introduction
With more than 400 lawyers, Holland & Hart has offices in Colorado; Idaho; Montana; Nevada; New Mexico; Utah; Wyoming; and Washington, DC. Regarded as one of Colorado's stand-out law firms, Holland & Hart has particularly strong corporate, IP, and environmental law practices. But the firm isn't just a regional powerhouse: It also ranked as one of the best places to work in Denver by the Denver Business Journal. Lawyers at the firm work hard but are wel...
Firm Stats
Total No. Attorneys (2021)
No. of Partners Named (2021)
Featured Rankings
Best Law Firms in the Mountain States...
No. of 1st Year Associates Hired (2020)
No. of Summer Associates (2020)
Base Salary
1st year: $105,000-$160,000*...
Vault Verdict
Holland & Hart has a work-hard/play-hard culture. Attorneys of all levels regularly socialize through firmwide events and within practice groups and affinity groups. Management is transparent and communicative about the firm’s financial performance and employee promotions. Associates are reviewed annually and receive an assigned supervisor who provides more regular feedback. There is plenty of work to go around, so associates generally don’t have any issues meeting the billable-hours requirement, and they report that extra hours pay off via respectable bonuses. The work itself is mostly substantive. Associates mainly learn through mentorship, both assigned and informal, but do have access to various formal training programs. Opinions are mixed on how easy it is to make par...
About the Firm
Starting as a two-man outfit in the 1940s, Holland & Hart has become one of the largest firms in the Rocky Mountain West. Among its most notable practices are litigation, business law, tax and estates, employment law, IP, and real estate law.
A Rebel with a Cause
Holland & Hart began in 1947 when former Colorado state legislator Stephen Hart rebelled against what he described as the “very monopolistic, establishment-oriented” old firm culture in Denver where “nobody could expect to become a partner unless he was born into it or married into it,” according to the Colorado Lawyer. After he was denied partnership at a local firm, Hart started his own practice with his friend Josiah Holland. Among Hart's guiding principles for the firm was spu...
Associate Reviews
- “The firm's culture is professional and pleasant. People work hard here but also take the time to socialize and to connect on a personal level. I love that the firm has new-employee welcome parties for both attorneys and staff. The firm hosts a holiday party and a number of other social gatherings sprinkled throughout the year. The attorneys, especially our Women's Forum group, frequently go out for lunch or for drinks. Each section of the firm (litigation, labor & employment, Women's Forum, diversity committee, etc.) also has a monthly lunch meeting. And some of these groups have a biannual out-of-state conference.”
- “Lawyers have standing meetings monthly, quarterly, etc., to provide social opportunities among practice groups. There are happy hour events and plenty of volunteer opportunities to meet and get to know other attorneys, professionals, and staff.”
- “Very socially relaxed; a work-hard/play-hard sort of environment. Some practice groups seem closer than others, and there does seem to be a divide among the partners and associates as far as socializing goes. There's a ton of social opportunities at the firm, which is also great. Associates tend to be busy, though, and some (especially those who lateral) seem way less interested in attending firm events.”
- “Fair amount of office-organized socializing, but also attorneys—including partners and associates—who informally get together.”
- “The firm does a nice job of communicating how decisions are made. Associate performance reviews are held once a year. But associates are assigned a supervisor, and the two are expected to meet once a month to check in and provide support.”
- “I have had nothing but positive experiences in interacting with partners at the firm. Firm management encourages fostering these relationships to ensure that all employees at the firm feel that they're part of the community. The firm is very transparent; we frequently receive emails discussing firm finance issues. I have not been at the firm long enough to see or comment on discussions about internal promotion or performance reviews.”
- “Partners in the office treat associates with respect and have a genuine interest in their development. Partners are also understanding if you have other more-pressing projects.”
- “I have had very good experiences with the partners at work and don't feel undervalued. The firm's management provides sufficient transparency about the firm's overall performance and expectations of its employees.”
- “There's a ton of work to go around, which is a good thing. I am able to manage my own time and decide when and where I work.”
- “Lots of flexibility, just lots of work. Good associates will work a lot unless they can draw boundaries.”
- “Being in litigation, the hours are inconsistent. Sometimes you have one project and you have time to work on it, sometimes you have three or four things due in the same week, which requires more time. Overall, satisfied.”
- “The firm has three ‘buckets’ for hours: billable, business development/admin work, and pro bono. The total requirement is 2,100 hours, with billable being 1,800, business development/admin 200, and pro bono 100.”
- “If you meet your work requirements, the firm is competitive with bonuses and raises relative to the markets in which we are located.”
- “They are very good at staying competitive with market rates and regularly adjusting to ensure we stay competitive.”
- “If you are a hard worker and high biller, you can make pretty good money at H&H. Salaries are low, but the fee splits help supplement in later years if you develop business, and the firm's bonus policy has gotten much more generous in recent years.”
- “I am asked to participate in substantive legal work. I typically work on specific cases with a partner and have a lot of leeway for innovation within the case, but also a lot of partner support.”
- “I enjoy my work assignments and they are appropriate for my level. The nature of work is what you would typically expect in commercial litigation.”
- “Majority is substantive.”
- “Associates are assigned a supervisor and an associate buddy. The firm also has a mentor program.”
- “There is some informal mentoring, but the best mentoring comes from working with good partners and good senior associates.”
- “Our individual group invests a lot of time in mentoring and in improving our mentoring.”
- “It is becoming more difficult to make partner. The firm is communicating clearly on the requirements, but the financial benchmarks feel difficult to achieve.”
- “There are opportunities for of counsel positions and other non-partner tracks that are more important to me than traditional partnership.”
- “The firm's new chair and managing partner are stellar and are going to take the firm in a great direction, as long as they can keep the larger partnership on board. H&H has great name recognition in Denver; [it’s] tough to beat the exit opportunities you have at H&H if you want to stay local.”
- “As a fourth-year associate, my goal is to make partner. I don't honestly know how achievable that is at this point in my career. But I am hopeful that my client exposure, business development, and firm supervision and mentorship will position me to become a partner. The firm recently created a non-equity partner track for more-senior associates as a stepping stone between being an associate and an equity partner.”
- “We are very committed to pro bono and all attorneys are encouraged to do pro bono, both civic and legal. We recently were recognized at LACSN's [Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada] pro bono lunch.”
- “The firm has a 100-hour pro bono requirement that must be met by all attorneys.”
- “The firm has a big pro bono push and requires 100 hours of pro bono per year. Open to new pro bono matters that do not conflict and very rarely declines matter, so long as it does not conflict with client or firm goals.”
- “The firm's hiring process includes substantial efforts to seek out and hire minorities of all categories. There is a significant level of pride in the firm for doing so.”
- “The firm has a Diversity Committee. The firm also hosts frequent diversity trainings and meetings. The firm also follows the Mansfield rule and has specific billing codes for diversity-related activities.”
- “We have great diversity programs and groups that meet regularly to discuss what we want to accomplish and then execute those plans as best as possible.”
Diversity at Holland & Hart LLP
"Holland & Hart's Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion At Holland & Hart, diversity and inclusion are more than core values — they are critical to our business success. We believe that our diverse range of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences enhance our ability to serve clients more effectively and with greater creativity and innovation while also making Holland and Hart a better place to work. Significant Awards & Recognition • Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality, Human Rights Campaign..."
