Overview
Introduction
In just over a decade of existence and with fewer than 40 attorneys, MoloLamken has quickly made a name for itself among the heavy hitters of boutique litigation shops. With offices in three of the country’s major metropolises—New York, Chicago, and Washington, DC—MoloLamken’s attorneys focus on complex business litigation, white collar criminal defense, and intellectual property. MoloLamken only hires laterally, putting a premium on experience when it comes to handling the high-stakes, complicated cases the firm takes on.
Firm Stats
Total No. Attorneys (2021)
Featured Rankings
Base Salary
No. of U.S. Offices
No. of International Offices
Major Office Locations
Vault Verdict
Clerkships are a must-have for those looking to join MoloLamken’s ranks—and stellar grades from a good law school certainly won’t hurt. The interview process is described as “intense,” since candidates will interview with nearly every lawyer at the firm. MoloLamken’s culture is collegial and professional, and small offices facilitate close working relationships. Attorneys disagree on just how social the firm is but seem very satisfied with their current number of events. Associates are thrilled with their relationships with partners, describing a flat firm culture that encourages associates bringing everything they can to the table. Some associates noted that there’s a lack of transparency at the top, though. Hours can get a bit long but are quite flexible and are almost uniformly...
About the Firm
In just over a decade of existence and with just 40 attorneys, MoloLamken has quickly made a name for itself among the heavy hitters of boutique litigation shops. With offices in three of the country’s major metropolises—New York, Chicago, and Washington, DC—MoloLamken’s attorneys focus on complex business litigation, white collar criminal defense, and intellectual property.
What Recession?
Superstar attorneys Steven Molo and Jeffrey Lamken took a gamble and left prestigious and well-established BigLaw firms to start their own boutique and did so at a rather perilous moment: in October of 2009, in the midst of the recession. Molo had spent more than five years as a litigation partner at Shearman & Sterling. He’d been a senior litigator and member of the Executive Committee of W...
Associate Reviews
- “We have a very flat culture distributed across three offices. Each office only has about a dozen people, making them feel tight knit. At the same time, matters are routinely staffed across offices, and so no office feels like a silo. People are very friendly and supportive, particularly because everything is so thinly staffed. Everyone is respectful of time obligations and other constraints. We do have some social events together, but they are low-key. Many members of the firm have young families and go home to put kids to bed before logging on again at night.”
- “The firm is a very friendly place. We are small enough that everyone knows each other well. Although we socialize frequently, the firm is also very respectful of our personal time. I appreciate the balance.”
- “Our culture is hardworking yet collegial. Everyone at the firm works hard, but the environment is not competitive. There is a real ‘team spirit’ where everyone is interested in each other's work and happy to help out where needed. We have semi-regular happy hours, as well as regular office celebrations of birthdays, career milestones, etc. The firm also has a yearly retreat where attorneys from the different offices have the opportunity to socialize.”
- “Formal social activities are less common. But the small size of the firm lends itself to many opportunities for more organic interactions with colleagues over lunch, between meetings, or after work.”
Why Work Here
Getting Hired Here
- “The hiring process is very rigorous. Our attorneys all have clerked (often at both the trial and appellate levels). We prioritize adding attorneys who want to work the way we do—on lean teams and with substantial responsibility for driving cases forward. Each successful applicant will meet with nearly every member of our team to ensure that the applicant will fit well into our culture and style of work.”
- “The firm is open to candidates who have excelled anywhere (i.e., we have interviewed candidates who were top of their class at a wide range of law schools). Clerkship experience is required. Most successful candidates will have done a court of appeals clerkship and graduated from a T14 law school with distinguished grades.”
- “A clerkship is required. The interview process is rigorous and comprehensive. Due to the size of the firm, personality and fit are important.”
- “The firms looks far and wide for candidates. There is a rigorous hiring process in which candidates will meet with most of the attorneys at the firm. That provides candidates and attorneys alike ample opportunities to determine whether the match will be a good one.”
