Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
1701 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone number: (215) 963-5000
Visit Website: www.morganlewis.com
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Overview
Introduction
Morgan Lewis has branched out from its Philadelphia roots to build a global network of lawyers in 31 offices, reaching from Boston to Singapore and San Francisco to Dubai. Practicing across the energy, financial services, health care, life sciences, retail, sports, technology, and transportation sectors, Morgan Lewis has a diverse range of experience. The firm has four core practices: corporate, finance, and investment management; IP; labor, employment, and benefits; and litigation, regulation, and investigations.
Firm Stats
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Vault Verdict
Top credentials are key to landing a spot at Morgan Lewis, but the firm wants more than a shiny resume—past work experience and diversity of experiences are important to the firm’s hiring. Candidates should prepare thoroughly for behavioral questions. Life at Morgan is fast-paced, with associates taking on substantive work and client contact. But it is also a collaborative, friendly culture where socialization is encouraged—even on Zoom during the pandemic. Partners are approachable and eager to mentor developing associates, and the firm is not hierarchical. Associates appreciate how transparent the partnership is with them, including when it comes to firm financials. Associates work long hours, but they have flexibility to set their work schedules, and they generally feel work is...
About the Firm
Morgan Lewis has branched out from its Philadelphia roots to build a global network of lawyers in 31 offices, reaching from Boston to Singapore and San Francisco to Dubai. The firm’s strengths include litigation, labor and employment, employee benefits, intellectual property, energy, investment management, structured transactions, and a variety of regulatory areas.
Philly Roots, Global Presence
Morgan Lewis was founded in Philadelphia in 1873 by Charles Eldridge Morgan, Jr., a Civil War vet, and Francis Draper Lewis, a cotton merchant’s son. Ten years later, Morgan and Lewis hired Morris Rex Bockius, who became a driving force behind the firm for nearly four decades. In the early 1880s, the firm’s fortunes soared when it acquired United Gas Improvement Company as a client; the company ...
2022 Vault Rankings
Associate Reviews
- “Extremely collaborative—partners are never afraid to bring others with relevant expertise in to consult on a case (and the partners asked are always willing to help, even where they will not receive personal credit). Day-to-day, everyone is incredibly friendly. Although [it is] a very large firm, people say hi to each other in the hallways, even if they do not actually know each other well.”
- “Well-rounded and friendly, but intellectually sharp and dedicated to the practice. We have regular social events, both at office and practice group levels. Lawyers and staff are equals at Morgan Lewis—we are all ‘in it together,’ and everybody acts like that.”
- “In the online environment, there is an emphasis to still engage. My firm has several networks you can join that try to meet monthly. My practice group has a weekly happy hour on Fridays, which is a good way to pop your face in and say hello and decompress with fun stories. There is an emphasis to schedule virtual coffee with fellow associates and partners you work with, or even those outside your practice group.”
- “The firm's culture and community is very collegial and diverse. The day-to-day atmosphere is fast-paced and energetic. Lawyers and staff work together as a unit focused on providing excellent client service to the firm's clients.”
- “Most partners value associates and many treat them as equals when discussing strategy. I have also found partners to be good about giving an associate credit for standout work and making sure they get wider recognition from more senior partners or firm management.”
- “The partners in our office are always very helpful and looking out for the associates. They spend a significant amount of time training and providing feedback, as well as identifying opportunities to get exposure to other aspects of the practice. Reviews are conducted annually, and always with one or two partners with which you have worked with often in the previous year.”
- “The partners I work with are incredible mentors. They're approachable and interested in my development. They're regularly available to answer questions. They treat me with fairness and as a professional. We are regularly updated on firm financials, and the internal promotion and performance review process is discussed regularly with associates.”
- “Very strong associate/partner relationships. Partners are regularly available to discuss professional and personal issues alike with associates. Associates and partners are friends at Morgan Lewis.”
- “I think the firm does a great job of distributing work. Each practice group in each practice has a partner who serves as a workflow coordinator, which has helped me to achieve a much greater work-life balance than I was able to achieve at my prior firm.”
- “Since the pandemic, we have been given great flexibility in where and when we work, and we have been told this flexibility will carry forward when we re-open the office.”
- “The hours can be demanding but it is the nature of the case and litigation; I never feel like I am working hard due to someone's whim or idiosyncrasies.”
- “At the end of the day, it is BigLaw with BigLaw billable targets. You have flexibility, but you always have to meet the billable and nonbillable targets to progress.”
- “I am paid at the top of the market, both in terms of salary and bonus compensation. I am completely satisfied with my compensation. Year over year, the firm generally sets bonus targets at 1,900 [hours]. Most associates easily hit that target.”
- “The firm is very transparent with compensation and bonuses. It is also incredibly generous with compensation, basing an associate's compensation on class year irrespective of where the office is located.”
- “MLB matches market salary and bonuses, including the "COVID" bonuses. Firm leadership regularly conveys sincere appreciation for the work that associates have done in these trying times.”
- “We are a market firm, so that is great to see. I would like for the bonus not to be tied to hours, but otherwise the firm is very good at meeting market compensation.”
- “As a more senior associate, I am given assignments consistent with my seniority. I generally run both merger and acquisition, as well as a range of financing transactions. A partner will supervise in most instances, but otherwise I am largely driving the transaction. There are also general corporate matters sprinkled in to my regular deal-flow.”
- “Although I have only been at the firm for a few months as a first-year associate, I have been able to take on substantive work assignments from drafting briefs, to taking depositions, to attending case management conferences. I have also done a lot of doc review, but it has helped me gaining a good understanding of the issues within each case. The firm does a good job in providing a variety of assignments.”
- “I work in the IP practice group, with primary focus of patent prosecution and counseling. Even as a third year attorney, I already run meetings with individual clients, manage substantial international patent portfolios and provide strategic counseling, with partner providing adequate oversight and corrective suggestions where needed. I do spend about 5-10% of my time doing administrative work that relates to client development such as coordinating with attorneys from different practice groups to make sure appropriate expertise is utilized when servicing a client. Outside of that, almost all of my work is substantive legal work.”
- “I am doing a lot of substantive, complicated employee benefits-related work and have been able to explore so many areas of my practice. I am grateful that our practice group has many partners and associates who have extensive experience with so many different benefits-related issues, as I can learn from all of them.”
- “The firm had a formal Remote Work program for associates before the pandemic hit. I participated in the program, in which the firm contributed to the costs associated with home office equipment. Because I already had work-from-home capabilities due to the Remote Work program, the transition to full-time remote work was seamless.”
- “Firm technology works well and has worked remarkably well during the pandemic. Our all-virtual summer associate program in 2020 went off without a hitch, for example.”
- “The firm has implemented a [home office enhancement] budget to allow us to outfit our home offices with the appropriate tools, they have also implemented updates to our technology systems to allow work from home to work smoother and set us up for long-term success.”
- “I find our firm pretty innovative relative to other firms. We try new programs a lot and have many IT upgrades. Our IT Help Desk is a lifesaver.”
- “Our firm makes tremendous efforts to support attorney well-being. Through its ML Well program, the firm offers exercise, meditation and other wellness classes and webinars. There are even cooking classes. The classes are all aimed at improving employees' health and wellness. This coming month there will also be a firm-wide exercise initiative. I have also enjoyed playing on the firm's softball and soccer teams.”
- “The firm offers free therapy sessions that are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week and are completely anonymous. Also, the firm provided live online cooking, meditation, and exercises classes with real instructors.”
- “The firm provides several wellness initiatives, though there is a disconnect between the initiatives and the workplace reality most associates face—most associates are far too busy to realistically participate in the wellness initiatives.”
- “The past year has been incredibly difficult. A global pandemic, massive social unrest following the murder of George Floyd, and increasing isolation from friends, families, and coworkers made 2020 an incredibly trying year. The firm responded accordingly. Providing a range of initiatives to engage and support attorneys and staff. There are too many programs to mention, but rest assured if you were looking for a specific support, the firm provided it. The firm also exhibited incredible empathy, starting with Jami McKeon, the firm chair. Consistent communication recognizing how hard things were and encouraging everyone to take time for themselves led to a culture of support and understanding across the firm.”
- “The firm does an amazing job on formal training. There are training opportunities every month, usually offered by a partner who works closely with an associate and gives the associate an opportunity to co-instruct the training/seminar. The firm offers formal, multi-day trainings at various checkpoints in an associate's career. There is New Lawyer Academy, Mid-Level Associate Academy, and Senior Associate Academy. Additionally, for litigators, there is a weeklong Trial Academy which is time intensive but well worth it. The best trial lawyers in the firm fly into a central location to teach trial skills to senior associates in Litigation and Labor and Employment. For deal lawyers, there is M&A Academy. Mentoring is ongoing. Every associate has an associate mentor, usually a senior associate, and a partner mentor. The practice leaders also make time to serve as informal mentors. This is incredibly helpful in the progression of an associate's career.”
- “I have formal mentors, who I work with and are great about reaching out. There are also our affinity groups which provide mentorship opportunities. The culture of the firm makes it easy to find informal mentors.”
- “In the Employment practice, we have a great sponsorship program where each diverse associate is paired with a sponsor to help them navigate their career and identify key opportunities. This is in addition to our mentorship program, where each associate is assigned a partner and associate mentor. Both programs have proven very useful for me.”
- “The formal training is great, but what really has shined during my time at MLB has been the informal mentorship and the time partners take out of their time to help develop associates.”
- “I think partnership is realistic for those who want it and work hard. The firm also makes many valued associates of counsel if they don't make partner. You also see senior attorneys transitioning to in house roles or to the government.”
- “Partner prospects are available as well as the option to transition as a senior attorney or of counsel with less administrative responsibilities. Exit opportunities include jobs at clients, governmental entities, investment managers, etc. A number of our client contacts are Morgan Lewis alumni. Partnership process is communicated to senior associates although indirect conversations with mentors are often helpful in crystalizing the various paths.”
- “As you become more of a senior associate, the partners are transparent with you about your future track and give you all the resources you need to become what you want to become.”
- “The firm offers a lot of opportunities for both traditional and non-traditional track attorneys, and partnership is possible for anyone that reaches a senior associate position. Due to the amount of client contact as an associate, there are also a lot of exit opportunities that often result in people joining clients.”
- “The commitment to pro bono work is amazing at Morgan Lewis! All lawyers must complete at least 20 hours of pro bono services to be eligible to receive a bonus. However, most lawyers do more. I have been able to make a real difference in individual's lives through my pro bono work at Morgan Lewis, including securing a compassionate release for a vulnerable inmate who was incarcerated at a facility with a COVID-19 outbreak.”
- “The firm is great when it comes to pro bono. The opportunities are endless and vary across all practice areas. I am currently working on two immigration cases, an uncontested divorce, and financial assistance calls. During the pandemic, the firm set up training sessions for public benefits and other pandemic-related assistance that did not take much time as an attorney, but were truly impactful on a personal level.”
- “The firm is highly supportive of pro bono and constantly offers interesting and unique pro bono matters. There is always an array of matters to work on. Following the election I had the opportunity to work on post-election cases.”
- “We have a 20-hour annual pro bono requirement. Most often go over. It is all billable. I have worked on projects such as amicus briefs to the Supreme Court in First Amendment cases, the volunteer lawyers hotline, [and] the VA legal clinic, and [I have] assisted protestors who were arrested at BLM protests expunge their records.”
- “It is very welcoming of diversity and pushing for more and more diversity of all sorts, including affinity groups with events. The firm is also open to identifying other ways to improve diversity. Especially during the pandemic with both George Floyd's murder and the rise in anti-Asian hate, there have been an increase in dialogues and efforts to combat systemic racism and teaching allyship. In addition, the firm focuses on having diverse thinking in teams and different types of people and learning to communicate with others in your team rather than working with people that communicate similarly.”
- “The firm has a lot of affinity groups available and puts on some pretty good programming. We just recently had a panel about issues related to disability, which are often overlooked. We also had a panel about issues facing the AAPI community. Overall, I think the firm is doing the work.”
- “As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I couldn't imagine a more respectful and open-minded place to work than Morgan Lewis. My daily interactions with leadership and colleagues reaffirm that my diversity is seen only as being an asset to the firm.”
- “[The] firm launched ‘Mobilizing for Equality’ task force in response to social unrest of last few years. Supporting numerous pro bono activities in these areas, including impact litigation, law enforcement, and voter rights among others. Full billable credit for all pro bono work.”
- “The firm holds many diversity initiatives. As to women, the firm has many in-network women groups, associations and special programs focused on women. For example, every year there is a meeting held regarding women and annual evaluations focusing on how generally women tend to downplay their roles in projects and how to be our own advocate and support ourselves more as attorneys.”
Why Work Here
Our Firm
At Morgan Lewis, our greatest strength is the company we keep. If you want to be an exceptional lawyer with superior legal skills, a collaborative spirit, and a commitment to advancing the legal profession, we invite you to learn more about Morgan Lewis, where working collaboratively is in our DNA.
Our talented lawyers know that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. That supporting and appreciating individuals is necessary for team success. That our clients value insight, empathy, and trustworthiness as much as legal advice. We are motivated every day to harness our collective power to deliver exceptional service to our clients around the globe.
Diversity at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
"At Morgan Lewis, we take an innovative, accelerated approach to diversity, inclusion, and equality. Our commitment to D&I is on display in how we recruit diverse talent and the initiatives we have developed to retain and advance this diverse talent pool. Firm Chair Jami McKeon's 2018 election to another five-year term means we are again the world's largest law firm led by a woman, and will be woman-led for a decade. As one of the very few women leading a major law firm, Jami-with four children and firsthand experience balancing..."
Getting Hired Here
- “For my office, at least, the pedigree of a student's school is less important that a person's attitude, drive, and just good personality. Academic credentials are obviously important, as everybody here is incredibly smart and ambitious, but we want to work with people that we can get along with! Communication skills and people skills seem particularly important.”
- “I think our firm looks for candidates that have a strong work ethic and value teamwork. I think the law school attended, grades, law review, clerkships, prior work experience, personality, and diversity are all factors the firm takes into consideration.”
- “Morgan Lewis is focused on attracting the best talent to the firm. Law school grades and writing skills are a focus of the hiring process, but, more importantly, the firm values diversity in experiences and backgrounds. And, while the firm does hire a lot of candidates from T14 law schools, law school ranking is by no means a dispositive criteria. …”
- “The firm takes a sensible approach to hiring, and seems to value experience and maturity in candidates. Credentials are important, but hiring attorneys are also interested in what lateral candidates have done.”
- “We interview based on a behavioral questioning model. Questions are predetermined by interviewer who targets such topics as: collaboration; drive; excellence; and firm citizenship.”
- “How have you handled difficult personalities in the past? How have you dealt with constructive feedback?”
- “… Tell me about a time you had a difficult teammate, project, etc.”
- “Describe a complex or detailed project or assignment for which you have been responsible. What did it involve? What did you do? …”
- “In addition to the mentors assigned at the associate and partner level, lateral associates receive a lateral associate mentor who guides them through the transition. The firm does a great job bringing new laterals into its cultural fold.”
- “I felt very welcomed. They invite you to new lawyers' academy which is a big conference for all the new lawyers to the firm. It was great to meet everyone and get a better sense for the firm's values.”
- “The firm's partners were conscious about my career development from day one at the firm.”
- “The firm recognizes that integration can be difficult during the pandemic, and has worked to provide additional means of socializing and integration.”
Perks & Benefits
