Overview
Introduction
Thompson Coburn is headquartered in St. Louis but has a coast-to-coast wingspan. No matter what type of law you want to practice, you’ll find it here—the firm has groups from admiralty and maritime law to mass tort litigation to white collar defense. The firm’s robust litigation practice covers such areas as banking and financial services litigation, business litigation, appellate, insurance litigation, IP litigation, securities and investment litigation, trust and estate litigation, white collar defense, and more.
Firm Stats
Total No. Attorneys (2020)
Base Salary
No. of U.S. Offices
No. of International Offices
Major Office Locations
Major Practice Areas
Vault Verdict
In addition to good grades and law school, Thompson Coburn seeks candidates who have a connection to the local area and also prioritizes diversity in its hiring. Candidates can expect to answer questions about their personality and interests, why they are interested specifically in the firm, and their work ethics. The firm’s atmosphere is collaborative and social, with regular Friday lunches and opportunities to get together after hours. Associates are impressed with the firm’s transparency—a rarity in large law firms—and appreciate how respectful partners are. There isn’t a tremendous amount of formal training, but mentoring and informal training are high points. While there can be an ebb and flow to the work, assignments are generally evenly distributed. The firm has a billable ...
About the Firm
With headquarters in St. Louis, Thompson Coburn has offices spread across the U.S., from DC to California to Illinois to Texas. The firm is known for its copyright, corporate, labor & employment, litigation, and environmental practices, and its high-profile client list includes AT&T, Chrysler Group LLC, Enterprise, ExxonMobil, Monsanto, Scottrade, Union Pacific Railroad, U.S. Bank, and Wells Fargo.
A Tale of Two Mergers...and a Senator
Thompson Coburn is a product of two mergers: one in 1996, when St. Louis firms Thompson & Mitchell and Coburn & Croft merged and one in 2007, when Thompson Coburn merged with Chicago firm Fagel Herber. Post-mergers, Thompson Coburn became one of the largest firms in the country, ranking in the AmLaw 250...
Associate Reviews
- “Every week, our office holds an all-attorney luncheon where all partners and associates are invited to an informal lunch, where people catch up on life events, work news, developments, and other subjects.”
- “The firm is very collegial and friendly. Lawyers socialize together for happy hours and client events regularly. The firm also sponsors associate events and baseball games.”
- “There are many firm-organized social opportunities that exist at Thompson Coburn. I believe that there is a great atmosphere of collaboration between the attorneys and partners that I work with/for.”
Diversity at Thompson Coburn LLP
Getting Hired Here
- “Traditional hiring through law school campus interviewing and the summer associate program is the bulk of the recruiting. [The] firm is grade conscious and personality conscious. WUSTL and SLU are the primary feeder schools for the St. Louis office.”
- “I feel like we have high expectations of associates coming on, and we want them to have gone to a good law school and have done well, but we will not dismiss someone who did not go to a great school out of hand. Diversity is valued highly.”
- “The firm typically hires from top 20 law schools or the schools in the area of the offices (e.g., Saint Louis University for the St. Louis office).They look for top 10 percent of the class, someone who can hold good conversation, individuals with experience outside the classroom, and those with a connection to the location.”
