Overview
Introduction
Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell is a litigation boutique known for going to trial nationwide and winning on behalf of its high-profile clients in industries including manufacturing, telecommunications, energy, and services. Associates feel valued and enjoy being able to tackle substantive work from the start in the firm’s collegial, social environment. The firm and its attorneys have been recognized by the likes of U.S. News—Best Lawyers, Chambers USA, The Best Lawyers in America, ...
Firm Stats
Total No. Attorneys (2022)
100 - 150
No. of Partners Named (2022)
4
Featured Rankings
Top 150 Under 150
No. of 1st Year Associates Hired (2021)
3
Base Salary
1st year: $180,000
No. of U.S. Offices
2
Vault Verdict
Wheeler Trigg is looking for experience, from clerkships to lateral hires—even better if you have both on your resume! The firm is friendly and highly social, especially pre-COVID, with regular associate lunches and a ‘take-a-partner-to-lunch’ program, and paralegals and staff are valued members of the team. Associates feel valued by partners, and appreciate the firm’s recent change to providing real time reviews based around cases reaching a certain number of hours or concluding, versus one annual review. Formal training and mentor programs exist, though associates feel the best training is their early access to high-quality, substantive work—from running depositions, case strategy, or even entire cases very early in their time at the firm—and that independently developed mentors...
About the Firm
Litigation boutique Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell is known for going to trial nationwide and winning on behalf of its Fortune 500 clientele. The high-profile clients who have received WTO's much sought-after litigation expertise come from a wide range of industries—such as manufacturing, telecommunications, energy, and services—and include Whirlpool, General Electric, Michelin, Lumen Technologies, DISH Network, Ford, Xcel Energy, Chipotle, Beazley Group, McKesson, Electrolux, Volvo, IBM, and Vail Resorts, among others.
A Denver Firm
WTO was founded on February 1, 1998 by a group of five trial lawyers—including Mal Wheeler, Jack Trigg, and Mike O'Donnell—who left a full-service firm in Denver to build a nationwide practice dedicated to complex civil litigation...
Associate Reviews
- “We have a yearly all-lawyer retreat, a holiday party, and a summer picnic/party. The office is collegial, with all lawyers having an open-door policy. Lawyers rely on the staff for a lot of support. We have excellent paralegals, secretaries, and litigation services support.”
- “WTO has a friendly culture with preference for socialization (post-COVID this has had some challenges). For instance, associate lunches were regularly held [pre-COVID] and the firm has a take-a-partner-to-lunch program that is absolutely wonderful. It is friendly but professional.”
- “In line with the firm's ethos, which eschews top-down mandates, the firm's culture and social life are organically fostered and managed. The firm focuses mightily on recruiting lawyers who embody the self-driven, entrepreneurial, and well-rounded values that the firm priorities. In many ways, the culture of the firm embodies the culture of Denver: relatively easy going, within appropriate bounds given the high-stakes and serious nature of the work. Unlike other, larger firms I've practiced at, WTO does an incredible job using paralegals and other staff as valued team members.”
- “Having started during the pandemic, I've been very impressed by the effort people have put in to reach out and welcome me. I was previously at a bigger law firm, and I think I'm treated as more of a colleague now.”
Diversity at Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell LLP
The Law Firm Diversity Profile contains the firm’s self-reported responses to the Vault/MCCA Law Firm Diversity Survey, an annual survey conducted by Vault.com in partnership with the Minority Corporate Counsel Association. Detailed demographic breakdowns of the firm’s attorneys by level, race, gender, LGBTQ and disability status offer a valuable statistical overview, while descriptions of its diversity programs, initiatives and strategic plans provide a comprehensive portrait of the firm’s commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.
Getting Hired Here
JOB OPENINGS AT THIS COMPANY
- “Top law schools and top students from regional schools. The firm mostly hires former law clerks. The firm has put an emphasis on hiring lateral attorneys, so that's very much a focus right now and the firm is also trying to hire more diverse associates. The firm offers some written instructions/handouts for candidate interviews.”
- “The firm is competitive. It looks for individuals with a passion for litigation. It generally hires clerks or laterals and not individuals straight out of law school.”
- “The firm prioritizes clerkships, grades, and law school. There are guidelines for interviewers to follow.”
