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Wolf, Greenfield & Sacks, P.C.

600 Atlantic Avenue
Boston, MA 02210

Phone number: (617) 646-8000

Visit Website: www.wolfgreenfield.com

Summer Program: Learn More

Overview

Introduction

With just under 100 attorneys, Wolf Greenfield has made a name for itself as an IP powerhouse. The firm is known for its work in patent litigation on technology matters and is no stranger to making history, having had had its hand in some of the most important IP developments over the years. In 1961, the firm successfully argued Aro Manufacturing Co. v. Convertible Top, now known as the seminal Supreme Court case covering the doctrine of permissible repair.

Firm Stats

Total No. Attorneys (2021)

100 - 150

Featured Rankings

Top 150 Under 150...

No. of Summer Associates (2020)

Base Salary

1st year: $190,000...

No. of U.S. Offices

No. of International Offices

Vault Verdict

As an IP boutique, it’s no surprise that Wolf Greenfield values a technical background. In addition to normal associate recruiting, the firm has a technology specialist program where it hires Ph.D. grads and pays for the cost of their part-time law programs. Beyond tech-savviness, Wolf also looks for top grades, work experience, and personality fit. The firm has a laid-back culture, and attorneys frequently socialize outside of work. Associates report a “horizontal” relationship with partners, meaning they feel they are treated like teammates and equals. Partners are willing to share their challenging, substantive client work, and associates appreciate the chances they have to stretch their skills. Associates also feel there is a decent level of transparency achieved through...

About the Firm

One of the most reputable firms in Boston, Wolf Greenfield has made a name for itself as an IP powerhouse. With just under 100 attorneys, Wolf Greenfield is known for its work in patent litigation on technology matters. The firm has kept to the East Coast with one office in Beantown and one in the Big Apple.

IP Roots

Wolf Greenfield was founded in 1927 by patent attorney Ezekiel Wolf in Boston. In its first decades, clients included famed electrical engineer Andrew Alford and radio pioneer Reginald Fessenden. The firm is no stranger to making history, and over the years has had its hand in some of the most important IP developments. In 1961, the firm successfully argued Aro Manufacturing Co. v. Convertible Top, now known as the seminal Supreme Court case covering t...

2022 Vault Rankings

Top 150 Under 150

#6

Best Intellectual Property Boutique Law Firms

#6

Best Midsize Law Firms for Informal Training, Mentoring & Sponsorship

#10

Best Midsize Law Firms for Technology & Innovation

Associate Reviews

“Everyone socializes together fairly often (particularly in the summer)! Partners will join too, and the firm's gatherings provide a good opportunity to meet … other associates and get to know partners at the firm. Firm social outings range from drinks and dinner to our annual trip to Thompson Island (in the Boston harbor) for games and a clam bake.”
“The social opportunities vary by practice group—some groups have a number of happy hours and informal lunches, some groups regularly organize outdoor activities (e.g., whitewater rafting, zip lining), and other groups focus on family-friendly events.”
“Social events occur often and are typically relaxed and reserved in terms of atmosphere. Everyone is respectful and kind.”
“Wolf has an incredibly strong culture. It is clear that everyone wants to be here.”

“The partner/associate relationship is great and much more transparent than at any of the BigLaw jobs I had before this. Our performance reviews are held twice a year, and I've never felt like anything I've seen on my review is surprising.”
“I think many shareholders care a great deal about the associates and make concerted efforts to foster their development through mentoring and opportunities. There are close working relationships between shareholders and associates, particularly on small case teams where an associate/partner pair do the vast majority of the work.”
“Our firm feels very horizontal—the partners are very approachable, and the firm is fairly informal overall. We have a yearly meeting with the associates and Executive Committee where we can ask them anything and have any opportunity to learn more about the firm's finances, long-term plans, etc. We also have ‘town halls’ with our practice group leaders, where we can ask anonymous questions. In terms of performance reviews, we have a formal annual review and informal mid-year review with our practice group leader.”
“Wolf's partners are relatively young, and perhaps for that reason the associate/partner relationship is very strong. Associates are treated as colleagues rather than subordinates. Reviews are conducted twice per year and are generally fairly transparent.”

“In the litigation group, the work tends to be cyclical, with busier periods and quieter periods, and Wolf is no different. Overall, the workload is manageable, and there tends to be flexibility with working hours and working from home.”
“My work is currently balanced; the firm employs workflow coordinators for the larger groups that monitor our workloads and modify as needed. Flexibility in where/when I work is extremely high. [The] ours requirement is lower than other comparable firms. “
“The hours are very manageable and there is great flexibility in being able to work remotely or be offline when I need to for childcare issues.”
“1800 [hours] is the billable target, and there is a separate non-billable target of 200 hours. A certain portion of pro-bono hours can count towards the requirement, although doing more than that portion is certainly not discouraged.”

“I am 100 percent satisfied with my compensation. It's less than I was making in BigLaw, but the lifestyle is much better, so the tradeoff is worth it to me.”
“They recently matched all associate salaries to the BigLaw market rate (starting at $190,000). I'm very happy with our compensation given that we're a boutique firm. At Wolf, I feel like we have the best of both worlds between the BigLaw salaries and perks of a smaller firm where we really get to know everyone well.”
“I think the firm does a good job in compensating attorneys in ways other firms do not. For example, the firm matches 50 percent of your 401(k) contributions up to six percent of your salary. The firm makes contributions to your 401(k) independent of the matching program—generally about three percent of your salary. There is an hours bonus, which is not capped [and] depends on the hours you work over 1,800 hours, and a merit bonus independent of hours billed. I have regularly received the merit bonus.”

“Opportunities seem to find people who seek challenges. The work I am given is typically at or above my level, and I am challenged to raise myself and play at a higher level.”
“The work is incredibly interesting and complex and is exactly the type of work I love to do—really detailed analysis of technical issues that relate to patent cases.”
“I do spend a lot of time on administrative tasks, but that is in part the nature of patent law. The quality of the work at the firm is high, and the level of precision is high. The firm does not tolerate low-quality work product from anyone.”
“I feel as if I am trusted with projects and tasks that go well beyond my level, including arguing a summary judgment hearing and putting on witnesses at an ITC trial.”

Why Work Here

A proud tradition of excellence in IP

For over 80 years, Wolf Greenfield has offered its clients a level of expertise matched by few other firms. Like the inventors and innovators we serve, we have backgrounds as engineers, scientists, and specialists in fields as diverse as biotechnology, computer science, mechanical engineering, and countless other areas of science. Our unitary focus on intellectual property has proven to be advantageous. Wolf Greenfield attorneys genuinely believe IP to be the most exciting field in the legal industry, and we value our interactions with clients whose inventions, products, and services are changing the world for the better. As a firm, we make sure our attorneys' commitment and dedication is matched by a rich infrastructure designed and refined with the practice of IP law in mind. With over eight decades of IP experience behind us, we understand intellectual property - its subtleties, intricacies, and how best to serve our clients' IP needs - on a level other firms can only hope to achieve.

Getting Hired Here

“All of the following hiring criteria are important: law school attended, grades, prior work experience, personality, [and] diversity. Since we are an IP firm, your undergraduate and graduate degrees and grades are important criteria as well. Journal experience and clerkships are likely only ‘neutral’ criteria. I think the firm values ‘law school attended’ fairly. That is, hiring does not value T14 school candidates to a disproportionate degree.”
“Having a science/technology degree is not necessarily a requirement for all of the practice groups, but is essentially required to practice in any of the prosecution groups (as is true of patent prosecution overall).”
“The firm looks for candidates from top law schools in the top half of their class or better. The firm also has a technology specialist program where we hire Ph.D. graduates in a technical field and pay for them to attend law school part time.”
“We're looking for people with a passion for technology and who are also fun to work with. Beyond that, we have a very wide range of personalities and hire from a broad range of schools and backgrounds. I don't think we have particular ‘feeder’ schools. We do have a large contingent from Suffolk University Law School because some of our technology specialists go there at night while working at the firm.”

“We ask some ‘behavioral’ questions like, ‘Tell us about a time you had to take charge of a project,’ etc. I'm not sure how common that is among law firms, but I kind of like it—when I interview candidates, I think that asking questions like that gives me a good opportunity to understand how the person thinks on his or her feet.”
“Questions related to communication, legal, and technical knowledge. [We] will often ask, ‘Why IP’ and ask the applicant to explain a technical concept for a lay person.”
“Tell me about your background. What kind of science did you do? Tell me about your Ph.D. work. … Nothing particularly odd.”

“I think our process is great. We spread all of the training and HR stuff over a few days so the new person can get integrated with the group's substantive work as quickly as possible.”
“Good, but I wish there were more structured social events and lunches for new employees to be integrated with the practice group. Otherwise, I kind of liked being thrown in the deep end with a light docket my first week and having to figure my way through it.”