Only two more days for firms to step up and challenge Howard & Howard and Lionel Sawyer on the poll.
WWL would also like to solicit recommendations for our own list of the top places to work in Vegas. We will be putting the post up on Monday, so if you think your firm, courthouse, government office or corporation deserves a spot leave us a comment here.*
* In addition to salary, advancement opportunities, benefits, quality of work, etc., we are considering free donuts and coffee or open bar nights as factors to be considered in deciding on a good firm. So send us info on why you're firm is the best.
Do you have any way to count the number of votes that come from any specific Internet address or host? I would be interested to see how many votes came from the same Internet address or range compared to how many people were employed in that office. If someone got 50 votes and 45 of them came from the same Internet address or host and they only have 25 employees, then the results are suspect.
ReplyDeleteBut it's just fun and games anyway, right...
Totally agree with 3:40 PM. Curiosity burns.
ReplyDeleteSince I came out before, now it seems silly to be anonymous. It's the Howard & Howard associate. From personal experience, I was only allowed to vote once. Now, every time, it shows me the results.
ReplyDeleteWhile chatting with some folks in the office today, we had an idea for a future poll(s). Which firms are the worst. This, perhaps, could be split into a number of weeks with different categories, like worst benefits, worst hourly requirements, most like a sweatshop, not enough work, etc.
It's kind of like American Idol. I always want to vote off the person I like the least instead of voting for the best.
Also, Legal Eagle, welcome back. When I did my Communique interview, it was just Joe W. Law. What brought you back?
As a Hutchison and Steffen associate, I have to speak up for my firm. Great place to work, nice people, good salary, benefits are average, but they try to give the extras. There are no yellers and screamers who put everyone on edge. Just real family people who want you to have a life. In fact, if you bill over 200 hours a month, you get an extra check called combat pay for "not having a life that month." No regrets on working here!
ReplyDeleteOur firm offers excellent coffee, free drinks, donuts and bagels on Friday, and lunch brought in on a regular basis. I will not reveal the firm's identity, so as not to jinx it!
ReplyDeleteWould you all rather a Hutchinson or a "bet-the-business" firm with more hours, intolerant partners, etc. This isn't a loaded question. Honestly curious.
ReplyDeleteI would want to work at Hutchison because they recently won a case with a $300 million verdict.
ReplyDeleteI think the next poll should be which firm has the hottest receptionist.
ReplyDeleteMarquis & Aurbach has healthy lunches prepared by a private chef Monday-Thursday. Friday lunches are usually sandwiches, pizza, or bbq's in the summer-all free to attorneys. They also have a soda fountain and a kegerator in the breakroom/kitchen and the firm or one of the partners regularly pay for Friday evening happy hours.
ReplyDeleteGood idea, @9:40 AM.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that hot receptionists don't usually last very long at law firms. If you're a hot woman in Vegas, cocktailing pays a lot more than being a receptionist. The choice is easy. It's tough to make the augmentation payments on a receptionist's wage.
M&A is going to have some chubby employees. Maybe a few DUI's too.
ReplyDeleteI recommend Lionel Sawyer for the following random reasons:
ReplyDeleteNice, fun and relaxed partners. Breakfast on Fridays.
Free coffee.
Lunch deliveries.
Great support staff, technology and library resources.
Partners at the firm frequently find excuses to throw open bars or provide snacks, cake or ice-cream.
The firm will also throw informal parties to welcome new attorneys, to celebrate associates passing the bar, to celebrate birthdays, etc.
Junior associates frequently work with very senior partners and take on real and important responsibilities in cases.
Partners take the time to teach associates.
Everyone is friendly and professional.
Good relationship and communication with our Lexis and Westlaw reps, and along with it, free passwords, good service and occasional brownies and goodies.
No frequent (or any) threats about meeting billable hours.
Interesting cases.
Reasonable hours.
Reasonable workload.
Reasonable benefits.
Clear and simple guidelines and expectations when it comes to bonuses.
Stories about drunken partners and miscellaneous adventures back in the good old days.
No, we do not have casual Fridays at our Vegas office, though we seem to have casual Fridays every day at our Reno office. But honestly, it's not a big deal.
- Lionel Sawyer Associate
Two words: Christmas Cruise! Now that is a bonus--work off plus a free trip. I would bet the attorneys got a nice bonus on top of it all.
ReplyDeleteNo, I don't work there.
I am also a Hutchison & Steffen associate and I want to echo the comments of my co-worker on June 4th. I also wanted to add a few things. This firm is the most family friendly firm you will find in Vegas that has more than 4 attorneys. For the past four years, H&S has paid for every employee (not just attorneys) and their immediate families to go to Disneyland. This includes a a 2-day park-hopper pass and lodging. On top of that, we have a catered lunch in the Disneyland park on one of the days so we can all meet/spend time with each other's families.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, every Friday, the attorneys at H&S have lunch at a restaurant which is paid for by the firm. Over the years, I have been surprised how this one little thing has created friendships and bonds between the attorneys which, I believe, prevents many of the problems that occur between associates at other firms.
Sure, we also have casual Fridays, doughnuts and bagels on Friday, monthly birthday cakes, frequent firmwide potlucks, and "interesting cases" (who doesn't?). But it is really that almost everyone who works there really enjoys the firm atmosphere that the partners have fostered that makes it a great place to work. I mean, don't get me wrong, the firm is not perfect, but any discontent is generally short-lived or so common to all law practies that it is not worth complaining about. I think the best example of this is the utter lack of complaints or disclosure of firm secrets by H&S employees on this blog -- because I know we all read it. We just don't have much to complain about. (Did I get this post to be as long as the Lionel associate's post?)
I agree that same votes coming from one IP shouldn't count, but I don't think we should find it suspicious that firms with a small number of employees can't get a larger number of votes. After all, this isn't the "which firm has more employees" poll, and I would presume that some people are voting for other firms *looks at ATMS associates*
ReplyDeleteOops, correction to above comment: "I don't think we should find it suspicious that firms with a small number of employees [sometimes get] a larger number of votes."
ReplyDeleteWouldn't want another snide comment about grammar or spelling. That would totally hurt my feelings.
The WWL staff are not the tech-savvyest people in the world, but according to Blogger, the site tracks individual IPs and prevents an individual IP from voting more than once.
ReplyDeleteAs for my return, I watched "His Girl Friday" and realized this town needs a rumor-mongering secretary.
ReplyDelete