 |
||
|
|
||
| |||||||||||
Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison is one of the largest San Francisco-based firms. With approximately 750 attorneys in 10 U.S. offices and two British offices, Brobeck is a leader in technology and Internet law. As a result of the recent technology boom, the firm has experienced excellent returns over the past few years, including a 40 percent jump in profits per partner from 1998 to 1999. Much of that can be attributed to Brobeck's audacious foray into the high-stakes, high-profit world of e-business. History: a dramatic break-up leads to West Coast success Brobeck traces its roots to Morrison Dunne & Brobeck, a San Francisco firm prominent in the early twentieth century. That firm broke up in 1924, with some partners forming Brobeck and others moving to Morrison & Foerster. According to legend, Morrison partners used an axe to break down Brobeck's office door and make off with client files. Herman Phleger led the firm in the early days and later served as an advisor to President Dwight Eisenhower. Brobeck started expanding in earnest 50 years after its founding. The Los Angeles office was founded in 1976 and now has approximately 75 attorneys. Four years after the L.A. opening, Brobeck expanded into Silicon Valley, establishing a Palo Alto office that has been among the most successful of the firm's satellites. In 1990 the firm made inroads into East Coast technology, founding a New York office that represents many of the most important companies in Silicon Alley. Other offices include Irvine (1987), San Diego (1987), Denver and Austin (1994), Washington, DC (1999), and Dallas (2000). IPO madness One of Brobeck's more interesting and lucrative specialties is its corporate securities practice. The firm has represented many young dot coms that have gone public, especially in New York City's Silicon Alley. (The reason for this success? Brobeck was among the first law firms to aggressively pursue dot com business in New York, drawing on a pointed ad campaign and much leg work.) Crain's New York Business claimed in February 1999 that Brobeck had led more New York-area Internet IPOs than any other firm. Notable Brobeck IPO clients include online linkster About.com, web consulting firm Agency.com, online ad agency DoubleClick and free email pro Juno Online Services. Brobeck's ties with the new media world were affirmed by rankings published in September 1999 in The American Lawyer. In the survey, Brobeck took top honors as the "firm mentioned most often" by new media companies and the firm "mentioned most as litigation counsel." Brobeck partners aren't the only ones who benefit. All Brobeck associates have the option to invest in Brobeck clients - a rare (but increasingly common) perk that gives lawyers a chance to dip their hand into the golden pool of IPOs. M&A - OK! Mergers and acquisitions have been good to Brobeck as well. The firm advised long-time client Wells Fargo Bank on its $11.6 billion acquisition of First Interstate Bank in 1998. Brobeck also counseled GeoCities on its $4.6 billion acquisition by Yahoo!. The deal was announced in January 1999 and closed that year. In one deal famous for its swift completion, the firm represented i2 Technologies in its $9.3 billion merger with Aspect Development in March 2000. From initial negotiations to the completion of the final merger agreement, the deal took six days. Rod Howard, the Brobeck partner who led the deal, told The Recorder that when i2 approached Brobeck about working on a deal with such a quick target date, the firm "swallowed hard and said yes." Securities litigation The firm has developed a reputation for fierce litigators and its track record in securities litigation certainly bears this out. The firm has won dismissal of suits filed against clients such as Adobe Systems, BankAmerica Corp., The Gap, and Sun Microsystems and has scared away suits against 3Com, Apple Computer, and BankAmerica. (The firm likes to brag that the Apple suit, filed way back in 1991, was the largest securities class action suit voluntarily dropped since federal securities laws were enacted.) Finally, Brobeck has settled a number of securities law suits with several notable clients including John Hancock Mutual Life, Fidelity Financial, and Wells Fargo Bank. IP practice Intellectual property has been another noteworthy practice for Brobeck. The firm represented Matrix Pharmaceuticals in a 1997 suit by Collagen Corp. alleging that former Collagen employees who went to Matrix stole trade secrets for use in their new jobs. Brobeck also counseled Ligand Pharmaceuticals in its suit against drug giant Pfizer. Ligand claimed Pfizer used research that the companies had collaborated on to develop a breast cancer drug. In technology cases, Brobeck represented Nomai in a case alleging that Iomega Zip Drive technology infringed on Nomai patents. In 3Com v. SynOptics Communications, Brobeck defended Bay Networks (formerly known as SynOptics) against charges of patent infringement by 3Com. Please don't go Brobeck has taken steps to stem turnover among both attorneys and support staff. In October 1999, the firm allowed for 360-degree reviews and based partner compensation in part on associate feedback. At the time, The Recorder reported the firm had a turnover rate around 30 percent. Seeing similar problems among support staff, the firm started a $1.25 million investment pool for staff members in early 2000. And to make its support staff feel truly cherished, Brobeck gave each staff member a $1,000 bonus on Valentine's Day 2000. (Cash works better than red roses, apparently.)
Picky, picky (at least until recently) Traditionally, Brobeck has been very selective in hiring, recruiting almost exclusively from top national and regional law schools. Recent events, however, have apparently induced the firm to widen the scope of candidates it sees. "This used to be a fairly hard place to get an offer," says one associate. "Now, with the [economy] as hot as it is, we'll hire anybody with a pulse. I wouldn't be surprised if we hired a graduate of an unaccredited law school." While that may be a stretch, insiders do report that securing an offer at Brobeck is becoming easier. "With the really tight labor market, the firm is definitely struggling to hire people," says one source. "The firm often just hires bodies to bill." Graduates of top law schools are still coveted. "The firm tends to discriminate heavily based on law schools," reports one lawyer. "Those who attended top five or top ten schools would obviously find it very easy to get hired here." While intellectual capacity is clearly important, personality is also taken into consideration. One attorney says that "the 'Big Three' sought-after characteristics in associate hiring seem to be (1) smart; (2) hard worker; (3) nice." "Intellect and personality fit are both important," claims one associate. The firm has a web site dedicated exclusively to recruiting (www.joinbrobeck.com) that lists openings and contact information for lawyers and support staff alike at each office. Interview process Callbacks for law students last half a day, including lunch. The interview can vary depending on which attorney you see. "Some are very tough," warns one contact. "Some are easy." Candidates are taken to a "nice" restaurant with two first-year associates for a lunch that lasts "about an hour and a half." After lunch candidates have an exit interview, usually with the person who conducted the on-campus interview. Lateral hires can expect a half-day of interviews with attorneys from the group matching their interests.
Inmate social life Associates at Brobeck are careful to point out that while the firm isn't unfriendly, there is limited social interaction outside the office, save for a few firm-sponsored events. "People here work hard enough that they want to go home to sleep at the end of the day, not go out drinking with fellow inmates," says one Brobeck prisoner. "I think Brobeck's unusual in that associates really try to work smarter, not harder. That cuts down on the socializing during working hours and spills over into non-working hours," explains one associate. "People, I think, want a line between work and play. You don't necessarily want to see the same people 24/7." Top-of-the-line pay "If anyone complains about compensation at Brobeck, they should be slapped," barks one attorney. More mellow associates seem to agree. "Brobeck actually believes in providing their associates with predictable salaries commensurate with their hard work, rather than back-ending compensation with huge but miserably discretionary bonuses," says one lateral hire. "Because associate salaries are so high, morale is good. Bonuses play a minimal role in keeping associates happy." Additionally, when tallying up pay, "you have to add on the firm's investment fund. [It's] worth thousands each year." Insider report that the recent pay raises haven't caused the kind of friction between partners and associates as in other firms. "Many associates were concerned about what the impact would be on the firm culture and training. But firm management has not expressed any concern," says one source. Diversity record fairly solid According to firm insiders, Brobeck is making an effort to support diversity but the results aren't there. "It's tough for Brobeck. We're not that ethnically diverse, and we can't seem to attract more minorities," laments one associate. "It's a vicious circle -since we don't have enough diversity, it's very difficult for us to create an environment to which ethnically diverse people wish to come." One lawyer allows that "the firm is aware and tries to hire minorities and support minority student groups at the law schools." The firm's efforts with women seem to be more productive. "Among the firms I've worked for, Brobeck's proactive approach to lifestyle issues and the advancement of female associates knows no equal," one associate proudly states. Insiders report that maternity leave and part-time schedules are top-notch and a fair share of the partners are women. The only complaint seems to be a lack of a mentoring program for women. No greener grass It's a tribute to Brobeck that its associates are for the most part happy to work at the firm. "I don't wake up each day and say 'Gee! I get to go to work! Yay!' But if I have to work, I'm extremely glad it's at Brobeck," says one associate. Another attorney who evidently graduated from the same school of restraint says, "Overall I am satisfied. I am unconvinced that things would be greener anywhere else. I like the people that I work with and the work is challenging and interesting, even if stressful at times." Salary is mentioned frequently as an upside of working at Brobeck. The "very relaxed atmosphere" is also a bonus, as are the assignments. "There is a ton of quality work," one contact says. Some attorneys also cite the firm's prestige and culture as a factor in their decision to work at Brobeck.
Tina Shinnick Attorney Recruiting Manager (650) 424-0160 ext. 5923 (650) 496-2600
Legal Services
Cooley Godward;Gunderson Dettmer;Morrison & Foerster;Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe;Venture Law Group;Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati More Company Profiles For more career information, go to Vault.com ©2000, Vault.com Inc
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
