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Litigation first and foremost Firm literature doesn't hesitate to describe Choate's 70-person litigation department, the firm's largest, as "one of the preeminent litigation practices in New England." A glance at Choate's client list tends to suggest that the firm isn't exaggerating. Notable names on the roster include Bayer Corporation, Citigroup, Deloitte & Touche, Ernst & Young, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, John Hancock, Liberty Mutual, Microsoft, The Starwood Companies, Teradyne, Inc., and Transkaryotic Therapies, among others. Business: Palladino at the helm More than 50 lawyers devote themselves to Choate's business department, which the firm characterizes as its fastest-growing. The group subdivides into the following practice areas: Internet and New Media; Venture Capital & Buyouts; Mergers, Acquisitions and Joint Ventures; International Transactions; Specialty Finance; Energy & Telecommunications; and Workout & Bankruptcy. In September 1999, corporate finance specialist Peter Palladino was named chairman of the group. High-profile health care Like Beantown competitor Ropes & Gray, Choate, Hall & Stewart offers a highly-developed health care practice. Choate's clientele list tends is impressive, listing a wide variety of physician organizations (HMOs, and so on) and industry groups such as the Massachusetts Hospital Association, the Massachusetts Association of Health Maintenance Organizations, and the Massachusetts Medical Society. In March 2000, Choate attorneys Edward C. Kenna, Brian A. Davis, and Raymond A. O'Brien represented pharmaceutical concern Interneuron in a suit alleging fraud, misrepresentation, and breach of contract on the part of American Home Products. The multi-layered tableau of public service As evidenced by Margaret Marshall's appointment as chief justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, Choate, Hall & Stewart has a strong tradition of public service on many levels. For example, a Choate partner was a founding director of the Massachusetts chapter of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, and another serves on its Board of Advisors. On a sporting level, partner Frank B. Porter is president of the Boston Athletic Association, the organization in charge of the Boston Marathon. Golfers will be pleased to know that Partner John M. Cornish was tapped to be general chairman of the 1999 Ryder Cup, held at The Country Club in Brookline, MA. And in July 2000, Martin E. Levin, the head of the Massachusetts Environmental Strike Force (a division of the attorney general's office), will be joining the firm. Choate, Hall & Stewart has also been known to dip its toe into the frothy pool of Massachusetts politics. In August 1999, lawyers at the firm raised $8,000 for Massachusetts Governor Paul Celucci. The Choate one-stop shop Like other litigation powerhouses, Choate, Hall & Stewart offers clients considerable in-house resources. For example, the firm's Business Information Services boasts a network of "experienced investigators with substantial federal and state government service" including former FBI agents. The firm also leverages its expertise for its Fiduciary & Investment Services division, which offers an investment advisory service. Here again, Choate's government ties make themselves felt - partner Dennis J. Kearney, who leads the firm's government relations practice, has 12 years of experience as a member of the Massachusetts Legislature and as Sheriff of Suffolk County.
Alumni connections count The recruiting area of Choate's web site provides good information about the firm's management structure, assignment system, and pro bono efforts. It also lists a schedule of on-campus recruiting efforts, which in 1999 took place at the following schools: Boalt, BU, Chicago, Columbia, Cornell, Duke, George Washington, Georgetown, Harvard, Michigan, Northeastern, Northwestern, NYU, Penn, Stanford, Suffolk, BC, UT, UVA, and Yale. Insiders insist that Choate isn't just about the numbers. Says one associate: "A huge amount of time and effort is spent on trying to find good, friendly, collegial people. Most of the people who are interviewed could do the work at Choate. Those that are hired typically offer something more." Another insider expounds on that "something more" by reporting that the firm looks "for substantial writing or advocacy experience, and wants people with a history of leadership and outside activities."
Pretty sprightly for a hundred-year-old Our insiders insist that, in spite of its age, Choate, Hall & Stewart has kept a youthful esprit. "It is a very nimble, fun place for a large, 100-year-old firm," says one mid-level attorney. A litigator agrees: "Despite being a 100-year-old firm, the partnership is young, and the mix of the two translates into a professional, low-key culture." Still another litigator describes Choate as "a white-shoe, prestigious Boston firm that has enough personality and genuine concern for individuals to make it a pleasant place to work, even considering the high-pressure environment of big-firm law." From the business group, an attorney muses that "there are still a number of people with old-school attitudes," but notes that "for the most part, the people that I work with are friendly, accessible, and willing to answer questions." Pretty hard-working, too In a free association psychological test, if you said "Choate's culture," most associates at the firm would answer "hard-working." An IP contact reveals that the firm puts "emphasis on quality of product, which is both exciting, in terms of more responsibility and your sense of importance, and daunting - you had better be good!" A corporate associate concurs, suggesting that the "firm really tries to promote the concept of lawyers as entrepreneurs" and "intentionally stays smaller than it could be, which gives associates a lot of responsibility early." "It can be sink or swim," that contact sighs. Others point out the firm's warmer, fuzzier qualities. A health care associate finds co-workers to be "hardworking lawyers who are intelligent and sociable." "Superior work product is expected," says a litigator, but "it's an easy-going and laid-back place." "Open, friendly, not uptight," offers a colleague, adding: "People pride themselves on turning out top-notch work and on remaining sane while they do it." Pay happiness It's always nice to see lawyers who admit to being decently compensated. "We're overpaid," quips a litigator, "but we're overworked as well, so it evens out." Many Choate associates supply both good scores and positive commentary in this category. "It's not New York," says another litigator, "but I'm still paid far more than I am worth - and I don't have to practice in New York." "There is always room for improvement in the area of pay," a colleague chimes in, "but I am very happy with my current salary." Not fratty Choate Hall associates give their firm high marks for its social life, but tend to play down firm-related social activity. "Choate is not really a social firm," says a litigator, who adds, "people are friendly and groups may get together after work, but largely people come here to work and then go home to their social life." Another litigator agrees that "contrary to some of those law firm guides, it is not a 'work hard/play hard, frat-like' firm." Indeed, the slow social pace gives cheer to some. Explains one insider: "There's less after-hours socializing than at many firms. I take that as a good thing - it means we all still have friends and significant others who don't work here." Nice views, not-so-nice furniture At the generous end of the spectrum, Choate associates describe their firm's office space as "classy" and stress that "you can't beat the views of Boston Harbor." Impeccable office space, however, doesn't seem to be Choate's forte. "The building is lovely," notes a litigator, "but the d?cor is a bit drab and the furniture is old. Recently, we were forced to rent space in a separate building to accommodate all of our attorneys, which is inconvenient." Another contact sighs that "space is at a premium here, so first-year offices are pretty small and not nicely furnished." A colleague in T&E confides that "first-years get the crappy furniture" but assures Vault.com that "the rest of the office is lovely." Hours: ebb and flow As with associates at other litigation-heavy firms, Choate associates often bemoan the unpredictability of their schedule. Says one mid-level: "The number of hours doesn't usually get to me, although my non-lawyer fianc? thinks I am nuts. What bugs me is the unpredictability of my schedule, which I think is a function of having chosen litigation. I don't think the problem is Choate-specific." A health care associate reveals that hours "can vary widely. Some weeks I'm out the door by 6:30 every night. Other weeks it is 1:00 a.m. before I leave." And in the firm's business department, an insider reveals that "it can be crazy busy on a deal for a while, but then the deal closes and the ebb part of deal flow kicks in for a while. You just have to take advantage of the more normal times." Choate reputation Choate, Hall & Stewart associates generally agree that they work for a "very prestigious" firm, although many concede the regional scope of the firm's prestige. "One of the top firms in the Northeast," says a litigator. Another casts Choate "as a top-tier firm, maybe not with a huge national presence, but definitely with a New England presence. Our litigation, T&E, and health care practices are among the best in Boston."
Robin Carbone
Legal Services;Fiduciary & Investment Services;Business Information Services;The Choate Group
Ropes & Gray; Hale and Dorr; Goodwin, Procter & Hoar; Bingham Dana; Palmer & Dodge; Foley, Hoag & Eliot; "Some NYC firms" More Company Profiles For more career information, go to Vault.com ©2000, Vault.com Inc
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