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Boston had a banner year in 1918. That year the Red Sox won their last World Series and Richard Hale and Dudley Dorr decided to form a new law partnership. Today, in the 21st century, Hale and Dorr is known primarily for its strong litigation practice, considered the best in New England. In recent years the ampersand-less firm has also built a strong corporate practice around the high tech industry. Beantown history Still headquartered in Beantown, Hale and Dorr LLP has established itself as one of the most prestigious law firms in the nation. The firm now has offices in Washington, DC, Reston, VA, New York City, and Wellesley, MA. In 1990 Hale and Dorr co-founded the independent firm of Brobeck, Hale and Dorr International in London (along with San Francisco-based Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison). Hale and Dorr seems to have as many famous lawyers as its home city has historic patriots. Litigator James St. Clair was involved in the Army-McCarthy hearings and served as Special Counsel to Richard Nixon in 1974 during the Watergate hearings. Joseph Welch also won fame in the McCarthy hearings for his famous line: "Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?" William Lee, pioneer Another major change at the firm took place in 1999 - William Lee was named managing partner of Hale and Dorr. This decision was notable not only because of Lee's national recognition as a groundbreaker in the field of IP but also because Lee is the first Asian-American in Boston to achieve the rank of managing partner. A graduate of Cornell Law School, Lee joined the firm in 1976 and was named one of the country's 10 best litigators by The National Law Journal in 1996. In 1999 Lee was named one of the "100 Most Influential Lawyers in America" by The National Law Journal. Strong in both litigation and corporate Hale and Dorr is best known for its prominent litigation department, the largest such department of any firm in New England, with nationally recognized intellectual property, securities, and labor groups as well as a rapidly developing international practice. The firm's emerging corporate practice has also gained renown and has been active in major M&A transactions in recent years. In late 1998, the firm represented software outfit The Learning Company in its $3.8 billion purchase by Barbie-maker Mattel. In 1999 longtime client Kenan Systems tapped Hale and Dorr to represent the software developer in its $1.5 billion acquisition by Lucent Technologies. Later that year, a team led by David A. Westerberg advised Prodigy Communications Corp. in its $900 million dollar merger with SBC Communications Inc. May 2000 brought about another high-profile deal for Hale and Dorr when the firm represented ArrowPoint Communications, Inc. in its $5.7 billion acquisition by Cisco Systems, Inc. Partner Pat Rondeau oversaw the deal and was assisted by associates Janet Rebish, Lisa Bonner, and Michael Donahue. A-OK in IPOs Hale and Dorr has built up a wealth of experience and a strong reputation for work on initial public offerings. In fact, the firm handled more IPOs in the 1990s than any other firm in New England. Moreover, Hale and Dorr worked on 46 different IPOs in 1999, including offerings for once-stars ZDNet, Prodigy, and iVillage. Through its joint venture with Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison in London, the firm represented Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank as underwriters' counsel in the $6 billion Infineon Technologies AG IPO, the largest technology IPO in history. Hale has also handled public offerings for non-tech companies, including Millennium Pharmaceuticals, West Coast Entertainment, and Boston Communications Group.
Strong personalities wanted If you love the law, Hale and Dorr may be for you. The firm "wants people who are interested in, and excited about, working here and being lawyers," say insiders. "People are pretty independent at Hale and Dorr so the desire for unique characters seems sincere," reports one insider. Says one litigator: "You need more than good grades to get hired at Hale and Dorr. You need a strong, engaging personality or you won't survive." However, as another associate reports, the firm's "highly selective history has been tempered somewhat by recent demand for associates." A mid-level agrees: "It seems that the booming economy of recent years and the flight of people to supposedly greener pastures in the dot com world has put pressure on recruiters not only to keep pace with the firm's expanding workload but also to replace the people accepting jobs in-house," he says. While the firm contends that its standards are as high as ever, that associate claims that Hale and Dorr is now "hiring people with credentials that it probably would have considered too lowly just a few years back." On the other hand, Hale and Dorr has a fairly traditional interview process. The "firm sends its people on campus for a half-hour or 20-minute screening session." This is followed up with "three or four half-hour interviews" in the office. Candidates interviewed in the morning are taken out afterwards. While "you will probably interview primarily with partners," candidates go out to lunch with associates. And of course, the firm places a premium on grades and academic achievement. "You need to be from a top 10 school, in the top 10 percent from second-tier school, or clerk at a federal district court, although these standards may not be as rigorous for laterals," says one associate. Increased lateral hiring As at other firms, Hale and Dorr associates report increased and less selective lateral hiring recently. "For laterals, it is easier for people with expertise" in IP, ERISA, or mutual funds "than for general litigation or corporate associates," reports one who tranferred into the firm. "I am in corporate, but in a specialty field, so I probably had an easier time getting in." Says another insider: "The firm seems to be less selective with respect to laterals than first-years." Some of these specifically hired laterals get a good deal, insiders report. "The partners do not hesitate to hire laterals to fill specific needs and provide those persons with assurances of elevation to partnership," explains one mid-level associate.
Underneath the dour Bostonian shell, an entrepreneurial firm Hale and Dorr is "very entrepreneurial, although couched in a classic Boston style - a little reserved and dour sometimes in that craggy New England way," states an associate. Another insider elaborates, "People work hard but are tolerant of personal commitments. The members of this firm tend to be outspoken and enthusiastic. Senior partners leave their doors open and encourage contact from associates." One insider declares that "corporate casual permeates the firm, from dress code to lack of rigid social hierarchy to accessibility of senior partners to associates." Other sources reveal that "this is not the type of place that encourages a lot of hand-holding, although questions and cooperative work are encouraged." But the New Economy may be forcing some cultural shifts. An attorney warns, "The stresses and pressures of the business are such that Hale, like other big firms, is more and more focusing on the bottom line. The old emphasis on culture and the old stress on the importance of home-grown talent is basically over. This year only one of the corporate department associates up for junior partner summered here and started with Hale as a first-year. As a result, the closeness and camaraderie that you feel existed among partners no longer does." A corporate associate agrees, "The firm doesn't deserve its reputation as a stiff, white shoe firm, but it is not very social or gregarious." Loved associates Partners at Hale and Dorr treat their associates well, according to our survey. "The partners I work with take every opportunity to provide feedback and involve me in all aspects of a case," declares a well-treated attorney. "I have only had good experiences." Another associates raves that the Hale partners "are excellent lawyers and mentors. They are generally considerate of personal obligations." While, as one attorney notes, "partners have all basically treated me like a peer," there are some complaints, mostly relating to availability. "Within the past 12 months, partners have become busier and less available," an ignored insider indicates. "Therefore, there is not much treatment by partners one way or the other. When one does interact with partners, they do treat us well generally." However, another insider ventures that "associates who display effort and enthusiasm are rewarded with the respect of the partners." Compared to most law firms, that's a relative love-in. Keep up the pace! "The pace varies from absolutely exhausting to pretty liveable," says an insider of the hours she works. "Everything comes in waves." Another attorney notes an early bird tendency among Hale associates. "In general, attorneys, paralegals and support staff alike tend to come in earlier (from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m.) and leave earlier (from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.)." A mid-level associate reports that "the workload has been extremely busy for the last 12 months. Even worse, the hours have been less fun than they used to be." "There are definite highs and lows in the amount of hours I work per week," one hard-working source admits, "but as a whole, I have not been a slave to this firm, thank God." However, some attorneys have noticed "increased pressure to bill" due to "recent salary increases." A corporate associate elaborates, "While on a large matter, I definitely sense an expectation to focus first on the work. At other times, I feel that I can manage my schedule to accommodate my social and family lives." The long and the short of Hale "Many associates desire more interaction and teamwork and do not want to work in isolation," critiques an insider. "This sense of isolation, not the lure of stock options at dot coms, is the primary reason a large number of lawyers are leaving the firm." Others declare, though, that Hale's work environment is "supportive and dynamic. As with complex litigation at any large firm, the work can be mundane on a day-to-day basis. However, there are many mentors looking out for each attorney's professional development and a benchmark program to ensure young associates develop certain skills." Another attorney agrees, "This is a fantastic place to be a young associate. The training and mentoring are strong, the work is challenging and interesting, and the lawyers are a great group. As at any large firm, the hours are long but if you choose to work in a large firm this is a great place to be." One associate summarizes, "If you're seeking a big-firm practice, and are willing to make all the tradeoffs that such a choice implies, it's hard to do better than Hale and Dorr."
Evelyn M. Scoville Director of Legal Personnel (617) 526-6590
Goodwin, Procter & Hoar;Ropes & Gray;Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault More Company Profiles For more career information, go to Vault.com ©2000, Vault.com Inc
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