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In July 1998, California's Thelen, Marrin, Johnson & Bridges and New York-based Reid & Priest officially merged, thereby completing, according to the firm, "the largest bicoastal law firm merger in history." Which coast would the new firm, Thelen Reid & Priest LLP, call home? Neither, said firm Chairman Richard Gary. In comments to The Recorder, Gary insisted that "assigning a firm by city doesn't work anymore," quipping: "Partners don't sit down with their coffee, scratch their head and say, 'I wonder where headquarters is?'" Whatever its locus of power, the 400-lawyer firm offers five offices and expertise in twenty areas. History: 2 big firms = 1 bigger firm In 1935 Reid & Priest was formed when in-house counsel from Electric Bond and Share Company (Ebasco) formed a firm in New York City to serve public utility clients. Early on their practice focused on restructuring large utilities to comply with laws as well as financing and reporting requirements stemming from those laws. The firm opened a Washington, DC office in 1948 to better serve their clients' need for increasing levels of government affairs representation. In 1924 Thelen, Marrin, Johnson & Bridges formed in San Francisco to serve a wide range of construction projects in the growing west, including the Boulder Dam Project, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the San Francisco-Oakland Bridge. In modern times, their practice dealt with massive energy and mass transit projects. The two firms merged in 1998 to form a large, full service law practice for an international clientele. Thelen Reid & Priest is one of a growing number of firms declining to name a specific headquarters and instead has two major offices, one on each coast. Powering the utilities Thelen Reid & Priest is nothing short of an energy powerhouse. The firm's energy and utility practice group is 60-70 attorneys strong and represents over 100 energy utility clients on a wide range of business matters. In addition to representing large utilities, the firm also represents a variety of independent power project developers and has expertise in a host of energy-related transactions, including divestiture auctions, utility restructuring, regulatory services, privatization, and energy trading and marketing. In the late 1990s Thelen Reid represented companies that purchased six local PG&E plants with a total value of $1.5 billion. Want to build something really, really big? Thelen Reid can help In addition to its top-notch energy practice, Thelen Reid might have the preeminent construction practice in the field. Whether you want to build a skyscraper or a bridge, Thelen Reid is there to help from project initiation to dispute resolution. The firm has 50 attorneys specializing in construction alone. To aid its construction law practice, the firm has utilized its technological savvy to develop a "construction portal," www.constructionweblinks.com, providing links to a variety of sites and information of interest to anyone involved in the construction industry. It's a working world Thelen Reid boasts one of the largest full service labor and employment practices in the country, representing clients in wrongful discharge, whistle-blowing, discrimination, compensation, and labor organization disputes. Thelen also counsels employers on fighting unionization, collective bargaining, and compensation, among many other matters. Thelen brags of its "vigorous defense" methods, and have showcased them in representing MicroStrategy Inc. in a gender discrimination dispute. Betty Lauricia, a top human resources executive at MicroStrategy, filed a complaint in March 2000 with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging that MicroStrategy compensated her at a disproportionate level and passed her over for a promotion for which she was qualified. In response, Thelen partner David Shaffer filed a trade secrets claim against Lauricia, alleging that she inappropriately disclosed priveleged information to her attorney. Shaffer's strategy failed, and Lauricia's case is still pending.
Skyrocketing qualifications Though some associates feel that the difficulty level in getting hired by Thelen Reid "seems average," most agree that "the caliber and qualifications of fresh grads has skyrocketed" lately. The firm is reportedly "getting more selective each year." A finance associate informs Vault.com that "for the summer class of 2000, several 2Ls with high grades from top law schools did not receive offers." The firm conducts on-campus recruiting programs at most major law schools and at regional schools for each local office. One associate observes that the firm has "some fondness for [hiring from] local schools." Thelen Reid also encourages law students to write in for a possible interview, preferably via the Internet. Laterals can expect a slightly more easy process, but there are still some demands. According to a contact in the San Francisco office, a lateral's chances are good, but their "credentials still need to be strong."
"It's a great place to be an attorney" Thelen Reid associates say the firm offers a high level of job satisfaction -- depending on your priorities. One New York associate advises law students considering Thelen Reid to "figure out what is important to you. It's not Cravath, but it's still a good place to work and you won't have to sacrifice your weekends and holidays." Other associates share this enthusiasm for working at Thelen Reid but are far more optimistic about the firm's future. A New York associate tells Vault.com that the "firm is still growing" and associates should "get in now." Another raves that "this is a great place to work, and seems to be growing every day." One reason Thelen's associates are so content is that the firm grants them a rare level of autonomy. Insiders report that the firm' compensation structure gives associates the flexibility to choose whether to burn the midnight oil and make the big bucks or to get home in time to watch prime time TV. In other words, as a Thelen associate, "you have some control over your own destiny." Compensation: a big question mark According to insiders, Thelen's "pay and bonus programs are very good and allow those people who want to make more money the ability to do so if they are willing to put in the time." Thelen Reid has kept pace with recent salary raises, paying "the average salary for associates at comparable firms." But some associates grumble about the firm's compensation -- especially with regard to the "bonus schedule [which] is not clear. The firm management even admits this but has not done anything to correct it." Better hours than other firms in the market As with any firm in the booming New York and San Francisco legal market, Thelen Reid associates are busy, busy, busy but claim that their lives are a notch or two better than that of their friends. "For the New York market, it is certainly livable," Big Apple associates claim. A tax associate in New York explains that even an ambitious attorney can work reasonable hours (for the industry at least): "I am basically on target to bill 2100. I rarely work weekends, and leave around six on Fridays. Mondays through Thursdays I'll work until anywhere from 7 to 11. Our bonuses in some respect are tied to billable hours so I try to work a decent week." Great views on both coasts The biggest downside for Thelen Reid's two main offices is that the views are too good -- with associates daydreaming as they stare out at the scenery. "Love the view!" raves a San Francisco associate. "The views from most offices ? are INCREDIBLE" gushes a New York practitioner. Praise for the San Francisco office does not end there -- attorneys on the whole love their "excellent new office space." Says one young litigator, "We just moved to a brand new building in SOMA -- right near the new ballpark, and near all the high-tech startups. It's a fancy new building, with chic decor, and in the hippest neighborhood." Attorneys in New York, unfortunately, are not so lucky. It seems that Thelen Reid plans to move to a new space in 2001 and "is not actively investing in the offices." Though the current space is "winning no design awards," associates seem content with the New York digs, which associates describe as "comfortable" and "nice," in spite of complaints about the "slow elevators." If Thelen Reid's new New York office is anything like that of San Francisco, expect smiles all around in a year or two. The best support services in the west - but beasts in the east Support services are universally lauded at the San Francisco offices -- and are panned with similar fervor in New York. San Francisco associates all gave high marks for the level of support offered to them. "Very good support staff and paralegals" reports one, succinctly. Another offers equal praise for human resources support -- but offers caveats in regards to information technology. "Secretarial and word processing support is quite good. The technology support, however, needs improvement. In particular, the firm needs laptops. Most attorney computers have no CD-ROM, sound or multimedia capability." Reports from the New York offices differ greatly. "Secretarial support is abysmal for associates" grumbles one mid-level New York litigator. Two senior associates complain that "after 5:30 there's basically no secretarial support." Others say, "Too much attention is paid to cost control and not enough to service." Another attorney adds to the already tall pile of criticism, commenting that "some of the secretaries have been here since the Great Flood," yet found reason to be optimistic, reporting that "word is they're gonna start cracking down on the slackers." "Pro what?" Many associates seem confused by their firm's pro bono policy. Some associates believe that pro bono hours count "100 percent toward billing requirements with no limit on the number of hours." But a few others gave remarkably different responses. One New York associate tells Vault.com that "pro bono work is supposed to be done over and above your normal working hours." Another remarks that associates "get half credit toward billable hours" for all associate initiated pro bono activities. Part of the confusion might be remnants from before the 1998 merger, as associates in San Francisco give very high marks to their firm's pro bono commitment, but New York associates make no such claims. In San Francisco, the associates feel that the firm is "receptive to associate-initiated pro bono activities." Lawyers on the left coast also claim the firm has "a couple of partners with a strong commitment to pro bono work;" and an overall a "great pro bono program." New Yorkers grumble about "a rigid policy that was just put in place that's not too welcoming if an associate has a particular area they'd like to pursue or investigate." So about that merger? Associates are clearly conscious of the differences between their two offices, causing one to go so far as to claim there is an "us vs. them mentality between East Coast and West Coast offices." Associates are also troubled that two years after the merger, "there's still no definitive policy manual, which is confusing and frustrating." For the most part, San Francisco associates refer to Thelen Reid as a "San Francisco firm" while associates in New York refer to it as a "big New York firm." Whichever is correct Thelen Reid is a firm in transition, so keep your eyes peeled. More Company Profiles For more career information, go to Vault.com ©2000, Vault.com Inc
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