Our Survey Says
VAULT VERDICT
The associates at A&O Shearman describe the firm as international, collegial, and trustful. The firm prioritizes completing deliverables by the deadline rather than working a specific schedule, fosters friendly interactions among attorneys and staff at its free coffee bar, and helps everyone connect at regularly scheduled happy hours and other social events. Partners treat associates with respect and are known to work one-on-one with junior associates and put effort into associates’ career growth. Although the firm does not have a formal performance review process, partners provide frequent informal feedback and facilitate trainings for practice groups. The firm also provides a dedicated HR professional and career and executive coaches to support associate development. Associates appreciate the AI tools and firm training on their use. The firm mandates a requirement of 2,000 billable hours for associates to receive a bonus. The base salary and bonus are market. Associates must meet the hours requirement and complete at least 25 pro bono hours to be eligible for a bonus. The number of pro bono hours is capped at 75 hours, but more hours may be approved by the department. Earning a promotion to partner is possible, with regular trainings available on how to make partner. Senior associates can be promoted to counsel or explore exit opportunities at other law firms, in clerkships, in government, or in-house.
599 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10022
Phone: (212) 848-4000
U.S. Co-Chair: Adam Hakki (NY)
Managing Partners: Dave Lewis (NY), Doreen Lilienfeld (NY)
Hiring Partners: Caroline Lapidus (SF), John Nathanson (NY)
Total No. Attorneys (2025):
3.5K - 4K
No. of Partners Named 2025:
4
Billable-Hour Requirement:
2,000
1st year: $225,000
2nd year: $235,000
3rd year: $260,000
4th year: $310,000
5th year: $365,000
6th year: $390,000
7th year: $420,000
8th year: $435,000
Summer Associate: $225,000 annualized
Trevor Mathews
Director of Law Student Recruitment
(212) 848-5051
Law Student Recruitment-Specific Email:
us-lawstudentrecruitment@aoshearman.com
No. of U.S. Offices: 10
No. of International Offices: 37
London, UK (Global HQ)
New York, NY (US HQ)
Austin, TX
Boston, MA
Chicago, IL
Dallas, TX
Houston, TX
Los Angeles, CA
San Francisco, CA
Silicon Valley, CA
Washington, DC
Abu Dhabi
Amsterdam
Antwerp
Bangkok
Beijing
Belfast
Bratislava
Brussels, Budapest
Casablanca
Dubai
Dublin
Düsseldorf
Frankfurt
Hamburg
Hanoi
Ho Chin Minh City
Hong Kong
Istanbul
Jakarta
Luxembourg
Madrid
Milan
Munich
Paris
Perth
Prague
Riyadh
Rome
Sao Paulo
Seoul
Shanghai
Singapore
Sydney
Toyoko
Warsaw
Antitrust
Compensation, Employment, Pensions & Governance
Debt Finance
Digital, Data, IP&Technology (DDIT)
ENRI
Environmental & Sanctions
Financial Restructuring & Insolvency
Financial Services Regulatory
Funds & Asset Management
Global Financial Markets
International Arbitration
IP Litigation
Litigation & Investigations
Mergers & Acquisitions
Private Equity
Real Estate
Tax
US Capital Markets
*See firm website for complete list of practice areas and industries.