Carter Ledyard & Milburn LLP

Our Survey Says

VAULT'S VERDICT:

Carter Ledyard & Milburn prioritizes hires who fit its friendly, open, and autonomous culture. Associates say the firm is flexible, with freedom to work from home and little pressure to work evenings or weekends. The firm is social, holding regular associate events in addition to large summer and holiday celebrations. Its lawyers eat lunch together, and some plan activities in their free time. Associates say partners show appreciation for their work, listen to their input, respect their time off, and are active in promoting wellness. The partnership also takes, and responds, to associate feedback and provides annual updates on the firm’s finances in a townhall meeting. Associates can dedicate themselves to both transactional and litigation work, and strong support staff enable them to focus on substantive legal work. Associates manage their own workloads. The firm sends an email of available assignments each week, and associates can volunteer for the ones they want depending on their bandwidth. The firm also has no billable hour requirement, and it incentivizes billable hours through its bonus structure. Associates earn a $5,000 bonus every month they work at least 200 hours, and annual bonuses begin at 1,800 hours and can go up on a discretionary basis. This includes a limited number of pro bono hours. The compensation is lower than the largest firms out there, but associates say it is competitive given the firm’s size and work-life balance. Earning a promotion to equity partner or counsel is realistic and depends on a holistic view of an attorney’s performance.