Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt P.C.

Law Firms

VAULT RANKINGS 2013

#9 Pacific Northwest

GENERAL INFO

Headquarters: Portland, OR
6 offices
View all company stats

NEWS AND UPDATES

Vault's Scoop

Uppers

Open, collegial atmosphere
"Reduced Goals" part-time policy
" IP/tech/nanotechnology group
Rafting trips
Free or significantly reduced membership in health clubs

Downers

Under-market salary
Not a lot of formal training

ABOUT THIS COMPANY:

Recent attention

The second-biggest firm in Oregon (after Stoel Rives) Schwabe is consistently ranked in the top five corporate counsel firms in Portland by Corporate Board Member Magazine. Although a full-service firm, various departments at Schwabe have attracted recent attention. The firm's energy practice is one of the largest in the Pacific Northwest. In one of the biggest regional deals of 2003, partner Jay Waldron represented the investment firm Texas Pacific Group in its purchase of Portland General Electric, one of the few real assets of ailing Enron. The deal was consummated in the Schwabe boardrooms at the PacWest Center and announced at an agreed $2.35 billion dollars. No doubt some of that was paid to Schwabe.

The Northwest is known as a hotbed of high-tech, and Schwabe has recently founded a microtechnology (really small things) and nanotechnology (really really small things) practice group, headed by patent lawyer Al AuYeung and business lawyer Donald Krahmer. Intel and Hewlett-Packard are among Schwabe's clients.

From the Community

Are you currently working for Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt P.C. or have been an employee in the past?

Submit a review

SALARIES

Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt P.C. salary & compensation reviews include all signing and year-end bonuses, vacation time and other perks and reimbursements that make up total compensation.

View all Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt P.C. salary reports

SURVEY SAYS

Compensation

Schwabe [shwa-bee] associates feel that the compensation at the firm is under market, although non-base-salary compensation of a $7,500 to $10,000 bonus for hitting the required 1,800 billable hours and a 7.5 percent of salary contribution to a 401(k) must be considered. One associate points out that "when the 401(k) and a production bonus are factored in, the firm is competitive," but goes on to say that it's still "not in the top one-fifth of the Portland market." A midlevel puts a fine point on it: "The continued payment of under-market associate salaries hurts internal morale and has damaged our ability to attract and retain top-quality lawyers" although another associate notes that "I understand the firm is working on it." The firm has indeed made some adjustments to their salary scale for 2005 that are not reflected by our survey but are published above. Patent attorneys are on a different, higher scale.

DISCUSSIONS

View all discussions

Getting Hired

Tips from the inside

"Commitment to becoming an expert and staying awhile"

Associates at Schwabe don't think it's terribly difficult to get hired, although senior associates perceive it as more difficult than juniors. Special weight is put on "commitment to becoming an expert and staying a while" and the reviewers "closely evaluate writing samples." One midlevel quips that what the firm is really looking for is "someone willing to work for an under-market salary." The firm points out that "it is the firm's desire to extend offers of employment to all second-year summer associates exhibiting exceptional work performance" and "the Summer Associate Committee consists of attorneys who are also members of the Hiring Committee." Translation? Getting a summer position doesn't make a full-time offer a sure thing.
Become a Gold Member or Log in to read the entire Getting Hired

Save to My Vault