Sidley Austin LLP

Also Known As: Sidley, Sidley Austin, Sidley Austin LLP

Law Firms

VAULT RANKINGS 2013

#15 Vault Law 100

#2 Chicago

View all Rankings #6 Appellate Litigation

GENERAL INFO

Headquarters: Chicago, IL
18 offices
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THE BUZZ…

• "Chicago's finest"
• "Stuffy"
• "Good appellate lawyers"
• "Conservative"

NEWS AND UPDATES

Vault's Scoop

Uppers

• "The salary"
• "Collegiality, no social pressure"
• "Good, interesting, top-tier work"

Downers

• "Opaque management decisions"
• "The hours"
• "Secrecy of compensation and partnership track"

ABOUT THIS COMPANY:

THE SCOOP

Tracing its roots back to its formation in Chicago in 1866, with such historical clients as former first lady Mary Todd Lincoln, then the widow of President Abraham Lincoln, and the Western Union Telegraph Company, Sidley Austin LLP now has offices in key commercial, financial and regulatory centers of the world and experience representing a wide scale of clients, from Fortune 500 companies to startups, in myriad industries. The firm is known for its experience in life sciences, international capital markets and investment funds, as well as its litigation, regulatory and M&A prowess. While many firms boast the oft-touted buzzword of “global,” Sidley prides itself on having “seamlessly connected” lawyers on four continents. Sidley is also one of the few U.S. law firms to have maintained a continuous presence in Asia for three decades. Beyond its reserve of in-house talent and its legal coups, the firm is committed to maintaining a culture of collaboration and teamwork.

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From the Community

Sidley Austin REVIEWS

Inside opinions that matter, collected by Vault from employees at companies around the world.

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Sidley Austin SALARIES

Sidley Austin LLP salary & compensation reviews include all signing and year-end bonuses, vacation time and other perks and reimbursements that make up total compensation.

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Sidley Austin SURVEY SAYS

OUR SURVEY SAYS

Vault’s Verdict: Sidley demands BigLaw hours but also respects social lives outside work and family time. Associates get significant responsibility early on, and find the firm's leadership collegial and respectful, if not wholly transparent.

Associate Life

Satisfaction
• “As far as BigLaw firm life goes, I think it doesn't get much better than Sidley. Nice colleagues, typically interesting work, and livable work hours.”
• “I have had an incredible amount of responsibility from the beginning of my time as an associate. The work is consistently challenging and interesting.”
• “The people are respectful and friendly. Work is work, but the environment in which you have to do it makes all the difference in the world.”
• “I may find myself working on a constitutional case in the Supreme Court, a patent case in the Federal Circuit, and an environmental case in federal district court—all in one day.”

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DISCUSSIONS

New Topic: Technology team
In the last year there seems to have been a lot of turnover in top IT positions in Chicago and New York? Is this a reorganization? What is happ …

Company Initiatives

View from the Top: Legal Women Leaders, Law Firm Diversity Programs, View from the Top: Law Firm Leaders, Pro Bono Programs

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