Executive Q&A from Paul Hastings LLP

FIRM STATISTICS

Firm Name: Paul Hastings LLP

Total number of attorneys:  818
Number of summer associates (2012): 72
Minimum billable hour requirement: No Requirement

How is the firm management organized?

Chair of the firm - Seth M. Zachary
Managing Partner - Greg M. Nitzkowski

Global Chairs of our Departments:
Corporate – Elizabeth Noe
Employment Law - Nancy Abell
Litigation – William Sullivan
Real Estate - Philip Feder
Tax - Douglas Schaaf

Chairs of our 19 Offices:
Atlanta - Philip Marzetti
Beijing - David Livdahl
Brussels – Dominique Borde 
Chicago – Gregory Spitzer
Frankfurt – Dr. Christopher Wolff
Hong Kong - Neil Torpey
Houston – Greg Nelson
London – Ronan O’Sullivan
Los Angeles - Elena Baca
Milan - Bruno Cova and Alberto Del Din
New York - Barry Brooks
Orange County - John Simonis
Palo Alto - Thomas Wisialowski
Paris – Olivier Deren
San Diego - Carl Sanchez
San Francisco - Kirby Wilcox
Shanghai – David Wang
Tokyo – Toshi Arai
Washington D.C. - Barbara Brown

Global Chairs of our Committees:
Chair of Policy Committee - Seth Zachary
Chair of Diversity Committee - Donna Melby
Chair of Professional Development - Don Morrow
Co-Chairs of Pro Bono & Community Affairs – Jamie Broder and Tollie Besson
Chair of Recruiting - Leigh Ryan
Co-Chairs of Attorney Development – Erika Collins and Alexander Lee
Co-Chairs of Environmental Sustainability – Charles Patrizia and David Freeman

To learn more about our firm and the way we work, visit the About Us page on our website.

What are some of the most interesting new developments at the firm?

Paul Hastings continues to grow strategically along with our clients and the markets we serve, ensuring our ability to provide innovative services where and when our clients need us. In 2012, we opened the firm’s newest office in Houston, Texas. Our presence in one of the world’s leading energy capitals recognizes the growing importance of the energy industry in today's global economy and advances our goal of building a leading energy practice. In addition, we are currently preparing to open an office in Seoul, Korea in fall 2012 to further support our Korean clients and build upon our leading practice in Asia. We also continue to expand our capabilities through the strategic addition of highly experienced lateral partners. We recently welcomed a leading team of global capital markets and finance lawyers with deep experience in Latin America to the firm, greatly strengthening our capabilities in this fast-growing region and further extending the reach of our global network. In Houston, we added three leading energy-focused transactional partners, complementing our firm's global energy capabilities and strengthening our ability to serve clients in this critical market. We have also continued the expansion of our Antitrust and Competition practice, adding our fourth lateral partner in the past year to best serve our clients’ needs in today’s increasingly complex antitrust environment.

For the latest news regarding Paul Hastings, visit the News page on our website.  

Please briefly discuss your firm's pro bono initiatives:

From the beginning, Paul Hastings has contributed to the communities in which we live and work through pro bono service, volunteerism, and charitable giving. This commitment is reflected by our firm’s number two ranking in The American Lawyer's Pro Bono Report 2011.

All Paul Hastings attorneys are encouraged to handle pro bono cases and matters and receive full billable hours credit for doing so.  In 2011, more than 98 percent of the firm’s U.S. lawyers performed 20 or more hours of pro bono work, and the firm provided more than 100,000 hours of free legal service to those in need.  Paul Hastings collaborated with Bet Tzedek Legal Services and the Holocaust Survivors Justice Network, Kids In Need of Defense (KIND), Public Counsel, the ACLU of Southern California, Sanctuary for Families, and many other pro bono organizations around the world.  Through these partnerships, our attorneys successfully represented children and families, veterans, immigrants and others and, as a result, made a positive difference in their lives.

The firm's charitable contributions reflect our culture of giving back to our communities by funding programs affecting a wide range of social causes including education, healthcare, children and family services, the environment, arts and culture, and pro bono services.

To learn more about our pro bono policies, initiatives and the organizations we support, visit the Community page on our website.

Do pro bono hours count toward billing requirement or associate bonuses?

Yes.

ON THE JOB

Please describe training for new associates:

Our commitment to developing the expertise of our talent begins the day you join the firm and continues throughout your career.  First-year associates are immediately welcomed into the firm by participating in PH DNA (Paul Hastings Developing New Associates).  PH DNA shares the firm’s vision and strategic direction, outlines department specific goals and structure, increases associate skills and abilities in delivering excellent legal services, and establishes professional relationships across offices and departments.

Global year-long Practice Academies offer in-depth learning on core legal concepts in various practice specialties.  Each year the firm’s Attorney Development team works with practice group leaders to provide over 200 Continuing Legal Education (CLE) and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) accredited training programs on a wide variety of basic and complex legal topics. 

On-demand eLearning opportunities are available to all associates through our Attorney Development Website.  The firm’s privileged membership with Practicing Law Institute (PLI) offers free, live and on-demand learning opportunities to all lawyers.  Pro bono and secondment assignments are strongly encouraged for the development of associate knowledge and skills.

The firm supplements ongoing learning opportunities with targeted workshops and programs, addressing topics of interest including business development, practice skills, and career development planning.  Among these programs is the annual Mid-level Associate Career Development Symposium forall fourth year associates.  The Symposium communicates firm and department business strategies and links those strategies to associate development and advancement, increases the understanding of the partnership and alternative career options, and provides career development strategies to meet individual career goals. 

Serving as the foundation for all professional and career development offerings is the firm’s Superior Performance & Coaching program, which informs all aspects of professional development at Paul Hastings by defining the behaviors critical to success.  The program offers associates guidance and tools to help plan a personal career roadmap, demonstrate superior performance, and deliver excellent client service.  Coaching is a vital component of this program and is available to the associates through local and global initiatives, as well as through the firm’s dedicated career coach.

To learn more about our Attorney Development program, visit the professional development page of our website.

How are associates assigned to departments?

Associates are assigned to departments based on their expressed interest and the business needs of each department.

Please describe the firm's compensation package by year, including bonus:

The salary and benefits structure reflects the firm's long-standing commitment to providing a highly competitive and comprehensive package for its associates. Entry-level attorneys are compensated at a level commensurate with the local market. 

In addition to salary, each entry-level associate receives a benefits package including a bar study benefit as well as moving and relocation expenses.  Associates who are in good standing and meet their hours threshold are eligible for an annual merit-based bonus.  Bonus awards are always at the top of the market, consistent with our competitive set, and are determined annually. 

In recognition of a judicial clerk's experience, Paul Hastings provides a competitive bonus for a judicial clerkship and offers one year of compensation and class year credit to judicial clerks in the federal courts and the highest court of each state who join Paul Hastings immediately upon completion of their clerkship.

What perks and benefits do attorneys at your firm receive?

Associates are compensated at a level commensurate with their experience and on a scale with other major law firms within their geographic regions.

The following benefits are available to each Associate:

• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• 529 College Savings Plan
• Back-up Adult, Child, and Elder Care Subsidy
• Bar Association Fees
• Business Casual Dress Code
• CLE
• Credit Union Membership
• Dental Insurance
• Dependent Care Assistance Program
• Domestic Partner Benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Family/Dependent Care Leave
• Flexible Spending Account
• Health Advocate Support
• Health Club Membership
• Life/AD&D Insurance
• Long-term Care Insurance
• Long-term Disability Insurance
• Medical Insurance
• Mortgage Assistance, Financial Education, and Personal Banking Benefits
• Parental Leave
• Parking/Transportation
• Pet, Home, Auto, Legal Coverages
• Relocation Expenses
• Retail Stores and Regional Entertainment Discounts
• Short-term Disability Insurance
• Sick Leave
• Technology (laptop, PDA, etc.)
• Vacation Leave
• Vision Insurance

The benefits described apply to US offices. Please contact the Attorney Recruiting and Development staff in one of our offices for more detailed information.

Does the firm offer maternity/paternity leave?

Yes, 18 weeks of paid parental leave.

DIVERSITY RECRUITMENT

Please describe your firm's diversity recruitment and retention programs.

We partner regularly with law schools, colleges and universities, student organizations, job fairs, minority bar associations, and diversity organizations to achieve our diversity recruiting goals. In the past year, the firm participated in and/or sponsored the following diversity programs and organizations to recruit, retain, and support diverse attorneys:

• Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area Annual Dinner
• Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund Lunar Gala
• Asian Law Caucus Anniversary Dinner
• Asian Pacific American Bar Association DC Awards and Installation Dinner
• Asian Pacific American Law Students Association Mid-Atlantic Conference
• Berkeley La Raza Law Students Annual Dinner
• California Minority Counsel Program Annual Conference
• Catalyst Annual Conference & Awards Dinner
• University of Chicago BLSA
• Corporate Counsel Women of Color Career Strategies Conference 
• Duke University Women in the Law Conference
• Emory University Legal Association for Women Students, Panel
• George Washington University BLSA Networking Reception
• George Washington University Alumni-Affinity Network Mixer
• George Washington Lambda Law Networking Reception
• Georgia State University Hispanic Student Bar Association, Panel
• Harvard Women's Law Association
• Human Rights Campaign: Atlanta Dinner, Chicago Dinner, Los Angeles Dinner, New York Dinner, San Francisco Gala, National Dinner  (presenting sponsor)
• Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies Gender Parity Conference
• LAALRA (Los Angeles Area Legal Recruitment Association) Annual Diversity Networking Event
• Lambda Legal: Liberty Awards Dinners, Spring Celebration
• Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD)
• Leadership Institute for Women of Color Attorney Conference
• Lesbian & Gay Lawyers Association Annual Awards Dinner
• LGBT Bar Association Lavender Law Fair
• Minority Corporate Counsel Association Diversity Honors Gala
• National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Annual Convention
• North American South Asian Bar Association Annual Convention
• Northwestern Women’s Leadership Coalition Symposium
• NYC Metro Area LGBT Legal Career Fair
• NYU BALSA Legal Professionalism Workshop
• NYU Law Women – Women in Private Practice Panel
• Out & Equal Workplace Advocates: Annual Dinner, Mix, Mingle & Give, Workplace Summit
• University of Pennsylvania APALSA Conference
• University of Pennsylvania - Penn Law Women’s Association
• PHAN Fair (Paul Hastings SF Affinity Network reception for Stanford, Berkeley, Davis and Hastings law students)
• Stanford Latino Law Students Association, Lunch Panel
• UCLA 7th Annual Law Firm Diversity Reception
• UCLA OUTLaw, Lunch Panel
• Williams Institute Winter Reception
• Women Corporate Directors: Global Institute, panels
• Women's Forum for the Economy & Society Global Meeting

To learn more about our diversity programs and initiatives, visit the Diversity page on our website.