Q&A: Life Inside the Firm
1. What are the hallmarks of the firm’s culture, and how does the firm embody those?
We have the great fortune of representing health care providers throughout the nation to assist them in delivering better care and remaining financially stable. By doing so, we also support the well-being of countless other individuals, including the patients served by our clients as well as the caregivers they employ.
At Hooper, Lundy & Bookman, we don’t practice health care law as individuals but as a team. We are not a team because we work together. We are a team because we trust, respect, and care for each other. This includes all of us, attorneys, government relations professionals and administrative staff.
For many of us, this is a calling. And that calling is reciprocated with the trust that our clients place in us for our expertise and skill to solve their problems. HLB is proud of our firm’s reputation within the health care industry and what it says about us.
2. What skills and qualities does the firm seek when recruiting new associates?
HLB seeks the best and brightest who not only excel academically, but possess a passion for health care law and policy. When we hire an associate, we are of the mindset that they will advance throughout their time with the firm and ultimately reach partner and shareholder status.
For new law school graduates, we seek candidates who demonstrate excellent academic achievement and real world legal skills, an ability to contribute immediately to the firm’s representation of its clients, and interest in health law. The firm seeks candidates that are at least in the top 25% of their law school class, with a particular focus on diverse candidates.
3. What programs and initiatives set the firm apart when it comes to associate career development and professional growth?
Our lawyers have decades of health care experience and share their knowledge through both formal and informal mentoring and training. Summer and junior associates work directly with our most senior practitioners, who are thought leaders in their areas of expertise. Our size allows associates to be involved in deep-dive discussions pertaining to legal and health industry issues and client work early on. Because we are the largest law firm in the country dedicated solely to the representation of health care providers and suppliers, our young lawyers are mentored and integrated into cases much sooner than other large firms.
HLB has in place:
- A formal mentorship program.
- Business development training through an individual coaching program and a firmwide business development program.
- Professional events that cultivate ties with our clients and provide business development opportunities.
- Opportunities for associates to present at client webinars, events, and at practice group meetings.
“I really appreciate the firm’s commitment to business development and the one-on-one coaching opportunity. It wasn’t something I knew about when I accepted the job but was thrilled to learn about after I started. I’m benefitting a lot from being in this year’s coaching class. I also appreciate how many opportunities there are for associates to speak, present, and write on a host of topics. The firm doesn’t just rely on the super experienced partners to do all the presentations but rather they work with the associates to help bring them along and build their reputation.” – HLB Senior Associate
4. In what ways does the firm give back to the community, and how important is pro bono work to the firm’s practice?
HLB takes great pride in providing pro bono legal services to the community that might not otherwise be available. Our dedicated team of attorneys focus on health care, which is multifaceted and ever-changing. There are many opportunities to assist with, for example, inequities in the health care system or legal strategies to improve health care options. We have worked with a variety of agencies, such as the National Health Law Program, the Public Law Center, and the Alliance for Children’s Rights. Some of our projects have included mental health concerns, conservatorships, senior citizen assistance, adoptions, formation of nonprofits, and multi-state analysis of health care coverage issues.
5. How does the firm foster diversity, equity, and inclusion in its hiring and within the firm?
HLB embraces the value and importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Through collaboration between our Recruiting and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committees, we are dedicated to recruiting, retaining, developing, and promoting lawyers from a wide range of backgrounds. Our recruiting process includes systematic outreach to diverse bar associations and law school diversity resume collections, where available. HLB adopted and implemented both the Rooney and Mansfield Rules to promote diversity in summer and lateral recruiting.
Since 2016, the firm has been guided by a strategic plan developed through the DEI Committee that identifies the following goals:
- Embrace an integrated strategy of active promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
- Increase efforts to recruit candidates from underrepresented groups.
- Enhance retention, development, and promotion of diverse legal talent.
- Position the firm as a leader in diversity within the community and among the clients we serve.
The firm has dedicated resources toward achieving these goals, which it views as an investment in its people and future. After noticeable successes following the Committee’s initial strategic plan, in January 2020, we undertook a firmwide survey, engaging all employees for their input, to start the process of updating the DEI Strategic Plan to guide the firm in 2021 and beyond. As part of this process, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, with broad participation of attorneys ranging from junior associates to senior partners, established several focus areas and task forces to identify real-world solutions and proactive steps to advance the firm’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in the coming years.