Work Assignments

Each associate has the opportunity to work on a wide range of assignments in order to develop a broad base of knowledge, as well as specific expertise. Staffing coordinators in each office and department, as well as our dedicated Associate Development staff, work closely with each individual to find the right mix of work – a variety of projects, legal issues and clients – to ensure that this goal is met.

NY Corporate and Overseas Rotations

Each associate in New York who elects to join the Corporate Department has the opportunity to either assign immediately to a practice group upon arrival or to complete two six-month rotations through different practice groups.

We staff our overseas offices (São Paulo, London, Paris, Madrid, Tokyo, Beijing and Hong Kong) with corporate and tax lawyers who are either on assignment from our New York or Menlo Park offices or are stationed there on a more permanent basis.  For those lawyers on an overseas rotation, assignments are generally for two to three years, usually after the associate has spent some time in New York. These assignments are based on an associate's expressed interest and language abilities and on the firm's needs.

Approximately 119 lawyers in the Corporate and Tax Departments, including 96 associates, are on assignment abroad.

The lawyers in our overseas offices practice solely U.S. law, with the exception of Paris, where we have lawyers who are certified in both French and U.S. law, and in Hong Kong, where we have lawyers who are certified in Hong Kong, U.K. and U.S. law.

Menlo Park and Washington DC

Our Menlo Park and Washington DC associates are typically assigned to these offices on a permanent basis, although some from Menlo Park will rotate overseas on occasion. The mix of assignments in these offices ranges from the full spectrum of corporate, IP and litigation matters – primarily for leading Silicon Valley companies – in Menlo Park, to complex financial regulatory matters and government investigations in Washington.

Litigation Department Assignments

Associates assigned to our Litigation Department practice in our New York, Menlo Park and Washington DC offices. Associates in the group are exposed to a range of trials, government investigations and enforcement actions, commercial disputes and other complex, high-stakes assignments.