Bingham McCutchen (www.bingham.com)
Basic Information
399 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10022
Organization Size: 1014
Office Size: 177
Hiring Attorney:
Mr. J. Goodwin Bland
Pro Bono/Public Interest
Recruiting Contact:
Ms. Jennifer Soberman
Legal Recruiting Manager
399 Park Avenue
New York, New York (NY) 10022
United States
Phone: 212.705.7289
jennifer.soberman@bingham.com
Rachel Strong
Pro Bono Counsel
202.373.6743
rachel.strong@bingham.com
Is the pro bono information indicated here firm-wide or
specific to one office?
Firm-wide
% Firm Billable Hours last year
3.17
Average Hours per Attorney last year
60
Percent of associates participating last year
80%
Percent of partners participating last year
49%
160,000
Percent of other lawyers participating last year
38%
2013 compensation for Post-3Ls ($/week)
3,100
Professional Development
2013 compensation for 2Ls ($/week)
3,100
2013 compensation for 1Ls($/week)
3,100
Compensation & Benefits
2013 compensation for entry-level lawyers ($/year)
Summer Compensation
Partnership & Advancement
Evaluations
Other
Does your organization use upward reviews to evaluate and
provide feedback to supervising lawyers?
No
No
Rotation for junior associates between departments/practice
groups?
Yes
Does the firm have two or more tiers of partner?
If no, how many years is the partnership track?
8-10
Is rotation mandatory?
No
Does your organization have a dedicated professional
development staff?
Yes
Does your organization have a coaching/mentoring program
Yes
Does your organization give billable hours credit for training
time?
Yes
Lawyer Demographics
Partner/Member Associates Counsel Staff Attorneys Other Attorneys Summer Associates
Men
Hispanic/Latino
White
Black/African American
53
49
7
3
1
5
Women 12
33
6
0
1
7
Total
65
82
13
3
2
12
Men
1
0
0
0
0
UNK
Women 0
1
0
0
0
UNK
Men
49
45
7
3
0
UNK
Women 11
24
5
0
0
UNK
Men
0
0
0
0
0
UNK
Women 0
2
0
0
0
UNK
0
0
0
0
0
UNK
Women 0
0
0
0
0
UNK
Men
3
2
0
0
1
UNK
Women 0
6
1
0
1
UNK
Men
0
0
0
0
0
UNK
Women 0
0
0
0
0
UNK
Men
0
2
0
0
0
UNK
Women 1
0
0
0
0
UNK
Men
NC
NC
NC
NC
NC
NC
Women NC
NC
NC
NC
NC
NC
Men
3
4
0
1
0
UNK
Women 0
1
0
0
0
UNK
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander Men
Asian
American Indian/Alaska Native
2 or more races
Disabled
Openly LGBT
For more details, visit www.nalpdirectory.com
NALP Copyright 2014
Bingham McCutchen (www.bingham.com)
General Practice Areas
GENERAL PRACTICE
AREAS
EMPLOYER'S PRACTICE GROUP NAME
NO. OF
NO. OF
PARTNERS/MEMBERS COUNSEL
Banking, Finance
Broker-Dealer/ Financial Restructuring/
Investment Management/ Japanese Practice/
Transactional Finance
21
34
Litigation
Antitrust and Trade Regulation/ Appellate/
Environmental, Land Use and Natural
Resources/ Intellectual Property/ Labor and
Employment/ Securities and Financial
Institutions Litigation
22
38
Business, Corporate
Corporate Practice/ Energy and Project Finance/ 22
Real Estate/ Structured Transactions/ Tax and
Employee Benefits
28
NO. OF
ASSOCIATES
NO. OF
NON-TRADITIONAL
TRACK/STAFF
ATTORNEYS
HIRING & RECRUITMENT
Began Work In
Expected
LAWYERS
2011
Prior Summer Associates
2012
Prior Summer Associates
2013
Laterals
11
0
9
0
17
Post-Clerkship
0
0
0
0
1
Entry-level
11
10
7
7
5
LL.M.s (U.S.)
0
0
0
0
0
LL.M.s (non-U.S.)
0
0
0
0
0
Post-3Ls
0
0
0
0
0
2Ls
10
10
1Ls
0
0
0
0
0
SUMMER
Number of 2012 Summer 2Ls
considered for associate offers
13
Number of offers made to
summer 2L associates
13
General Hiring Criteria
Strong academics; excellent writing and communication skills; integrity; initiative; high motivation; strong interpersonal
skills; diversity competence; common sense; and sense of humor. Journals, clinical programs, moot court activities, prior
work experience are a plus.
Diversity & Inclusion
RECRUITMENT METHODS
Diversity job fairs, Outreach to law student groups, Formal mentoring efforts, Recruit at schools with large minority populations, Bar-sponsored programs, Firm
diversity committee
As a leading law firm in a dynamic marketplace, Bingham knows the power of bringing together women and men of different races, religions, ethnicities and
sexual orientations. Our diversity program is a critical element of our culture, our business and our values. We have achieved and sustained recognition by
recruiting and promoting women and men from diverse backgrounds; their differences have made Bingham stronger, more energetic, dynamic and creative
than if we were all alike. In turn, our clients are better served, more diverse across industries and more loyal.
The innovative practices that have resulted in sustainable efforts to increase diversity at Bingham include the following:
LEADERSHIP ROLES DEDICATED TO ENHANCING DIVERSITY:
We recognize the importance of senior leadership commitment to and participation in the firm’s diversity efforts. Accordingly, at the direction of our chairman, we
established a Diversity Task Force in 2002, which evolved into a permanent firm committee, the Diversity Committee, in 2006. The Diversity Committee was
originally co-chaired by two practicing partners, but that structure was changed in the fall of 2011. Now, 12 practicing partners make up the Diversity Executive
Committee, which is comprised of three working groups: Recruiting, Attorney Development and Retention, and Leadership and Business Development. The
Diversity Executive Committee works with partner, associate and staff representatives as well as the leaders of various areas (such as recruiting, attorney
development and marketing) to implement our Diversity Action Plan.
RECRUITMENT:
Bingham understands that recruiting highly talented attorneys from diverse fields means attention must be devoted early on and throughout the law-school
cycle. Accordingly, in addition to making the recruitment of diverse candidates a specific and important focus in our recruiting efforts, we have also developed
relationships that are targeted to increasing the pipeline of diverse candidates in law schools and to contributing to their success. In addition, we’ve created a
Thurgood Marshall Fellowship, honoring the first African-American Justice to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court and a man who had a profound effect on the
civil rights movement of the 20th century. This fellowship is particularly meaningful to the firm because Justice Marshall’s son, Thurgood Marshall, Jr., is a
partner in our D.C. office, having joined us after his own distinguished career in public service. We expect to award two fellowships to the class of 2014, one in
Bingham’s D.C. office and the other in one of our Southern California offices. Recipients will receive a paid summer associate position and a $25,000
Bingham’s D.C. office and the other in one of our Southern California offices. Recipients will receive a paid summer associate position and a $25,000
fellowship.
We participate in the Boston Lawyers Group and the Lawyers Collaborative for Diversity, programs designed to encourage minority college students to attend law
school and for minority law students to explore private practice.
In addition, the firm:
• Hosts numerous outreach programs and events for students of color
• Participates in minority law student job fairs
• Provides scholarships for minority students
• Sponsors and hosts numerous minority law student association events
• Regularly partners with the leadership of minority law student associations
• Advertises in minority law student publications
• Has a diversity committee committed to creating unique outreach events for diverse constituencies, such as:
o Southern California 1L diversity panel and reception: an event designed to answer questions around how to differentiate oneself during a 20-minute
on-campus interview, and what to talk about during an interview lunch.
o Washington, DC - Spring Diversity Reception and Supreme Court Advocacy Panel - a program focused on learning more about Bingham’s appellate practice
group (including diverse career paths taken by many of the attorneys at the firm, and an overview of important issues currently pending before the Court.
To recruit additional minority lawyers, Bingham participates in various minority job fairs and in programs at numerous affinity bar associations in locations where
we have offices. We also seek referrals from other attorneys and use search firms owned by women and/or minorities to assist in identifying a more diverse
group of lawyers.
PUBLIC RECOGNITION:
Bingham is proud to be publicly recognized for our ongoing commitment to increasing diversity throughout our firm. We value our talent and are particularly
proud of our ‘Best Place to Work’ distinctions. Our most recent examples include:
• In 2011 Bingham was ranked as one of MultiCultural Law magazine’s 2011 “Top 100 Law Firms for Diversity.” The firm was also recognized on the “Top 50
Law Firms for Partners” and “Top 100 Law Firms for Women” lists.
• In 2011, Bingham scored 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index, the firm’s fourth-straight perfect score on the
annual ranking of companies based on their treatment of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees, consumers and investors.
• For eight years running (2005–2012) FORTUNE magazine has named us one of its 100 Best Companies to Work For. We are No. 30 on the current list.
Numerous local lists have recognized our positive work environments:
• A Best Place to Work in the Bay Area
• A Best Place to Work in Boston
• A Best Place to Work in Connecticut
• A Best Place to Work in D.C.
• A Best Place to Work in Los Angeles
• A Best Place to Work in New York
• A Best Place to Work in Orange County
Below are just a few examples of the diversity initiatives that have made us one of FORTUNE magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” for eight straight
years:
• Women’s Mentoring — Fostering mentor-mentee relationships is a key component of the Diversity Action Plan. One facet of the firm’s commitment to
mentoring is the establishment of the Women’s Mentoring Program. Many of our offices have held workshops, receptions, roundtables, presentations and social
events.
• Parents Groups — There are active Parents Groups running in many domestic offices. The groups are run by associate volunteers with support from our
Learning & Development Department.
• Part-time Support Group — The firm has implemented a pilot program to support and facilitate development of part-time attorneys and to provide them with
direct access to senior leadership.
• Affinity Group Retreats — Bingham has established a series of retreats for our lawyers of color and openly gay and lesbian lawyers. The last lawyers of color
retreat, which was held in November 2011, proved to be an excellent opportunity for lawyers to spend concentrated time together discussing key diversity issues
in workshops and coaching-oriented sessions. In October 2010, we held our third retreat for openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) lawyers,
which consisted of two days of presentations, discussions and social events for more than 20 lawyers and their significant others. Our fourth retreat for our
LGBT lawyers will take place in September 2012. A highlight of our 2011 Lawyers of Color retreat was the general counsel panel led by of counsel Flash Wiley,
which featured Michele Mayes, general counsel of Allstate Insurance; Stacey Mobley, former general counsel of DuPont; and Sol Watson, Bingham alumnus
and former general counsel of the New York Times. The panelists spoke about the importance of diversity when staffing matters and what steps they take to do
so at their respective companies. We are always looking to partner with our clients on diversity events.
• Employee Resource Groups — As our diversity initiatives expand, we seek to deepen our efforts and find strategic ways to reach our goals. After the 2010
LGBT retreat, we formed the Bingham Pride Network, a Bingham Resource Network (BRN) for our LGBT lawyers. This network of lawyers with common
interests is being leveraged to design creative recruitment avenues, increase retention and promote top diverse talent at the firm. We plan to use formal BRNs to
provide career development/professional development opportunities, support, networking opportunities, mentoring, unique community participation opportunities
and assistance in activities that promote cultural awareness. We have built upon the natural synergies that have already formed through our affinity groups, but
we are now formalizing the structure of these groups by providing each with an executive sponsor(s) who will be the direct channel to senior leadership. This
year, we recently launched a resource network for our lawyers of color.
• Celebrating Women — Our signature Celebrating Women series provides an opportunity for us to celebrate our female clients and friends at a variety of
high-end cultural events. Recent Celebrating Women evenings have included a wine pairing/ dinner with Chef Traci des Jardins, chef and co-owner of the
award-winning San Francisco restaurant Jardinière and a finalist on Bravo TV’s “Top Chef Masters”; a reception at the Folk Art Museum in New York City,
including tours of the exhibit “Women Only: Folk Art by Female Hands”; a reception at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles; a reception to celebrate
the opening of the Institute for Contemporary Art in Boston; viewings of the relics of the revolutionary female pharaoh Hatshepsut at the DeYoung Museum in
San Francisco and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York; an evening at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford; and a viewing of “Gauguin: Tahiti” at the
Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. In addition, our female partners have hosted a series of evenings involving theater and athletic events. Our next Celebrating
Women event will take place in Boston in fall 2012.
• Creation of the bi-monthly Diversity Newsletter, Varietas, to emphasize internal programming, and to allow for staff and attorney education and feedback.
Diversity Committee associate and staff representatives in each office add regional information to the bi-monthly communications.
• Diversity Roadshow - The Diversity Committee’s Executive Committee and director travel to all domestic offices at least once a year to update staff and
associates about firm’s diversity initiatives, highlighting goals of the Diversity Department and encouraging feedback.
Organization Narrative
Real work. Real people. Real clients with real challenges. That is what you will experience at Bingham, named one of Fortune Magazine’s “100 Best Companies
to Work For” each year since 2005. As this ranking shows, Bingham has a keen regard for our greatest asset: our people. We are a diverse group of 1,000
talented lawyers, working across a carefully balanced portfolio of practices in 14 offices in the United States, Europe, and Asia. As a result of our strategic,
planned growth, we are well-positioned to capitalize on all stages of the economic cycle.
Bingham is a great place to start your career. Our summer program ranked No. 6 nationally in the 2012 American Lawyer Summer Associate Survey and also
won local awards: No. 1 in Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles; No. 10 in Boston; No. 11 in San Francisco; and No. 13 in New York. The program shows you
what it will be like to practice here and to join our community, engaging in carefully selected work assignments, focused training programs, and social events
where you get to know our lawyers and staff. You’ll experience our proactive Learning and Development Department as well as our pro bono practice, diversity
initiatives, and community service and outreach efforts.
Our program runs in New York, Boston, Washington and in the SoCal (Orange County, Los Angeles, and Santa Monica) and NorCal (San Francisco and Silicon
Valley) regions. You will also have the opportunity to spend time in more than one office in your region during the summer program so that you can get a broader
perspective of our practices and work with more lawyers. We invite you to learn more about us at www.bingham.com.
NALP is committed to helping make the legal profession accessible to all individuals on a non-discriminatory basis. NALP is opposed to discrimination
based upon actual or perceived gender, age, race, color, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and
expression, genetic information, parental, marital, domestic partner, civil union, military, or veteran status.
For more details, visit www.nalpdirectory.com
NALP Copyright 2014