Discussion of Firms and Life in SF/SV

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Someone asked me to request that people post what they know -- including but not limited to salacious gossip and unsubstantiated rumours -- about Thelen Reid's San Francisco office. You may fire when ready, Gridley.

[Grandmaster Shake]

Originally posted by Tyrone_Slothrop
Someone asked me to request that people post what they know -- including but not limited to salacious gossip and unsubstantiated rumours -- about Thelen Reid's San Francisco office. You may fire when ready, Gridley.

Well, I don't have any great inside dirt (this is mainly a test post for a newbie), but one of Thelen's bread-and-butter practices is construction, which is rare for BIGLAW. They kicked my previous firm's asses in a construction contract dispute a few years back, though the opposing counsel was generally a congenial bunch. Of the five or so Thelenites I met, can't say any was particularly assholish.

[Anonymouse]

Originally posted by Tyrone_Slothrop
Someone asked me to request that people post what they know -- including but not limited to salacious gossip and unsubstantiated rumours -- about Thelen Reid's San Francisco office. You may fire when ready, Gridley.

I was on the other side of a case from Thelen once, and the senior partner on the case was an incredible assjack. I cannot imagine that he would be tolerable to work for. Humorless and tedious, and none too bright. The junior partner had a spark of humanity, but she wouldn't let it show near him. The associate seemed like a nice guy, but he also seemed like he was looking for a way out. Though I just checked, and he's still there.

[Atticus Grinch]

Originally posted by Anonymouse
I was on the other side of a case from Thelen once, and the senior partner on the case was an incredible assjack. I cannot imagine that he would be tolerable to work for. Humorless and tedious, and none too bright. The junior partner had a spark of humanity, but she wouldn't let it show near him. The associate seemed like a nice guy, but he also seemed like he was looking for a way out. Though I just checked, and he's still there.

Dude, you just described every law firm in the country.

Well, except Sidd's, where some of the above roles are reversed.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by Atticus Grinch
Dude, you just described every law firm in the country.

For the record, I have had some opposing counsel who were not jackasses. Or assjacks, as the case may be.

On Thelen, someone PM'd me the following:

• On a platform-wide scale, Thelen has integrated pretty well with its East Coast offices. In the IP field, they have some folks who practice in that area, though it's not the leading edge of what they do in the Bay Area. They seem to have capacity in the SF/SV offices.
  
  I know of no neuroses or pathologies held by the partners who run the place, though that certainly doesn't mean that they don't exist.

I dimly recall that Thelen brought in a trendy IP boutique with hip South of Market offices a few years, at the height of the craziness, and there was some questioning about whether those folks' practices would integrate well with the rest of the place. I'm not sure this worked out for the best, but then couldn't you say that about many of 1999's brightest stars?

[Sidd Finch]

Originally posted by Atticus Grinch
Dude, you just described every law firm in the country.

Well, except Sidd's, where some of the above roles are reversed.

Hey! Some of my best friends think I have a spark of humanity!


But never my opposing counsel.

[AngryMulletMan]

Originally posted by Tyrone_Slothrop
Someone asked me to request that people post what they know -- including but not limited to salacious gossip and unsubstantiated rumours -- about Thelen Reid's San Francisco office. You may fire when ready, Gridley.

I went to a seminar put on by some of the partners (pre-merger) entitled "California Construction Law" a few years back. My impressions (in the context of this one instance) were that the materials were excellent and that the guys giving the talk knew their stuff. I've been to a several of these construction law seminars since and have to say that the Thelen guys did a better job than their counterparts.

Don't have a clue about other practice areas or what these guys are like to work with but I still keep the seminar materials in my office and refer to them from time to time.

Quick question -- anyone know what various BigLaw policies are regarding associates who fail the CA bar exam (for the first time). Have heard varying rumors, from job termination, to a 2nd chance only, to 2nd chance with paid time off, to 2nd chance with paid time off and paid bar study, to some combination of those options. Any insight would be appreciated -- we have some folks here in that situation and want to see if they are getting more screwed here then they would be across the street.

[OscarCrease]

Someone at our firm didn't pass last year. That person did not lose their job, however, took unpaid leave to study the second time around. For the most part I understand people were pretty supportive although I suspect there will always be some at the end of the bell curve that never look at the person the same way again.

[AngryMulletMan]

Firm One: Biglaw, boom year. Nobody had failed in 3 years, firm had made a very big deal about this. Somebody failed year after me and they quietly gave that person paid time off to study and em passed second try. Word was that em went elsewhere shortly thereafter on em's own initiative for "unrelated reasons".

Firm Two: Biglaw, boom years. People failed all the time nobody cared. Heard that the paid time off thing was no longer an option for second try, though.

Firm Three: Mid-size, post boom. Two tries, second try was on your own dime. Every year somebody failed.

Current firm: Somebody failed once, got shown the door but think the failure was an excuse to terminate a nutcase. I'm talking real nutcase. Don't hire anybody but laterals any more.

[fufu]

Flinty, did you go to the opening?

[Spree: Naked monkey pictures.

URL=http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_843884.html?menu=news.weirdworld.animaltales][/URL]

[Atticus Grinch]

Firm One: Two people in this situation. One with impeccable academic credentials; multiple truly inexplicable failures. The way Firm One's hiring worked, recent grads weren't formally offered a job until after they passed the test anyway, so em appeared and reappeared in regular cycles doing summer-type work between test administration and result. Ultimately passed and swiftly got a much better job elsewhere. Em is still there. Other person also had a difficult time passing; less stellar academic credentials. Passing the bar for em was like getting to Day 2 in Groundhog Day. Made you wince every time the results came out. Finally passed; was shocked when Firm One didn't extend em an offer. After extensive job search, found government job and is happy.

Firm Two: Hasn't happened to my knowledge. Only laterals with locked-in tickets are hired. If Firm Two did have a summer program, I have every reason to believe a person failing the first test would be very graciously told to go home to study and call back when the exam is passed. What would happen after that is anyone's guess, but I wouldn't bet money on an offer.

So, more cruel than your firm, or less? In my experience, firm lawyers publicly pronounce their sympathy for this plight, but secretly disdain those who didn't pass.

ETA: Neither firm was BIGLAW, so YMMV.

[AngryMulletMan]

Originally posted by Atticus Grinch
In my experience, firm lawyers publicly pronounce their sympathy for this plight, but secretly disdain those who didn't pass.

Range of responses:

From snobs: I don't want anybody working at my firm that didn't pass the first time. I hope you quit because your very existence here tarnishes the rest of us.

From the rest of us: I sweated bullets for 3 months waiting for bar results and you are living my nightmare. I feel bad for you, here's some cash, now please do your best to not flunk again.

From other members of the Secret Bar Flunker's Society: Let me buy you a drink!

[SillyconLawyer]

I don't remember the name of the boutique that Thelen acquired but I ran into one of the attorneys who had been part of it. Apparently they have all pretty much left at this point. This guy struck me as a bit weird so it may have been a cultural issue.

SL

[Flinty_McFlint]

Originally posted by fufu
Flinty, did you go to the opening?

[Spree: Naked monkey pictures.

URL=http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_843884.html?menu=news.weirdworld.animaltales][/URL]

I knew I should never have signed that release. Hey, I was young and needed the money.