The Legal Cheek View
In 1873, Francis Lewis Draper moved his table into civil war veteran Charles Eldridge Morgan Jr.’s office in Philadelphia. There began the law firm known today as Morgan Lewis & Bockius. The lattermost namesake, Morris Rex Bockius, came later — 10 years later to be precise — but brought with him a prowess for high-quality litigation, corporate and employment law which the firm is still renowned for to this day.
Morgan Lewis was ahead of the curve when it opened its first international office in London in 1981. Sites in Tokyo, Frankfurt and Brussels soon followed and, today, the firm has 33 global hubs across 10 countries. A recent addition to this worldwide spread came early last year with the opening of the firm’s second German office in Munich. Elsewhere, MLB has an array of shops across the States, two hubs in the Middle East, a few centres in hotspots like Tokyo, Frankfurt and Paris as well as two offices in Kazakhstan.
In London, trainees can enjoy a variety of practices spanning antitrust & competition, banking & finance, corporate, dispute resolution, intellectual property, investment management, tax, structured transactions, and labour and employment law, as well as getting involved in some life sciences, energy and tech stuff. All new recruits will spend some time in either litigation or antitrust and most will do a stint in corporate. The breadth of work on offer is felt to be a little more diverse than that at some compatriot US firms in London, but rest assured the quality and intensity is just the same. “The work is very global, interesting and always varied,” one source explains, “at times the work can be challenging but it is good to be pushed out of your comfort zone as a trainee as it makes the transition to NQ easier.” Another spy added that due to the small trainee intake of around six each year, “you get very real responsibility from day one and are expected to contribute in deals”.
In typical US fashion, lean deal teams mean you’re “working directly with partners” and we’re told that, “as such, the work is very stimulating because you play a genuine role in getting deals across the line”.
This is also how the vast majority of training is done at Morgan Lewis, though our insiders did speak of some “limited formal training” to supplement this approach to “training on the job”. Still, this isn’t a place for those who like to be held by the hand. “There is some formal training but the bulk of the training is on the job,” one spy told LC, “you have to quickly learn to adapt and learn from any mistakes so that you don’t make them again. I have found associates and partners are always extremely willing to answer any questions I might have and I feel that is how I have received the majority of my training.”
Supportive and “highly approachable” partners are the norm at MLB, and “responsive and helpful supervisors” are always on hand for questions or support. One current rookie tells us, “there is a genuine open door policy even with the most senior partners. Even when given a discrete task, associates and partners take the time to explain the background and context which can make the mundane tasks more interesting.” Another adds: “My supervisors have been incredibly helpful and there have been times where I have been working directly with partners and have never felt as though I was unable to ask them a question. In fact, I have found that partners would rather I ask them questions than try and struggle through a task on my own.”
This positive feedback continues through to trainee level, as rookies report finding their peers “extremely supportive” — even if “it can sometimes be “difficult to all get together when we are all busy,” they admit. “The trainee cohorts are all very close and supportive. You are given a lot of responsibility and client contact as a trainee which can sometimes be daunting so it helps that you can speak to other trainees about managing this,” was the review from one recruit. All this lends itself to a fairly decent social life in the London office, with an annual trainee budget funding trips to London Shuffle Club and the occasional trainee dinner or drinks.
You’re not just restricted to gallivanting with your fellow trainees at Morgan Lewis either, as teams are said to be “supportive if you have evening plans and let them know in advance (e.g., theatre or a concert)”. That being said, trainees do note that “sometimes this means you may have to work late the next day or a couple hours on the weekend”. This is a fairly apt description of the work-life balance on offer at this firm — “quite up and down”, in the words of one rookie, “particularly at the crescendo of a particular case or deal.” In general, however, “associates and partners are very aware that you are still a trainee” and at least one insider reports that more senior members “have encouraged me to take time off when possible”. We’re also told that there’s no culture of presenteeism here, so “no expectation to stay in the office if you don’t have work”, and the general consensus is that “working weekends is rare but possible where you have a big deal or an upcoming hearing”.
Luckily, some great views of St Paul’s Cathedral are on offer for recruits burning the midnight oil as the London office is situated in Condor House directly opposite it — one trainee even reports being able to see the clock towers from their desk! Trainees share an office with their supervisor and, whilst there are some grumbles that the office “itself is quite outdated”, most are happy with their current digs (which has as much to do with the great lunch options nearby as it does St Paul’s). Rookies can also spend two days a week from home and the firm is said to provide a “generous work from home allowance every six months” to accommodate all your home-working needs.
The tech on offer at MLB is said to be okay. The firm’s tech team in the States is noted as being “very useful” but much of the innovation on offer that side of the pond hasn’t quite made its way across yet. Other perks include “a good Deliveroo allowance and taxis home after 9pm”, “lawyer academies” in the States for new joiners, as well as the more standard package of private medical and dental, a cycle to work scheme, discounted shopping and season ticket loans. However the £57,500 starting salary is “great and probably the main perk” for at least one trainee. This figure rises to £62,500 in year two and £173,000 upon qualification.
Morgan Lewis has a history of pre-eminent pro bono work. In 1968 it led labour contract negotiations for a brand new Walt Disney project ‘Disney World’ and in 2015, the firm filed a historic amicus brief on behalf of 379 companies in the U.S. Supreme Court making a business case for legalising same sex marriage. The London office has its own charity and community committee which organises an annual office vote to decide on two charities to support through various fundraising events. Past events have included bake-offs, dress-down friday, sporting competitions and a winter fair. The office also has an ongoing initiative with a school in Hackney, where staff volunteer to help vulnerable children who need support with their schoolwork.