Which 5 law firms made Fortune's list of best places to work?
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Five law firms earned spots on Fortune magazine’s list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For.
The same law firms made the list last year, along with a sixth, Bingham McCutchen, which “recently went bust,” Above the Law points out. Among the others, Cooley gained the most in the rankings, moving from No. 100 last year to No. 42 this year.
Google was No. 1 on the list, available here and here.
The five law firms are:
–Baker Donelson (No. 30). Its Fortune description: “Southern law firm has a five-to-10-minute meeting called the Daily Docket every morning to keep everyone on the same page. The company also offers a flexible work schedule and, in some instances, paid sabbaticals, letting employees structure work around their personal needs and goals.”
–Alston & Bird (No. 41). Its Fortune description: “BigLaw without big egos is how employees describe this international law firm. Job seekers who are rude to receptionists don’t get hired. And project presentations by attorneys often end with a slide crediting not only lawyers but staff such as an audio-visual specialist or librarian.”
–Cooley (No. 42) Cooley rose 58 places this year. Its Fortune description: “Support staff is treated well at this international law firm. A contribution of 7.5 percent of pay is made to eligible employees’ 401(k) accounts and is fully vested after only two years. And if staff members fail to sign up for a 401(k), Cooley will automatically enroll them at the 5 percent level.”
–Perkins Coie (No. 46). Its Fortune description: “Law firm bills itself as the ‘legal counsel to great companies’ (clients range from Amazon to Microsoft and Starbucks). Recently celebrated its 100th anniversary by giving every employee a book of the firm’s history. It also gives awards based on candy bars (a Nestle Crunch bar for ‘You helped me out in a crunch!’ a Power Bar for ‘You really helped us power through’). An anonymous Happiness Committees leaves gifts at workstations. New attorneys in some offices are asked to write and put on a funny skit, always creating as ridiculous a role as possible for the managing partner.”
–Arnold & Porter (No. 75). Its Fortune description: “Law firm passed out longevity bonuses ranging from $1,250 to $5,000 to staffers with more than 10 years of service. Other great benefits: 18 weeks paid maternity leave, $10,000 adoption aid and coverage for gender [reassignment] surgery.”
Rankings are based on a survey sent to a random sample of employees and a “culture audit” that gathers information about pay, benefits and workplace programs.
