Overview
Introduction
The attorneys at Friedman Kaplan Seiler & Adelman feel like family. Since opening its doors in 1986, the founding partners have remained active at the firm and many of the staff have worked there since its inception. Getting a foot in the door here requires BigLaw or clerkship experience, but it's rewarded with early-on responsibility, high-quality work opportunities, and no billable hour requirement.
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Vault Verdict
Friedman Kaplan Seiler & Adelman hires motivated young lawyers who have BigLaw or clerkship experience, have strong academic credentials, and are ready to hit the ground running upon joining the firm. Candidates should come prepared to discuss their prior work experience and how much responsibility they are willing to take on. Associates are happy with the firm’s social culture. Interactions amongst attorneys and staff are warm and collegial, and firmwide events are well-attended. Associate/partner relationships are excellent; the partners have a vested interest in associates’ development, and associates feel that their contributions are genuinely valued. However, associates wish the firm provided more transparency into firm metrics such as the promotion process, finances,...
About the Firm
Since its founding by seven attorneys in 1986, Friedman Kaplan has grown to be one of the preeminanet boutiques in the Big Apple. Nearly 50 attorneys in New York and New Jersey practice in corporate, white collar, and--the firm's specialty--litigation, on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants. The firm's representations are varied. Friedman Kaplan attorneys represented Wells Fargo and Wachovia in a mulitbillion dollar dispute with Citigroup over the acquisition of Wachovia by Wells during the financial crisis. The firm won a $1.3 billion dollar settlement on behalf of two hedge funds pursuing claims against the Republic of Argentina to recover on defaulted bonds. And Chuck Blazer, the founder of organized American soccer, called on Friedman Kaplan for repesentation in investig...
Associate Reviews
- “People at the firm are extremely personable—not necessarily overly social (and certainly not fratty)—but generally nice people and good communicators.”
- “The firm is social—it is small, but everyone knows each other. The associates get together to socialize often. Lawyers and staff often work closely, as matters are leanly staffed.”
- “We have a fantastic, extremely collegial, and supportive group of attorneys. We have firmwide cocktail hours twice monthly, trivia nights quarterly, and associate-only events once every month or two (we are expanding the number of events now that office life is coming back after the pandemic, though even during the pandemic, we socialized virtually, including trivia nights and events like cocktail making classes). A number of us are also friendly outside of work-sponsored events (think birthday party invitations, dinners, etc.) On a daily basis, there is a lot of interaction—now that we are back in the office, it's easy to pop by someone's office to discuss a case, to vent about an adversary, or just to chat about life. The interactions between lawyers and staff are collegial—many of the staff have worked at the firm since its inception in 1986 and are like family to the firm.”
- “Most people keep their doors open and are fine with drop bys. Attendance is picking up again following COVID, although lawyers are not required to be in the office any number of days. There are periodic firm and associate events, which are generally well-attended, and informal gatherings on a regular basis.”
Why Work Here
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Getting Hired Here
- “Most of our candidates went to top law schools (Stanford, Harvard, Yale, NYU, and Columbia are the most represented), and most also clerked at the federal level. Given our size, personality is also very important—we want someone who will be a good fit for our firm's collegial environment.”
- “Our firm hires from large, selective firms. We are very competitive and seek highly driven young lawyers who are able, willing, and excited to be given significant responsibility at a junior level, and can handle the responsibility. Our lawyers tend to come from the most selective, competitive large law firms.”
- “Hiring is competitive. We hire only experienced lawyers (from other firms or clerkships).”
- “Seems like the firm prefers its associates to have BigLaw experience and/or clerkship experience. All associates are incredibly qualified.”
Perks & Benefits