Overview
Introduction
With more than 75 lawyers in Southern California, Hueston Hennigan is a litigation boutique that has made a name for itself as one of the go-to trial firms in the country. The firm prides itself in handling high-stakes litigation with an eye toward trial from the start. Its litigators work across nearly 20 practice areas, including antitrust, appellate, commercial litigation, consumer fraud, class actions, health care, securities, trade secrets, and white collar, to name a handful.
Firm Stats
Total No. Attorneys (2023)
No. of Partners Named (2022)
Featured Rankings
No. of 1st Year Associates Hired (2023)
Base Salary
No. of U.S. Offices
Vault Verdict
As a litigation boutique, Hueston Hennigan hires very selectively—associates need top grades from a top school, a clerkship under their belt, and the right personality to boot. The firm culture is very much “work hard, play hard”—associates report that the work doesn’t stop, but the firm sponsors multiple social activities per week and associates partake. The learning curve at Hueston Hennigan is steep, since there is not much formal training, but associates are given high levels of responsibility from day one at the firm. In this respect, associates feel they have a real edge over their peers at other firms, as the early experience translates into great career opportunities—many associates have gone on to careers with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, for example. Partnership is a poss...
About the Firm
With more than 75 lawyers in Southern California, Hueston Hennigan is a litigation boutique that has made a name for itself as one of the go-to trial firms in the country. The firm prides itself in handling high-stakes litigation with an eye toward trial from the start. Business giants like Elon Musk, William McGlashan, and Bill Koch call on the firm for counsel.
It Only Took 24 Hours
In January 2015, John Hueston and Brian Hennigan broke off from Irell & Manella to form Hueston Hennigan LLP, bringing along a few of the firm’s previous partners, as well as partners from similar competitive firms. Within 24 hours, the firm had grown to more than 30 attorneys. Since then, Hueston Hennigan has rapidly established itself as a top litigation boutique.
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Associate Reviews
- “There are regular firmwide events, including a summer retreat at a Southern California resort. The lawyers regularly socialize outside of work. Our culture differs somewhat between the Los Angeles and Newport offices. The Los Angeles office is more social with organized happy hours each week. Most attorneys in Newport are married with children, so there are fewer after-hours events.”
- “There's a real sense of camaraderie at the firm. Everyone is brilliant and accomplished but also grounded and humble. There are multiple firm events every week, including a weekly firmwide lunch and a happy hour every Friday in the office.”
- “We socialize often, weekly. Various firm events planned throughout year, loose social organizations around particular interests, summer event program (basically a summer program budget for socializing, but without summer associates).”
- “Weekly happy hours, weekly firm lunches, and plenty of opportunities to get to know one another. The firm organizes great events and is definitely not lacking for social engagement.”
Getting Hired Here
- “Hueston Hennigan is extremely selective. Generally, associates need to be from a top school, have completed a federal clerkship, have law review experience, and be at the top of their class. Soft factors matter as well. Applicants need to be able to explain their legal reasoning well and also be engaging. It's a very high standard.”
- “We emphasize personality and ability to discuss legal issues during interviews, along with diversity and grades.”
- “The firm hires candidates typical of other elite litigation boutiques. Candidates need a strong academic record from a top school and usually have a clerkship.”
Perks & Benefits