The Legal Recruiter

IP Positions in Denver - Top AmLaw 100 Firm

noreply@blogger.com (TheLegalRecruiter) — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 03:52:00 +0000

The following positions are with a top national firm. These positions are available in their Denver Colorado office. This AmLaw 100 firm is highly ranked by Chambers & Partners and IP Law and Business among others. They are only looking for attorneys currently licensed in Colorado, went to a top ranked law school and graduated in the top 30% of the class. This is a great opportunity for a top notch attorney looking for that perfect job with a great national firm. If you are interested in any of the positions below and you meet all the requirements for the position please forward your resume in Word or PDF format to TheLegalRecruiter@gmail.com

COLORADO—DENVER

General/Intellectual Property Litigation Attorney
# of Positions Available: 1
Experience Required: 1-3 years of experience in general and/or IP litigation. Outstanding academic record and judicial clerkship and/or large firm practice required.
Practice Groups: Intellectual Property Litigation
To apply for this position please use reference code 1121 in the subject line and send your resume in Word or PDF format to TheLegalRecruiter@gmail.com

Intellectual Property Litigation Attorney
# of Positions Available: 2-3
Experience Required: 1-3 years of Intellectual Property Litigation and degree in Electrical Engineering. Chinese language skills preferred.
Practice Groups: Intellectual Property Litigation
To apply for this position please use reference code 1122 in the subject line and send your resume in Word or PDF format to TheLegalRecruiter@gmail.com

Patent Counseling & Prosecution Attorney
# of Positions Available: 1
Experience Required: 1-3 years of patent prosecution experience and degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science required.
Practice Groups: Patent Counseling & Prosecution
To apply for this position please use reference code 1123 in the subject line and send your resume in Word or PDF format to TheLegalRecruiter@gmail.com

Patent Counseling & Prosecution Attorney
# of Positions Available: 1
Experience Required: 3-5 years of patent prosecution experience. Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science or Mechanical Engineering preferred.
Practice Groups: Patent Counseling & Prosecution
To apply for this position please use reference code 1124 in the subject line and send your resume in Word or PDF format to TheLegalRecruiter@gmail.com

Sutherland Asbill & Brennan Raise in Houston, DC and Atlanta

noreply@blogger.com (TheLegalRecruiter) — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 02:41:00 +0000

SUTHERLAND ASBILL & BRENNAN LLP -- ASSOCIATE PAY RAISE MEMO

C O N F I D E N T I A L

MEMORANDUM August 17, 2007

TO: Associates
CC: Partners & Counsel
FROM: The Executive Committee
RE: Associate Compensation

Our primary goal as a firm is to provide our clients with the highest

quality work and best service possible on a consistent basis. To do that
we must hire, retain and develop the best lawyers we can at all levels
of experience. We have always believed that there is a great deal more
to hiring and retaining our top talent than compensation: interesting
work, a collegial environment, early client responsibility and extensive
professional development are all aspects of our firm culture that we
value greatly, and we strive to attract lawyers who share those values.
At the same time, we are very aware of our markets and we periodically
review our lawyer compensation to ensure that we remain competitive.

Our latest review has led us to change our compensation structure and to
increase our compensation schedules. We are pleased to announce that
effective September 1, 2007, starting salaries for first and second year
associates in Houston and Washington will be increased to $160,000 and
$170,000, respectively. Effective January 1, 2008, starting salaries for
first and second year associates in Atlanta will be increased to
$145,000 and $150,000, respectively. We will continue to review the
market in New York and will adjust our schedule there as appropriate.

The charts below reflect the new first and second year salaries for the
Washington, Houston and Atlanta offices, as well as total standard
salaries (not including bonuses as discussed below) for third through
sixth year associates with 1950 billable hours (including all time spent
on matters for paying clients and all time spent working for our pro
bono clients) and 2400 total hours (including investment hours spent on
training, client and business development, community service, recruiting
and other firm related work). For associates in their third year and
beyond, a portion of the increased salary will be deferred. The deferred
portion of the total standard salary shown in the charts will be earned
upon working 1950 billable hours and contributing 2400 total hours in a
calendar year. Associates who bill more than 1800 hours, but less than
1950 hours, and contribute 2400 total hours during the calendar year
will be paid a portion of the deferred salary amount. This
compensation structure will be implemented effective September 1st in
Houston and Washington, with a pro rata portion of the deferred amount
payable to associates in the relevant classes who meet the hours targets
for the calendar year.

Houston (Effective 9/1/07)
Class New Total Salary ($) Base Portion ($) Deferred Portion ($)
1 160,000 160,000 --
2 170,000 170,000 --
3 185,000 170,000 15,000
4 210,000 175,000 35,000
5 230,000 180,000 50,000
6 250,000 185,000 65,000

Washington (Effective 9/1/07)
Class New Total Salary ($) Base Portion ($) Deferred Portion ($)
1 160,000 160,000 --
2 170,000 170,000 --
3 185,000 177,500 7,500
4 210,000 192,500 17,500
5 230,000 212,500 17,500
6 250,000 227,500 22,500

Atlanta (Effective 1/1/08)
Class New Total Salary ($) Base Portion ($) Deferred Portion ($)
1 145,000 145,000 --
2 150,000 150,000 --
3 165,000 152,500 12,500
4 175,000 157,500 17,500
5 185,000 167,500 17,500
6 200,000 177,500 22,500

Consistent with our past practice, associates will generally be lockstep
in their first two years following law school, but after that their
compensation (both base and deferred portions) may vary from the
schedule to account for performance, work effort and other contributions
above or below the norm. Associates in classes not reflected on the
schedules will continue to be compensated on an individual basis
reflecting their overall contribution to the firm.

For bonuses, we will continue to look at all aspects of a lawyer's
contributions to the firm, taking into account the quality of work,
overall work effort and firm related efforts. Bonuses will be paid when
appropriate in addition to the payment of the earned portion of deferred
salary and will be based upon performance during the review year
(October 1 through September 30). Although we will have a "rebuttable
presumption" that a bonus has been earned by those lawyers who have 1)
worked more than 2100 billable hours (including all billable time for
paying clients and pro bono clients); and 2) contributed more than 2400
total hours to the firm during the review year, we will not award
bonuses based solely upon billable hours. The determination of bonus
eligibility will continue to take into account all aspects of a lawyer's
performance and contributions to the firm during the review year.

We believe this new compensation structure and the revised standards
will enable us to continue our outstanding service to clients and result
in our continued success in 2007 and beyond. If you have any questions
about the compensation structure, please feel free to talk with Mark
Wasserman, Tom Gick, any member of the Executive Committee or your
Practice Group Leader.

Again, thanks to all of you for your many contributions to the firm.

Andrews Kurth Announces Pay Raises

noreply@blogger.com (TheLegalRecruiter) — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 01:55:00 +0000

Andrews Kurth announces raises for 3rd - 9th year associates and their bonuses for '07. Bonuses for '08 are still under review. Below is an article by the Texas Lawyer spelling out the entire pay structure.

Andrews Kurth Spells Out Raises, Bonuses for More Senior Associates

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys - Texas Lawyer
September 11, 2007

Texas associates with Andrews Kurth will get a big, fat paycheck in mid-September because of a new pay scale that's retroactive to Aug. 1.

Andrews Kurth, which has 110 associates in Texas and is based in Houston, became the latest BigTex firm to announce raises for its associates in the wake of a new market rate set by Vinson & Elkins in July. At that time, Andrews Kurth announced it would move to the new base salary rate of $160,000 for first-year associates and $170,000 for second-years, but the firm planned to study compensation for other associates.

On Aug. 31, Andrews Kurth announced results of that study. The firm's new associate salary scale will pay $172,500 to third-year lawyers; $175,000 to fourth-years; $180,000 to fifth-years; $185,000 to sixth-years; $190,000 to seventh-years; $195,000 to eighth-years; and $200,000 to ninth-years.

The firm will award discretionary year-end merit bonuses based on subjective and objective criteria, such as billable hours. The billable hours can include management approved nonbillable hours, firm-approved contingent-fee hours and up to 150 pro bono hours.

First-year associates at Andrews Kurth can receive a $5,000 bonus this year. Year-end bonuses this year for second-year associates will range from $5,000 for 2,000 hours to $15,000 for 2,300 hours. According to the new scale, third-year associates can receive up to $26,500 in bonus for 2,300 hours. It's up to $42,000 for fourth-year associates; up to $58,000 for fifth-years; up to $64,000 for sixth-years; up to $72,000 for seventh-years; and up to $77,000 for eighth- and ninth-years.

According to the salary scale, associates in their fourth year and up could earn bonuses for working fewer than 2,000 hours, but the bonuses would be relatively small. For instance, a fifth-year associate could earn a bonus of $4,000 for 1,800 hours or $6,000 for 1,900 hours, but the bonus could jump to $33,000 for 2,000 hours; $43,000 for 2,150 hours; and $58,000 for 2,300 hours.

"We said we are going to be competitive and this just confirms that," says Robert Jewell, the 400-lawyer firm's managing partner.

Jewell says bonuses for 2008 are under review.

Also on Aug. 31, the firm announced increased salaries for associates working at the firm's Washington, D.C., office.

Interviewing Basics

noreply@blogger.com (TheLegalRecruiter) — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 13:23:00 +0000

The Basics:

Always arrive early and of course dress professionally.

Bring a few extra copies of your resume.

When greeting the interviewer shake hands firmly and smile.

During the interview be enthusiastic and sell yourself.

Show your interest in the firm by doing research on the firm and the people who will be interviewing you.

Ask questions!!

What type of work you will be expected to do

Who you will be working with

Types of clients

Ask if they worked somewhere else and if so, why they moved to the firm and how the transition has worked out

Ask about their practice groups

Taboo Questions/Subjects on First Interview:

Money (salary, bonus, and even benefits) this is generally not an issue in a lock-step firm. If salary is brought up try to avoid it by saying something like, "I haven't given salary requirements much thought yet. I am more interested in exploring the firm, meeting everyone and learning about the firm's practice right now." Let your recruiter negotiate salary. This way you do not look greedy and are just interested in money.

Do not ask billable hour requirement straight out. You can ask associates questions that are indirect such as,"tell me about your typical day."

Partnership track is another taboo subject on the first interview

Closing the Interview:

You should let the firm know you are interested and ask what the next step will be in the process.

Sincerely thank them for their time and tell them you look forward to hearing from them.

Call your recruiter to give feedback from the interview and let your recruiter know how you feel about the opportunity.

Watch this video to learn a few more questions you might want to avoid during an interview.

Boston Legal Jobs - Top AmLaw 100 Firm

noreply@blogger.com (TheLegalRecruiter) — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 13:17:00 +0000

The following positions are with a top national firm. These positions are available in their newly opened Boston office. This AmLaw 100 firm is highly ranked by Chambers & Partners and IP Law and Business among others. This is a great opportunity for a top notch attorney looking for that perfect job with a great national firm in Boston. If you are interested in any of the positions below please forward your resume in Word of PDF format to TheLegalRecruiter@gmail.com

Business Litigation Attorney
# of Positions Available: 1
Experience Required: 1-4 years of experience in the area of complex commercial litigation. Experience with contract disputes, commercial transactions, business torts and regulatory issues preferred.
Practice Groups: Complex Contract and Commercial Litigation

Corporate Attorney
# of Positions Available: 3
Experience Required: Private and Public company general corporate and securities representation. 2-3 years experience involving private venture capital financings, public financings, private equity and mergers and acquisitions.
Practice Groups: Emerging Companies, Mergers & Acquisitions, Public Securities Venture Capital

Intellectual Property Litigation Attorney
# of Positions Available: 1
Experience Required: 2-5 years of intellectual property litigation experience required and a technical undergraduate degree preferred.
Practice Groups: Intellectual Property Litigation

Patent Counseling & Prosecution Attorney
# of Positions Available: 2
Experience Required: 3-6 years of experience with patent prosecution and counseling in the biotechnology/life sciences discipline, and a strong background in patent strategy required.
Practice Groups: Patent Counseling and Prosecution

Patent Counseling & Prosecution Attorney
# of Positions Available: 1
Experience Required: 1-5 years of patent prosecution experience and degree(s) in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
Practice Groups: Patent Counseling and Prosecution

In-House Tax Position - Houston Energy Company

noreply@blogger.com (TheLegalRecruiter) — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 13:13:00 +0000

Large Houston energy company is looking for an international tax attorney to provide legal support for its Latin American operations. Company offers an excellent career platform -- highly sophisticated work in a booming industry that involves working closely with clients. In addition, the company offers competitive compensation with a generous benefits package and a great quality of life.

Responsibilities include tax compliance and planning, and providing expertise in connection with transfer pricing issues.

There are about 5 people in this group. This position will be the only international tax lawyer in Houston; reporting to Chicago, but close work w/ Houston tax group.

Writing skills are very important for this position and 3 writing samples will be required from any candidate prior to submittal.

Requirements:

* Experience providing technical tax expertise on US international tax issues
* Spanish or Portuguese language capabilities ideal, but not required.

Education Required:
JD

Years of Experience Required:
5+ years of experience

Locke Liddel Raises Associate Pay in Texas, DC and New Orleans Offices

noreply@blogger.com (TheLegalRecruiter) — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 13:09:00 +0000

Texas Lawyer reports that Locke Liddell has given raises to all associates in their Texas, DC and New Orleans offices. Below is the full article from the Texas Lawyer.

All Levels of Locke Liddell Associates Getting Raises
Miriam Rozen
Texas Lawyer
September 7, 2007

All levels of associates at Houston- and Dallas-based Locke Liddell & Sapp may start their holiday shopping early since receiving news that their compensation just rose significantly. First- and second-year associates at the 403-lawyer firm already knew their salaries increased as of Aug 1. But, according to an Aug. 28 memo Locke Liddell managing partner Jerry Clements sent to associates, more-senior associates also are receiving pay increases retroactive to Aug. 1.

Locke Liddell first-year associates in Texas earn a $160,000 base annual salary, and second years earn $170,000. Third-years earn $172,500; fourth-years $175,000; fifth-years $180,000; sixth-years $185,000; seventh-years $190,000; and eighth-years $195,000. The firm has 138 associates in its three Texas offices.

In Washington, D.C., where Locke Liddell has nine associates, the salary scale for first- through third-year associates is the same as Texas associates. But for fourth-years the base salary jumps to $190,000; fifth-years to $205,000; sixth-years to $225,000; seventh-years to $235,000; and eighth years to $240,000.

The firm has increased the salary scale in its New Orleans office as well, which currently employs one associate. First-year associates in New Orleans earn $145,000 in base salary; second-years $155,000; third-years $160,000; fourth-years $165,000; fifth-years $170,000; seventh-years $180,000; and eighth-years $190,000.

In Texas and D.C., third- through eighth-year associates have an opportunity to earn significant amounts in what the memo refers to as "the deferred portion of the compensation" or year-end lump sums. In Texas, that deferred compensation equals between $15,000 and $65,000; and, in Washington, between $15,000 and $40,000. To earn the deferred compensation this year, Clements stressed in the memo, Locke Liddell associates will have to meet a billable-hour target of 2,000 hours annually. Any associate who has worked fewer than 2,000 hours annually will not be eligible for the deferred compensation at the end of the year, Clements wrote.

On top of the deferred compensation, this year the firm will give additional, merit-based bonuses. But the firm may not continue that tradition for long. Clements wrote: "We will continue to evaluate our year-end merit-based bonus program in light of changing market conditions. In view of the increased base and deferred amounts, the lower-tier bonus amounts will likely be eliminated. The midlevel and high-level bonus amounts will likely remain, with the performance targets consisting of 2,200 hours for the midlevel bonus and 2,400 hours for the high-level bonus."

Clements did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment. But Marc Watts, managing partner of Locke Liddell's Houston office, says while the firm wants to offer compensation to attract top talent, it wants to address concerns some associates have about their lifestyles being dominated by such steep billable-hour targets. "We needed to find a way to give associates an alternative," Watts says.

Texas Salary Chart

noreply@blogger.com (TheLegalRecruiter) — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 20:58:00 +0000

Below are salaries for firms I deal with on a regular basis. I have done my best to update the list as I receive information from the attorneys I speak with on a daily basis. Firms are changing salaries daily, or so it seems. I am sure the chart below is not completely up to date. If you work at one of the firms below and see the information is not current let me know. You may email me at TheLegalRecruiter@gmail.com, and let me know the changes I need to make. At least this chart will give you some ideal of what your colleagues across the street are making as both of you burn the midnight oil. Due to technical difficulties that are beyond my technical abilities to fix the complete chart of Texas Salaries - 1st year - 8th year is listed at the very bottom of this page.

Texas Salaries

Firm/Location

1st Year

2nd Year

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

Texas offices (2007)

$160,000

$170,000

Andrews Kurth LLP

Texas offices (July 2007)

$160,000

$170,000

Baker Botts LLP

Texas Offices (August 2007) Bonuses are earned once an associate bills 2000 hours

$160,000 No Bonus

170,000 Bonus $5,000

Baker & Hostetler

Houston, TX (2007)

$160,000

N/A

Baker & McKenzie

Texas offices (August 2007)

$160,000

$170,000

Baron & Budd, P.C.

Dallas, TX (December 2006)

N/A

Bickel & Brewer

Dallas, TX (December 2006)

$175,000

$180,000

Bracewell & Guiliani LLP

Austin, Dallas, Houston, TX (August 2006)

$160,000

$170,000

Waiting to determine what they are doing for 3rd -- 8th years

Carrington Coleman Sloman & Blumenthal, L.L.P.

Dallas, TX (December 2006)

$135,000

N/A

Chamberlain, Hrdlicka, White, Williams & Martin

Houston, TX (December 2006)

$107,500

N/A

Clark, Thomas & Winters, A Professional Corporation

Austin and San Antonio, TX (December 2006)

$105,000

N/A

Dechert LLP

Austin, TX; Palo Alto, CA (February 2007)

$150,000

$160,000

Dewey Ballantine LLP

All U.S. offices (January 2007)

$160,000

$170,000

DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary LLP

Austin, TX; (February 2007)

$145,000

$155,000

Dallas, TX (February 2007)

$135,000

$155,000

Fish & Richardson P.C.

All offices (January 2007)

$160,000

$170,000

Fulbright & Jaworski

Texas Offices (August 2006)

$135,000

N/A

Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP

Dallas, Houston, TX (September 1,2007)

$160,000

$145,000*

*Compensation in susequent years will be adjusted based on each associate's individual performance and professional development.

Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody, P.C.

Austin, TX (December 2006)

$105,000

N/A

Greenberg Traurig, LLP

All Offices (August 2006)

$90,000 to $145,000 (market rates in all locations)

N/A

Haynes and Boone, LLP

All offices (August 2007)

$160,000

$170,000

Howrey LLP

Did away with lock-step system and now merit base

$160,000

N/A

Hughes & Luce, LLP

Dallas, TX (December 2006)

$135,000

N/A

Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP

Dallas, TX (December 2006)

$160,000

$170,000

Hunton & Williams LLP

Atlanta, GA; Knoxville, TN; Dallas, TX; Norfolk, VA; Raleigh, NC; Richmond, VA (February 2007)

$145,000

$150,000

Jackson Walker L.L.P.

(August 2007) (Texas)

$160,000

N/A

Jones Day

Houston, TX; Chicago, IL; All California offices (August 2006)

$160,000

$170,000

Dallas, TX (2007)

$160,000

$170,000

Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrere & Denegre L.L.P.

All offices (May 2006)

$90,000

N/A

King & Spalding LLP

Houston, TX (August 2006)

$160,000

$170,000

Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham LLP

Dallas, TX; Pittsburgh, PA (August 2006)

$110,000

N/A

Littler Mendelson, P.C.

Atlanta, GA; Dallas, Houston, TX; Long Island, NY; Newark, NJ (August 2006)

$105,000

N/A

Locke Liddell & Sapp LLP

All offices (August 2007)

$160,000*

$170,000

*(starting package of $158,360 including bonuses, bar allowance, moving expenses and parking allowance)

Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP

Houston, TX (August 2006)

$140,000

$145,000

McGinnis, Lochridge & Kilgore, L.L.P.

All offices (December 2006)

$115,000

N/A

McGlinchey Stafford PLLC

All offices (August 2005)

$83,500

N/A

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

Dallas, TX (August 2006)

$135,000

N/A

Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C.

Dallas, TX (December 2006)

$135,000

N/A

Patton Boggs LLP

(August 2007) (Dallas, TX)

$160,000

$170,000

Phelps Dunbar LLP

All offices (August 2005) (Houston, TX)

$84,000

N/A

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

Houston, TX (August 2005)

$115,000

$124,000

Porter & Hedges LLP

Houston, TX (December 2006)

$135,000

$145,000

Powell Goldstein LLP

All other offices (May 2006)

$115,000

N/A

Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold LLP

All U.S. offices (August 2006) (Austin, Dallas and Houston TX)

$115,000

N/A

Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.

Houston, TX (August 2006)

$110,000

N/A

Sidley Austin Brown & Wood LLP

All U.S. offices except New York, NY and Washington, DC (February 2007) (Dallas,TX)

$145,000

$155,000

Strasburger & Price LLP

August 2007, first year associate salary is $120,000 in addition to a $10,000 graduation bonus and eligibility for a $10,000 performance bonus, quarterly profit sharing bonus and discretionary bonus. Strasburger is not lock-step after first year

$120,000

N/A

Susman Godfrey L.L.P.

Texas offices (August 1,2007)

$160,000

$170,000

Thacher Proffitt & Wood LLP

Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, TX (August 2005)

$126,500

N/A

Thompson & Knight LLP

Texas offices (August 2007)

$160,000

$170,000

Still waiting to see what they do for 3rd - 8th years. I have heard they have anounced but have not gotten the numbers out of anyone

Vinson & Elkins LLP

Austin, Houston, Dallas, TX (July 2007)

$160,000

$170,000

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP

All offices (January 2007)(Austin, Dallas and Houston,TX)

$160,000

$170,000

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

All other offices (August 2005) (Austin,TX)

$125,000

$135,000

Winstead Sechrest & Minick P.C.

All offices (August 2006) (Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Woodlands,TX

$135,000*

N/A

merit-based bonus of up to $25,000

The International Law Firm of Fulbright & Jaworski - Litigation Trends Analysis

noreply@blogger.com (TheLegalRecruiter) — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 15:05:00 +0000

Below is a link to Fulbright & Jaworski's website where you may download a copy of their litigation trends analysis. The International Law Firm of Fulbright & Jaworski - Trends Analysis

Monster.com Hacked

noreply@blogger.com (TheLegalRecruiter) — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 02:24:00 +0000

Hopefully most attorneys do not have their resume posted on the likes of Monster and other internet career websites. However, if you do have an account with Monster your private information might have been recently stolen in a hacker attack earlier this month. The BBC News article claims the hackers broke into Monster's servers to, "get hold of personal information in an attempt to make e-mails supposedly sent by recruitment firms more plausible. By getting people to open the fake e-mails and click on the attachments the thieves aimed to steal more saleable information or hijack an infected machine." So be wary of any Monster.com emails with attachments that may not actually be from Monster. Below is a link to the full article on the BBC news' website. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6961880.stm

Finance Associates - Houston/Austin Texas

noreply@blogger.com (TheLegalRecruiter) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 23:12:00 +0000

Twenty-fifth largest firm in the US is seeking two Finance Associates. One position is in their Houston office and the other is in the Austin office. They are looking for an attorney with experience dealing with credit facilities and other debt transactions. Top credentials and major law firm experience required. To apply for this position please submit your resume in Word or PDF format to TheLegalRecruiter@gmail.com

Litigation Associate - Houston

noreply@blogger.com (TheLegalRecruiter) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 02:31:00 +0000

A global firm is looking for a litigation associate for it's Houston office. This prominent firm is looking for an associate with 3 plus years of experience. Experience or an interest in energy litigation is preferred but not required. However, stellar academics are required. This firm is a large firm, but the Houston office only has approximately 45 attorneys. It is highly ranked by Chambers & Partners across all practice areas including litigation. Plus, it pays on the NY pay scale. This is a great opportunity for the right individual looking for a top notch firm. For consideration for this position please submit your resume in either Word or PDF format to TheLegalRecruiter@gmail.com

What to know if you are considering a lateral move

noreply@blogger.com (TheLegalRecruiter) — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 00:06:00 +0000

Below is an article which appeared in the latest issue of The Florida Bar News. It was written by Rosanna Catalano, who is a lawyer and director of Florida State University College of Law’s Placement Office. I thought it was a great article and wanted to share it with you. She offers some great advice and I would have to second everything she mentions in this article. The only thing I would add is so you do not look greedy and are assured you are paid market value I would suggest using a recruiter and let her do the salary negotiating for you. Also, even if your best friend works at the firm you are applying the friend in most cases can only get your resume to the right person. A recruiter on the other hand can advocate on your behalf and present your best attributes to the hiring authority. Also, the recruiter may know of other opportunities you and your friend are not aware of. This would allow you to explore more than one opportunity and compare several to make sure you are making the best move possible.

August 15, 2007

What to know if you are considering a lateral move
By Rosanna Catalano
Special to the News
Attorneys are on the move. According to the National Association for Law Placement Foundation, 8.3 percent of entry-level associates leave their firms within one year and 50.5 percent of new attorneys leave their firms within four years. In order to make the lateral leap, you need to revamp your resume, sharpen your interviewing skills, and determine if your new employer is the right one for you.

Resume
A legal resume is your marketing literature and its main function is to get an interview for you. It also serves as a conversational guide and as a memory-refresher after the interview. It should be written to interest the employer and to supply information concerning your past experience, education, and unique abilities. Identify those experiences in your background that make you particularly qualified for the position you are seeking and find ways to highlight them.

Make sure you place contact information at the top of your resume. Do not use your current work e-mail or phone number because you probably do not want your boss to know about your job search and it sends the message to a potential employer that you spend your days job-seeking rather than diligently working to produce a top-notch product.

For maximum impact, your resume should be well-organized so that the high points can be absorbed in seconds. The first section should list your experience and include legal employment, clinical work during law school, internships, and significant volunteer work. Make sure to list your work experience in reverse chronological order with your most recent employment first. The format should include the name of the employer, the city and state of employment, position, dates you held the position, and a description of your responsibilities.

Job descriptions are the most important part of your resume. The most recent job does not necessarily warrant the longest description. Instead, use longer descriptions to accentuate those work experiences most relevant to your job search. Individual descriptions should be made up of short active phrases that use dynamic action verbs, (i.e. drafted, synthesized, managed). You do not need to create separate sections for “legal” and “nonlegal” experience. Many of the skills and responsibilities of nonlegal positions are easily transferable to the legal profession. Thus, focus on the transferable skill set when describing your work responsibilities.

Finally, be certain that the information on the resume is correct and the verb tense consistent. Your resume should have accurate dates and titles. Do not forget to include sections for publications, speaking engagements, and languages as they apply to you. A section titled “Bar Memberships & Professional Affiliations” is a great place to showcase volunteer bar association activities along with your admissions to various jurisdictions and federal courts.

Interview
After your resume opens the door to an interview, both you and the employer will want to assess whether a potential working relationship will be possible and profitable. During the interview you have to establish your intellect and skill as a lawyer, but also show your personality, poise, and sophistication. You should ask questions about the organization because it demonstrates your enthusiasm. Be sure to look at your surroundings to pick up clues about the interviewer’s personality and interests. Always be positive when you talk about previous or current employers because no one wants to work with a curmudgeon.

Earning what you’re worth?
Tapping into your professional contacts and trusting your own instincts will assist you in determining whether you are making a good career move. You can learn a lot about a potential employer simply by tuning in to what your colleagues say about the organization at networking functions. You should also listen to your gut. If you are tired of working weekends and desire a more polished professional atmosphere, then a potential employer who is disorganized during the interviewing process and calls you only on Saturday may not be the best new employer for you.

Once you receive an offer from a desired employer, be sure to use the NALP Directory at www.nalpdirectory.com. The directory is an excellent source for information, including salaries and billable hours, on legal employers of all types — private practice, public service, government agencies, and corporations. Also, don’t forget to reach out to the career service professional at your alma mater. These individuals usually have salary statistics, job searching resources, and a slew of ideas to assist you.

Rosanna Catalano is a lawyer and director of Florida State University College of Law’s Placement Office. She may be reached at (850) 644-4495 or rcatalan@law.fsu.edu.

Patent Litigation and Prosecution Associates - Austin/Dallas Texas

noreply@blogger.com (TheLegalRecruiter) — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 19:47:00 +0000

Patent Litigation and Prosecution Associates

Job code:	91167
Location:	TX-AUSTIN

Job Description:

Very prominent Top 10 law firm seeks Patent Litigators and Patent Prosecutors. This is an exceptional firm. With a vision to be the leading global business law firm, its clients are many of the world's leading companies, including multinational, Global 1000, and Fortune 50 enterprises in a wide range of industries, as well as emerging businesses, financial institutions, and professional firms. Its reputation for its intellectual property practice is virtually second to none. Extremely sophisticated work, great partnership track and top-of-the-market compensation available.

Requirements:

Science background in electrical or mechanical engineering, computer science or biotech/life science.

Education Required:
Prefer excellent academic credentials at a leading law school and big firm experience.

Years of Experience Required:
One to five years experience

To be considered for this position please email your resume in Word or PDF format to
TheLegalRecruiter@gmail.com

Interviewing Suggestions

noreply@blogger.com (TheLegalRecruiter) — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 17:46:00 +0000

Interviews are an opportunity to meet your future employer and for your future employer to meet you, get a feel for one another and for each of you to judge the interest in the other. It is basically like a first date. What do you need to accomplish in the interview? You need to show what is not on your resume. You need to show interest in the company and sell yourself. So here are few steps to take to help increase your chances of impressing the interviewer and getting the job you want.

Helpful tips for landing your next job:

1. First off know who you are meeting. Do some research on both the firm and the people you are meeting. Explore the firm’s website and Google everyone. Use the information you discover to develop questions to ask your interviewers. This will show interest in the interviewer’s background and the firm itself. Also, by asking questions it gets the interviewer talking about themselves and hopefully opening up. Also if meeting more than one person do not be scared to ask the same question more than once if you run out of questions. So do your homework and have questions ready.

2. Avoid answering the salary question if at all possible. If asked on the first interview about your salary requirements just simply state something like, “I am hear today just to explore the opportunity and really have not thought about my salary requirements.” If the interviewer continues to push for an answer just explain you would expect market value without going into specifics. Leave the salary negotiations to me. This way you will not look greedy and only concerned about the old might dollar.

3. Dress for success. While a lot of firms are moving towards the casual dress code it is not appropriate for an interview. It is better to be over dressed than underdressed. You can always adopt the casual dress code after you have landed the job. If you are in doubt with what to wear call me and we can go over this.

4. You are always going to have questions such as naming a strength and weakness. Name one thing you would like to improve about yourself. With this type of question you need to answer it but turn it into a positive. Give a specific example on how you have over come a situation. Such as I am reserve, but this gives me the chance to listen and actually hear what the customer is really saying. To prepare for this type of question think about them in advance and have specific examples and prepared answers ready to go.

5. When meeting someone always extend your hand and give a firm handshake while looking the person in the eye. While interviewing always make eye contact. Also, be sure you are not mumbling during your interview. Speak clearly.

6. Avoid painting your current firm in a negative light, even if you hate the current firm. Employers want to hire happy people and not someone being pushed out the door of their current firm. However, most interviewers will think you want out of your current firm. Instead, explain that you are happy at your current firm and were not looking for a new job until I called you. Let them know that you like to keep your options open and thought the position I called about was worth exploring in more detail. Employers want to hire happy people and not someone who is always complaining.

7. Finally, be sure you do not have information on the internet about yourself that could be viewed negatively by a potential employer. In today’s internet age many people do not think about the information on the internet about themselves. Many employers are using internet search engines such as Google to see what they can learn about a candidate before the interview. Others are searching Myspace, Facebook, Friendster and other social networking sites to see what a candidate may have posted. I had a candidate that had a Friendster page and had some questionable pictures on his profile. Also, he mentioned in his profile that he did not take responsibility serious. After the Partners viewed this information they called and told me they were no longer interested in interviewing my candidate. So if you have a social networking profile delete it or set it on private, because you never know how a potential employer my view the information no matter how tame you might think the information is.

What's Hot and What's Not in the Legal Market????

noreply@blogger.com (TheLegalRecruiter) — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 15:49:00 +0000

Thank you for viewing my blog. This post will give a brief overview of the current legal landscape in the State of Texas. What's hot and what's not?

What I am currently seeing in Texas, is that the hot practice areas are corporate transactional positions, IP positions, real estate and tax. Firms are falling over themselves for top talent in these positions. With the economy going strong there are a ton of merges and acquisitions happening daily, and each transaction requires many attorneys working on each side of the deal. With all the acquisitions and buyouts going on everyone is worried about their tax liability, so tax attorneys are in high demand as well. Even with the real estate market slowing down real estate attorneys are still a hot commodity. Also, since the economy is doing well and businesses are investing in themselves, the demand for IP attorneys is higher than ever. This is especially true in Austin and Dallas, which tends to have a lot of technology companies in the area.

So what is not so hot these days? That is simply, it is litigation. There are a ton of litigation attorneys looking to make a move, but no one is hiring. Every so often a position comes available but for the most part litigation is slow to say the least. There a number of reasons for this slow down. One such reason is because of Texas tort reform and the winding up of the asbestos litigation. Another reason litigation jobs are so slow is that most attorneys graduating in 2000, give or take a year or two went into litigation and no one was going into corporate. Now the economy is going strong there is a lack of corporate attorneys but a surplus in litigation attorneys.

So now you know what the top firms are looking for. If you are in litigation I hope you like your current position because you are probably not going to be making a lateral move anytime soon. Unless you are practicing in IP litigation. If you are practicing in IP, real estate, corporate or tax and want to explore the marketplace please contact me and I can start working on finding your new position today.