OMM has a great retreat at the Ritz in Pasadena.

OMM has a great retreat at the Ritz in Pasadena.

OMM has a great retreat for new associates at the Ritz in Pasadena. Hard to argue with that . . .

I heard that a certian NYC law firm recently rented Yankee Stadium for a night and hosted a partners v. summer associates softball game ON THE FIELD.

All associates were invited and all attendees were allowed onto the outfield to play catch where you-know-who (and who and who and who) once stood.

I hear it was wicked awesome.

Jacoby & Meyers (126th Street Branch) has a great retreat to the luxurious Hotel Olympia in Jones Beach. All you can eat continental breakfast and beach pass vouchers!

I hear Faegre & Benson flies their summers to Minnesota to go camping in the boundary waters area for three days followed by a golf tournament and dinner reception at the The Minikahda Club.

It would be great if some firm had a retreat at the Ritz in Pasadena. If only one of them would do it.

"I heard that a certian NYC law firm recently rented Yankee Stadium for a night and hosted a partners v. summer associates softball game ON THE FIELD."

Ropes and Gray in Boston rents out Fenway Park and does this.

Should these really count as "perks"? At the firm where I was an SA, retreat attendance was compulsory; I would have preferred two days off to spend as a I choose. Plus, for full-time personnel, doesn't being at a retreat cut into billable time? And yet, you are still "at work," in a sense....

Also, 12:46, IMHO "wicked awesome" (Boston term) should never be used to describe events taking place in The House That Ruth Built.

I get the sense that the "firm retreat" phenomenon is much more for national firms with far-flung offices.

Do the top NYC-centric firms have these boondoggles?

I'm not sure if someone has posted this already, but I've heard that OMM has hizzy retreat at the Ritz in Pasadena.

Perk? I find firm retreats to be more of a burden than a "perk." You're expected to not only spend some of your precious time off to go to the retreat, you're also expected to have fun mingling with the very people you have thinly veiled contempt for. Plus, you're being watched more than you know...I've seen partnership prospects ruined by too many cocktails at a supposed casual event. Invariably an associate gets drunk and becomes forever known as "fall in the pool guy" or "seduced a partner's wife guy." The whole thing is unnerving. No matter how cool a long weekend at the four seasons in Mexico sounds, in the end it's still a firm event. No thanks.

WTF is OMM?

Respectfully, Fenway Park ain't Yankee Stadium (and it never will be).

we have an annual retreat at some fancy chmancy country club. I never attend. I think its a method to weed out the bad eggs as annually, someone gets canned for their antics there. I prefer smaller ad hoc gatherins where you know you can get sloppy with abandon and no fear of repercussion.

Conversely, 12:51, if you're around the right partner when he gets shit-faced, you might get enough dirt on him to tie up your partnership prospects nicely.

12:48, was that a joke? Camping in Minnesota followed up by golf is my idea of hell.

12:55: Boundary Waters is beautiful, but for those who agree with you, Faegre provides a Resort and Spa option.

12:54: I think you got that backwards. Yankee Stadium will never be Fenway Park. Or Wrigley for that matter.

Birmingham-based Bradley Arant took the entire firm and spouses for a weekend trip to Reynolds Plantation, a Ritz spa on Lake Oconee.

Being able to play at Fenway is way better than being able to play in Yankee Stadium.

12:54--Respectfully, as a lifelong new yorker and yankee fan, fenway blows yankee stadium away. the current incarnation of yankee stadium, in fact, was substantially rebuilt in 1976 and bears little to no resemblance to the old yankee stadium. I find it a chore going up there as the facilities are piss poor and look very much forward to having a modern facility in 2009. Fenway, although populated by a horrendous team and fan base, has mus more charm.

Skadden NY had a day-long retreat to a Conn. country club on a weekday this summer. Attendance was definitely not mandatory. Most summers went but relatively attorneys did. Was a nice day, though, with golf, poolside meals, and scotch tasting. There were also summers from the Boston office there.

There was also a "Firmwide Retreat" for summers only where summers from all over flew into NYC for two days, complete with rooms at the W, a reception at MoMA, and an after-party at a venue entirely rented out by Skadden.

1:02: We are talking about retreats. Every summer program at an AM Law 100 has events at country clubs, museums, etc. We are looking for overnight retreats out of town.

I have no desire to "retreat" from the prestigious company of my co-workers.

Orrick flies all their US summers out to San Fran for a weekend, and does a wine tour of Napa Valley.

Did you know OMM has a CRAZY retreat at the Ritz in Pasadena?

Can't believe no one has posted this 'til I came along.

I WILL BE AT YOUR RETREAT.

GDC was going to have a retreat at the Ritz in Pasadena, but someone else had rented it out already.

Does anyone know of any firms who do retreats at the Ritz? Preferably in Pasadena? TYIA

OH GAWD I LUV FLAVIA

Stop posting about pasadena. Your firm sucks, pasadena sucks, and no one here cares.

hth.

Wait, the Ritz in Pasadena?

No shit! My firm tried to get in there, too. Booked up already - OMM was having a blowout to end all blowouts, apparently!

All the Atlanta-based firms take their summers on weekend retreats. McKenna took their summers to the Viriginia mountains, Kilpatrick and K&S took their summers to Florida resorts.

Meanwhile, Alston & Bird took their summers to court for a dec judgment action for "all future bar/bri award settlements."

I know that this is a bit off-topic, but I've got a few callbacks already, and I need some advice.

All things being equal, I'd like to join a firm that has a retreat at the Ritz in Pasadena. Is there a firm out there that offers that, or will I have to settle for something less, such as camping in Minnesota?

OMM sucks?

Damn, well maybe LATHAM will step up to Pasadena Rtiziness!

Re: the Chocolate Spa:

"THE CHOCOLATE SPA
Experience total luxury at The Spa At THE HOTEL HERSHEY, where chocolate inspires innovative treatments like the WHIPPED COCOA BATH, Chocolate Bean Polish, and the Chocolate Fondue Wrap. Leave it to Hershey to make chocolate good for your skin!"

Chocolate Bean Polish? I would love to get my beans polished. Normally I have to pay extra for that.

Gibson Dunn does retreats in Palm Springs every year, and a weekend in L.A. for summer associates. Also a separate weekend in Palm Springs for new associates and partners (so if you're new you get two retreats in your first year).

The Ritz is the tits!

1:15, it is "Ritzitude." Get your shit straight.

I'd take camping in Minn over the Ritz in Pasadena any day.

Any requirement to spend any extra time that is related to work or to coworkers is not a perk.

Pretending to pay attention to summer associates (per orders of higher ups) is enough of a time sink.

My firm does some pretty regular happy hour-type events, and sometimes partners will throw together practice group dinner events meant to boost morale. The dinners can be at very nice places. You're supposed to show, at least sometimes, at these things. All that stuff makes me more pissed. Fancy restaurants just don't do it for me anymore. (An extra $100k might, but dinner? Come on.) I want any extra seconds I can get to be unrelated to work. Don't firms understand that lots of us (Associates) have totally, completely given up on trying to make work at all bearable, and that we are just trying to figure out how long to stick it out before we hit the road? We don't care about your firm, partners. Keep the retreats as Partner Retreats, please.

12:51 - I don't disagree with your post, but I still have to call you out on the comment about how they watch you more closely than you know. Wow, they watch you so close that they will nab you if you get so drunk you fall in a pool or seduce a partner's wife? They really put you under the microscope, huh?

I agree with the overall theme that these retreats are really just an extension of work. You can't just have fun. That said, I don't think the motivation behind the retreats are to trap unsuspecting associates by tempting them to get drunk and stupid.

I must admit to having had two hours of fun (total) at my last firm retreat. Tow hours in two days is a new record for me. Retreats suck.

I heard Gibson had something RIDICULOUS in LA last year. Something about a crazy roster of famous people hired to speak.

Wow this thread is all kinds of awesome. Has anyone heard what OMM's retreat involves? I heard they went out to Pasadena, but I'm not sure exactly where.

FLAVIA 1:09: Thanks for the laugh.

All this talk about retreats, when does anyone do any good for society. The rich is getting richer and the poor is getting poorer. You have or will have a law degree. Use it to make this world a better place for ALL of mankind

1:27--

I was at that GDC event. It was off the hizzay: Nancy Grace, William Hung, and Gallagher were all awesome speakers. Then we all crashed OMM's party over at the...can't remember the name of the place.

The Private Equity group at K&E hosts a ski trip for its cleints. Associates 4th year and above are able to go. Mayer Brown has a mid-level retreat every year on one of the US cities where it has offices (Chicago, DC, NY, etc.). I've heard its drunken dabauchery.

Biglaw Denver retreats = The past 4 years were Turin, Italy; Las Vegas; Paris; and Santa Fe. Basically, one big trip every 2 years. Partners pay for the associates' airfare and hotel and dinner each day + 1 guest.

I can afford to go on vacations and to stay in nice hotels (even with significant student debt). Firm retreats = forced bonding, not a perk.

In all seriousness, does Skadden's Holiday Inn Pasadena retreat compare AT ALL to the sheer spectacle that is the OMM Pasadena Ritz retreat?

You know, it would be really funny if someone made a joke about accidentally re-posting about the OMM retreat at the Ritz in Pasadena and then repeat it a few dozen times. That would be hilarious.

Hahaha, look at 1:38...he's trying to make people feel bad for making fun of him...hahaha...

YOU
ARE
A
TOOL

Lol, 1:14(1). I heard that A&B gave each SA a free sno cone after the Bar/Bri settlement hearing.

Speaking of which, A&B requires SAs and associates to have roommates on their retreats. Is this a common practice? It seems like most other firms let you have your very own room.

Nice try 1:38 (or 1:38's mother).

The Hotel Hershey? Seriously? Who would want to? Out in the middle of nowhere, nothing to do but the amusement park and the spa. No thanks.

I work in a clinic at a law school and even I get my own room when I have to travel.

McElroy (NJ) takes the whole firm to Jamica, might be every two years.

Dechert takes all their summers (certainly the Philly ones) to England for 3 days, I think.

Latham takes summers to Summer Academy for a week, which has been in different parts of Cali as well as a great Resort in Arizona. Then, as a First, Third, and Fifth year associate, there are week long academies focusing on business development, and different skill sets. Also, every other year is the firm wide business meeting, where every partner and associate is supposed to attend. As far as I know, you are able to bill for the time you spend at presentations and what not, and they have large work centers set up so you can get work done if you have to. All in all, it seems ok. I guess I'd prefer to work out of a resort, so I can enjoy a cocktail by the pool every once in a while than out of the office.

I hate firm retreats. I'd rather be with my family. Or friends. Or working.

My ATL law firm has had a few retreats at the Ritz at Lake Oconee. Then someone got offended by the word "Plantation" in the name of the Ritz resort, and so now we have to go to gawd-awful Lake Lanier. So retreats are now that much worse.

Ritz-Pasadena bellhops to $9.00/hr!

I've been to the Hershey spa. It is amazing - for both men and women. The hotel is top notch and if you don't want to go to the amusement park or factory, you can lounge at the hotel.

Powell Goldstein in Atlanta buses associates to the nearby Gas-n-Sip for a extra large Big Gulp and 1/2 a microwave burrito. The event is really subsidized, since the gas station is a major firm client.

Social Engineer-

Some firms are doing their part. I hear one of them is helping create jobs in Pasadena, for example. Now put down your broad brush.

Powell Goldstein in Atlanta buses associates to the nearby Gas-n-Sip for a extra large Big Gulp and 1/2 a microwave burrito. The event is really subsidized, since the gas station is a major firm client.

Powell Goldstein in Atlanta buses associates to the nearby Gas-n-Sip for a extra large Big Gulp and 1/2 a microwave burrito. The event is really subsidized, since the gas station is a major firm client.

That email about Powell Goldstein was pretty funny the first time.

Could someone please fill me in on the OMM/Ritz joke...I don't get it.

McGuireWoods had a partner retreat at the Greenbriar last year.

Latham & Watkins had an all-attorney retreat in Orlando and rented out large portions of Disney World at different times.

Can anyone chime in about the perks at Powell Goldstein?

Anyone know of retreats at Hogan or Covington?

This time on retreats could be spent doing pro bono. Everybody goes to law school wanting to change the world and come out wanting to fill their banking account. I am somewhat guilty of this too, I got to get paid to pay those loans back, but I will do my part to make this world a better place.

Bangle, Bangle & Bangle takes its summers on an all expenses paid trip to Colonial Williamsburg.

Yes: Hogan brings in all its other US offices and they retreat to the giant atrium in its DC office lobby, where they camp out under the plants. Covington hosts a retreat at the Doubletree in Shirlington.

It was Paul Weiss that had the softball game at Yankee Stadium.

Shirlington? I LOVE Shirlington!

O good lord...I just want to go home.

Until this year, Heller Ehrman took all of its summer associates to Yosemite.

I was beginning to come to terms with the fact that I will never have a biglaw job, but after hearing about OMM's retreat at the Pasadena Ritz I am once again inconsolable.

I have been to the Hershey Spa and there is NOTHING like dipping your balls in warm chocolate!!!

On behalf of all plaintiffs' lawyers lawyers who toil into the dead of the night on behalf of the powerless to respond to your needlessly lengthy discovery requests and "out-of-the-box" motions, it gladens my heart to read that many of you are spending at least part of your time engaged in such noble pursuits. Please let me know if anyone requires the testimony of any of my poor civil rights clients come judgment day.

DLA Piper:

- Each of the main practice groups (litigation; corporate; real estate; IP; etc.) have retreats every 18 months in different locations. Recent locales have been San Diego, Chicago, a resort in Tampa, Ft. Worth (not as bad as that might seem at first).

- Some US attorneys get invited to the European practice group retreats (particularly in the finance areas). I know there have been several recent ones in Barcelona and in Italy.

- There is a retreat for all summers. This year was San Diego.

Probably not, but you still haven't provided his medical records from his podiatrist from 1985-88. When do you think we will see those?

shouldn't Loyola 2L be out of school by now? L2L -- if you can't a BigLaw job, you should try finding something that would allow you to network with BigLaw lawyers. Like maybe consider something in the services industry, maybe a hotel position. In Pasadena or something. (beat) I hear the Ritz-Pasadena hosts a crowd of OMM lawyers one weekend per summer. . .

Firm retreats and practice retreats suck. It's the same old, same old crap. The MP stands on the podium and speaks in fluent cliche speak for an hour, followed by stream of practice group meetings that devolve into the 800 pound gorillas monopolizing the conversation. I hate retreats. Hate them with every fiber of my being. Several hundred thousand dollars of partner money spent on accomplishing nothing.

If it makes anyone feel better, I was poor before I started law school.

Biglaw: Fighting poverty one SA at a time.

McGuireWoods flew all associates and partners firm-wide to a resort in Tampa this Spring.

Dickstein Shapiro has a surprisingly fun all-attorney, all offices, weekend extravaganza (with spouses) every 18 months or so, at varying resorts in Virginia/Maryland vicinity.

Loyola2L can never graduate, only the internet trolls who portray him.

Oh yeah!

2:29 - That's "Dicksteinland - The Happiet Law Firm on Earth"

This is a "perk"??? Sounds more like hell to me. Being FORCED to go out and pretend to have fun with a bunch of people I didn't choose to spend time with on my own, in a place I didn't choose to go on my own, and of course, since it's work, you have to be on "good behavior" the whole time. Fuck that shit. The best retreat perk is no-retreats at all.

Wow. Did 2:24 really just tell me that I needed pause while reading the comment? What is this world coming to?

The 2:20 plaintiffs' lawyer post makes a lot of sense and is thought provoking. (okay, me) Ironicly, I can state that OMM does have excellent perks and is an okay place to work if you hate God and worship filthy lucre. (Yes, I am a former associate.) We used to retreat to Santa Barbara, which had nice sea lions. I have no doubt that this Pasadena retreat is equallly effective at sapping new associates of any lingering humanity and love.

"Go to hell" can't really be a plaintiffs' lawyer. How the hell can discovery request on a civil rights plaintiff require you to toil into the night? In all cases involving individual plaintiffs, the plaintiff sits for a deposition and produces 237 pages of irrelevant documents we already had (regardless of what the actual requests read). In fact, I think they all produce the exact same 237 pages, which may explain why I already had them.

As for retreats, one bright-line rule is that they should never be held on weekends. If it's not important enough to happen on a workday, it's not important enough to cut into my weekends (to the extent I am able to salvage them).

1:23, I agree those were extreme examples, and even the most casual "watcher" would take notice. I didn't really want to get into the minutae about how an offhand remark about the firm to the wrong person made on Friday night turns into a Monday morning "associate X hates the firm and specifically partners Y and Z." I'd much rather be the drunk guy falling into the pool. And I'd rather be doing it on my own time.

Now stop being such a hawk on my examples! Sheesh!

Here's the important question: Does anyone get billable hour credit for attending the retreat?

Dechert FRE goes on a 3 day retreat every year (with sig others invited). Last year was Camelback resort in Scottsdale and this year is Reynolds Plantation's Ritz in Georgia.

2:54, a typical defense lawyer, has over analyzed my post and assumed that all of my clients have civil rights claims. I only offered the civil rights clients as witnesses for Judgment Day. How many hours have you billed for the astute analysis?

Wilson Sonsini used to take all of its attorneys (partners and associates) to Pebble Beach for a long weekend in early September. They publicly discontinued the weekend in response to the tech crash, but then secretly started an identical partners-only weekend at the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay. After they got outed on the secret partners-only weekend, they moved the venue back to Pebble Beach, but kept it partners-only.

Luke:

You're the first plaintiffs' lawyer I've seen that has admitted that not all of his clients have civil rights claims for whatever alleged ills befell them. Congrats on that.

Covington had a retreat at the Greenbrier this year. Significant others/spouses/families were invited (many attended), and the firm paid for everything: golf, spa treatments, meals, etc.

Latham normally has a weeklong retreat for summers in Arizona, but next year it will be in Vegas.

Latham normally has a weeklong retreat for summers in Arizona, but next year it will be in Vegas.

2:41 - sounds like you did a good job finding a firm that is a good fit for you.

and GDC's all associate event (every 3 years) also had Lance Armstrong, Bob Woodward, Elizabeth Blair, Jennifer Hudson, Paul Rusesabagina (the real guy from Hotel Rwanda), and others.

Baker Botts (Dallas) does an end of the summer retreat at the Four Seasons. SA get to play the TPC Byron Nelson course and/or get spa treatment.

OMM's Pasadena blowout had Mike Tyson, John Grisham, Nancy Reagan, Peaches, and Erin Brockovich (the real woman from 'Erin Brockovich'), freestyle rapping on a surround-sound karaoke machine set up next to the pool. And the firm subsidized all the meals (vouchers for the restaurant). It killed.

Mike Tyson killed, too.

It looks like most firms listed here allow spouses/SO's to come along. We don't have a retreat and spouses/SO's aren't even permitted to come to most social gatherings.

Lat, can you do a post on what benefits associates get for bringing on new clients? Some firms appear to give budget relief for time spent. Some give you a percentage of any fees generated while some give you a pat on the back and say thanks for the money.

3:29, you are a rapscallion. Although many of my clients admittedly do not have civil rights claims, they are all being played dirty by you and by the other posters. This bad faith is evidenced by the fact that you cannot even have a message board that has not been hijacked by former cheerleaders (working as recruiting coordinators) for LA Biglaw. You are all dogs.

4:04 - kudos for use of the word "rapscallion."

What is a rapscallion? Is that higher or lower than Special Counsel?

I bent my rapscallion.

4:19: either way, not as good as "scalliwag", but close.

I like grilled rapscallion, in cream sauce.

I do believe that my broader message is being ignored. You are nevertheless still dogs. And, having participated in both plaintiff and defense biglaw boons, I'll stick with the former. At the American Association of Justice (f/k/a ATLA) convention in Chicago, we had a rock band (albeit the rock band Chicago), plenty of booze, all of the Democratic candidates for president to woo us for money (Hillary is taller than I had expected), and CLE courses on how to punk lame biglaw defense lawyers. Further, I have no fear about writing about booze because my office, like most plaintiffs' offices, has a keg; we also do not work on weekends. (FYI: Posts associating plaintiffs' allegedly substandard work product with readily available alcohol will be deemed obvious.)

My firm makes associates share rooms on retreats because, unlike SulCrom, they encourage unnatural relationships between associates. They think it boosts cohesiveness, like in the ancient athenian army.

You mean the Spartans, not the Athenians.

Chicago is pretty pathetically lame, but kudos for everything else, especially beer and justice

4:48 -- your inability to distinguish between "former" and "latter" may have more to do with why you work for a plaintiff's firm. Just sayin'.

Wow... I had no idea that ATLA had changed its name to the "American Association for Justice." How incredibly pretentious. (Can't say I'm shocked).

What inability, imbecile? I said plaintiffs and I meant plaintiffs. Perhaps your life as a defense lawyer in the shadows has dulled your perceptions. You are a dog.

Good point, 4:52. A&B has a lot of inter-office romances, so maybe the firm just figures it is saving $ that would be wasted otherwise.

Luke,

Enough with these dog defense lawyers insulting you. Is your plaintiffs' firm hiring? Take me off this billing Death Star.

4:59, don't mean to start a spat ala the plaintiff/defense bar spat currently raging, but I seem to remember from a college classics course that this stuff was common and systematically encouraged in the athenian army. Didn't socrates alude to it in one of Plato's dialogues? If not, whatever.
One note to firms that have people share rooms on retreats: propensity to snore + wine or beer with dinner = chainsaw noises all night long. This did not boost comeraderie, at least between me and the guy snorring in next bed over. For the record, we did not have an unnatural relationship, but he insisted on kjeeping the room so cold that I did wish he'd hold me.

Boies Schiller has an annual retreat in Jamaica. The firm pays for airfare, hotel and some meals for the attorney and the attorney's spouse and kids (if they have any).

What time of the year is this Hershey trip? Do incoming first years get to go to any cool trip for K&E in the fall?

Rapscalliette (at 5:34) you are obviously both intelligent and elegant. Any firm would be lucky to have you. Nevertheless, this page does welcome my plaintiffs' ilk; accordingly, I bid you adieu. Do not fear the billing Death Star. When the time is right, we will come for you. So long for now. . . .

You mean plaintiffs' lawyers don't work on weekends? No wonder their work product sucks so hard.

Luke,

I know you are testing my proofreading skills by omitting the word "not" from your post. Never fear. I will be there to prevent you from filing complaints that, by way of typographical errors, admit your clients have no claim.

I will be waiting when you come for me.

Would you both just fuck and get it over with? The cross-bar sexual tension in too much.

What, no mention of Howrey and their faboo bootcamp?

6:27: you are a master. I prostrate myself before you.

My firm takes "annual" trips down the Hershey Highway. Guess my firm.

Morgan Lewis SF/LA has sweet overnight camping & rafting trips for summer associates.

DLA piper's summer retreat was hosted at the Hotel Del Coronado... included a dinner cruise and a night out in the downtown Gaslamp.

Retreats are dreadful. They are NOT a "perk," no matter where they are held. I'd rather work for 48 hours straight and not get any billable credit for the time, than be trapped for 2 days in a resort with my coworkers trying to pretend like I'm enjoying myself.

Just give me two days of vacation time, or pay me in cash what it would cost for me to attend. Or hell, just let me sit in the office. Who actually likes this crap? And who possibly benefits from this massive waste of money and time?

Holland & Hart has an amazing firm retreat for all the summers in Aspen. Whoo hoo!

Dear Brilliant People:

I am sorry for posting about the OMM retreat in Pasadena, not just once, but three separate times. For this error, I deserve to have my fingers sliced off and to be publicly shamed. Please accept my deepest apologies. What can I say? I am too stupid to work a computer and do not deserve to be an attorney, much less live. Thank you for pointing out the error of my ways.

OMM has a retreat in Pasadena?

Calm down, 12:11. It's not like anyone even knows who you are. Lawyers are such perfectionists.

Arent Fox does an annual retreat for all atorneys and spouses, kids. Past retreats were at the Baltimore Inner Harbor Marriot, Hershey Hotel, Kingsmill in Virginia.

Arent Fox does an annual retreat for all atorneys and spouses, kids. Past retreats were at the Baltimore Inner Harbor Marriot, Hershey Hotel, Kingsmill in Virginia.

Sorry about the double post, connection problems.

Every evening, I retreat into a nice, warm bottle of brown liquor.

My firm doesn't give any treats, nevermind retreats . . .