Sullivan & Cromwell to 190K Bonsai Trees!
Think of law firm recruiting as a war. America’s top law firms are engaged in a battle to the death, vying for the best young legal minds in the country. And in this war, Sullivan & Cromwell is bringing out the heavy artillery.
Sources report that S&C is sending its offerees… BONSAI TREES!!!
We asked one bonsai tree recipient to speculate on what S&C is trying to say with these gifts:
There’s no message with them (other than a “Compliments of Sullivan & Cromwell” card). Bonsai trees live a long time. Perhaps they want us to grow old with the firm?
Or maybe to “bend over” like a bonsai?
Another theory: “[M]aybe it is a test to see if we can keep them alive by the time the summer rolls around.”
Interesting. Perhaps the firm can give a special prize to the S&C summer associate with the best bonsai tree at the start of the program?
More about S&C’s odd horticultural booty, after the jump.
These gifts, while strange, are being well-received by the recruits:
I’m a law student, not a botanist. But, I think the bonsai tree shows that they care. They also sent really high-end cookies: http://www.elenis.com.Regardless, it IS Sullivan, and it’s hard not to accept an offer there.
From another bonsai recipient:
[A] little background: the head of recruiting at S&C is Patty Morrissy (previously head of recruiting at Paul Weiss)… She is *not* your typical young, chipper, pretty recruiting lady. She’s smart, hyper-professional, well-spoken, etc. Very much worthy of marketing the S&C brand.This all shows during the recruiting process: she reserves the best restaurants, provides stacks of S&C umbrellas at winter receptions (versus the chip-clips Kirkland gives you and the reams of advertisements you get at Cravath), gives callback interviewees magnetically-sealed information packets with notepads personalized with the interviewee’s name, etc. A miniaturized tree waiting for us when we got home fits her style. (Remember, S&C gives its offers in person at the end of your final interview during the callback.)
So the purpose was to continue Patti’s tradition of high brow recruiting (no firm-branded keychains here), and yes it makes me more comfortable about the types of perks we’ll see at the firm.
Like Kiehl’s products for gay associates. Good stuff!
P.S. Advice to S&C’s media relations people: to ensure favorable coverage in the Wall Street Journal, send a bonsai tree to reporter Nathan Koppel. He’s really into bonsai trees. See here.
(65) Comments
Comments
FIRST
First!
SECOND
THIRD
I hope Bonsai trees can survive without water or sunlight because they'll be withering away in the first year associates' apartments while the associates spend 110 hours a week in the office.
I wan't a Bonsai tree! Instead, I get treated like a mushroom.
*sends S&C a bonsai tree, waits*
Please expound upon S&C giving you an offer in person at the end of your last interview. All of your previous interviewers consult before then and make up their mind on the spot?
Waaah I only make $160,000 plus bonus.
Waaah I want $190,000 plus bonus.
Waaah why doesn't Loyola 2L stop complaining. Such a whiner. Waaah.
ELEVENTH!!
L2L - Look at that last post you just wrote. That's even below you. You've gone from making some decent points in the old days to incoherently babbling. Enough already. Stay above the fray or go away.
10:55
There are quite a few big firms that do that (or give it to you at dinner) - the last interview will typically be with a lower level associate and the partners that really decide make the call before you leave.
Yeah L2L - what's your problem?!?!? Trying to make a joke and all...
11:00, anyone can post as L2L.
My salary, as compared to my debt load, is like comparing a bonsai tree to a great oak.
What's with the white guys with Asian girls fetish. You rarely see Asian guys with white girls. Who the hell do Asian guys get?
It strikes me as extremely problematic that S&C would deliver bonsai trees to prospective first-year associates. It's not only indicative of a certain arrogance and aloofness, its emblematic of a complete disregard for the inner sanctity of both would-be associates and bonsai trees alike. Would they ship a puppy this way? Bonsai is a beautiful form of art, and for it to be degraded as such is truly despicable. I strongly urge S&C to withdraw this practice, and I urge prospective first-year associates to return their bonsai in protest (or donate it to a local bonsai rescue facility).
Kaavya, you had me going until the parenthetical. Good work.
http://www.shorty.com/bonsaikitten/index.html
11:07,
I think the fetish you cite goes the other way, i.e., girl to guy, not guy to girl. Ponder why.
That is really, really cool. I want one. Also, I got my offer at the end of my last callback interview. Any idea how many firms do this as a rule or at least sometimes?
Korean guys are like a very expensive piece of art. You fancy it, you dream about it, you drool at it, you wanted so bad to reach out and touch it, own it, be a slave to it, but it's not within your reach. You can afford it sometimes but you can't have it.
My roomate in college is European (Swedish) and she went out with this gorgeous Korean hunk. They dated for about 2 years and we all truly believe that they are a match made in heaven. In the end, this Korean guy broke it off not because he does't love her anymore, but because she does not fit into his traditional Korean family. My Swedish roomie felt so betrayed and I have always wanted to meet the guy again and give him a slap on the face!
From http://www.d-addicts.com/forum/viewtopic_38187_0.htm
This way, when new associates are slaving away at their desks during the holidays, they can put miniature lights and ornaments on their well-groomed Bonsai, and viola! Instant holiday cheer!
Chestnuts roasting on an open Bonsai fire...
this explains a lot -- I seriously thought my bonsai tree was weed -- but nothing happened when I tried to smoke it. so disappointed.
Cumberland to Chia Pets!!!
Bonsai trees are cool.
anyone know where to get a bonsai tree in nyc (besides s&c, of course)?
FIRST!
To find a bonsai in NYC, you have to take your girlfriend to a big sinkhole and lower yourself and your girlfriend down the side with a rope. Beware of Cobra Kai at all times during this process.
there's a big bonsai shop in Brooklyn. I think they're creatively named it Brooklyn Bonsai or something like that. It's out of the way (perhaps Bensonhurst?), but you can order online.
Let's start a thread on all the tacky gifts firms send after your offer -
This weekend Mayer Brown (the people who strangely provided everyone with toothpaste and shampoo during OCI) FedEx-ed everyone giant 3-lb boxes of brownies from Palo Alto
This is a true story. unfortunately, though, my bonsai tree is going without water for the week as I am in NYC for more interviews. Maybe it was a ploy to keep us from visting other firms?
Last year Hogan & Hartson DC sent chocolate covered pretzles and chocolate covered Oreos to people who accepted their offers.
That's an awesome recruiting gift. Way, way classier than a tin of cheap candies you take and leave in the Journal office to subdue your on-the-verge-of-a-breakdown MEs. Understated and unique. I'm impressed.
(And no, am not a recruit. But I wish I was sent a bonsai tree!)
WGWAG
I think it's adorable how the law student quoted in the post thinks that S&C's sending a Bonsai tree means they "care." Yes, those, loving, caring law firms who feel deeply concerned about their associates' happiness. That's where we all work, in magical Happyland, where we live in gumdrop houses on Lollipop Lane!
I summered at Hogan in DC last summer and they did not send pretzels or chocolate Oreos out to anyone. EJ?
Anyone know where they sent the trees from? Any pics? Any idea what type of tree?
I'm just curious...
They sent them from Wilson Custom Floral. I already tried to find a website, but I was unsuccessful.
My tree came yesterday - the feng shui of my apartment has already improved drastically.
Do you know what type of tree? Was it a ficus or a fukien tea? How large would you say it is?
It's some sort of an evergreen: a Juniper or Cyprus maybe?
It's about 4-5 inches tall.
And sadly, it did not come with care instructions. Mine is sure to die....
Holy Shit! Magnetically-sealed information packets! I'm going to work there!
I really do kind of want a bonsai tree. Except that I am pretty sure my cat would try to eat it.
Amend my earlier post - Not Wilson, it's William.
It even has little rocks around the base of its trunk. Without a doubt, the classiest recruiting related object I've seen.
I didn't get one ... are they only for the NY office?
The dirt fell out of the box all over my floor when it came. It is by far, the strangest gift I have ever gotten from a soulless, powerful partnership.
9:29 - excellent double-Simpson's reference...
My dirt went all over the floor too, 9:12, and mine also did not have little rocks on the base like 8:23. I may never make Partner there, but at least I'll always have my bonzai
Winston & Strawn has sent several cheap bottles of wine. It's not an exotic asian plant, but at least you can get some good buzz from it.
Just performing my civic duty - I am in no way associated to the site I'm posting - just a bit of online resources:
http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=646995
http://www.shbonsai.com/care_juniper.html
Good luck taking care of them - they say Bonsai make for not-so-good gifts... as most of the time it brings more frustration than happyness... Good luck!
Dirt all over my floor too, 9:12 and 10:03. Odd, odd gift.
On the whole "same day offer thing". . . let me just begin by saying that, despite my best efforts, I managed to get “dinged” by S&C. This story is my therapy.
After my final interview (with the low-level associate), the hiring partner was "unavailable" for literally an hour and forty-five minutes. During that time, the "professional recruiting woman" of whom you speak invited me to wait in the little purgatory S&C has set up overlooking the "heliport"—the one with four, facing "plairs" (pleather chairs), two windows, and as many old pastries as you can stomach. I think she may have been hoping I'd take notes on my personalized stationary about how great I thought S&C was, but I just made small talk with the other candidates who meandered in and out.
Finally, after I’d indulged in three cups of coffee and a bottle of water, I was summoned. “Mr. [X] can see you now.” I was nervous but trying not to show it when I walked into the office. I remember hoping that I had made the appropriate amount of eye contact and praying the partner didn’t notice that my right hand was a little damp when we shook.
After brief introductions, he then asked me if "[I] wouldn't mind waiting for a second while [he] shot off [an] important email." One email turned into a phone call, and the phone call turned into ten minutes spent yelling at his secretary in a desperate attempt to set up conference rooms and lunch for the next day. I thought about leaving several times; however, my hunger for prestige or acceptance or whatever kept me in my seat—hoping he’d come in with the good news. Maybe he’d bring me some more of those tasty S&C logo cookies that I’d been so excited to receive 36 hours after my screening interview.
He didn’t. When he was finally able to acknowledge me again, he asked if I had any questions. I was so wired from the coffee and the waiting and the anticipation that I simply said, “I don’t . . . sir.” He seemed pleased. He then made a brief apology about “the delay” and told me that “[t]wo of [my] interviewers hadn’t gotten back to [him].” He apologized again and said he would call me personally later that afternoon or early the next morning.
I left the office feeling “ok” and met up with my associate “lunch dates” for a scheduled lunch—although, by that time, it was actually dinner. We grabbed a ride, and the associates immediately asked me how “it” had gone. I recounted the partner’s story. As soon as I saw their reactions I knew that I had been rejected. We had a pleasant dinner and went our separate ways.
I took the subway back to my apartment and tried to burn my plastic/magnet/personalized stationary in the sink. It just smelled like rubber and set off my smoke detector. Several days later a classmate told me that she had the exact same experience—sans fire of course.
Advice: S&C offers on the same day. But, being the high-powered, hard-nosed, bet-the-company negotiators that they are, S&C prefers to lie and then send rejections several weeks later on cheap, manila stationary. Anything other than “offer” is likely “no.”
Lessons:
(1) Walk out if they make you wait anywhere near that long. If they want you, they won’t make you wait. Is any firm worth debasing yourself?
(2) The black, plastic binder does not burn. Rip the personalized paper and attorney bios out and burn that.
Wanted: “S&C bonsai tree.” I’ve learned my lesson. This time I’ll take the batteries out of the smoke detector.
Awesome story. Just for the record, Cravath (and I used to be at paralegal there, and sometimes the evil paralegal "manager" and I use that term loosely, used to force us to take candidates around) sometimes gives same day offers, but sometimes the partners really are busy. But they won't make you wait--they'll send you on your way and tell ya later, good or bad. So leaving CS&M is NOT an auto-ding.
Interesting fact: If a Bonsai tree dies, it's hard to tell. You can be watering them and tending to them for a while and never know...like an associate? Cosmic coincidence, grasshoppa...
That is an excellent, excellent recounting of how my interview at S&C went (except mine ended with a bonzai tree and dirt all over my apartment 4 days later).
Someone answer the previous question: is this only for NYC office offerees? I'm an offeree in another city, and I'm feeling lack of arbor amour. Envy! Now I know what it feels like to have a small...
How could we possibly know if it's only for the NY office? The trees did not come with a note that said "For S&C NY offerees only."
10:35, you could read 10:31's post for starters.
I would rather have $190K than a bonsai tree - but it is far better than the crap other firms give you.
10:49, 10:31 could also read his own post and figure it out. That was my point. We know just as well as he does.
Two things: 1) they made me wait, ended up taking me out to scheduled lunch while I waited, then made me wait some more because the hiring partner had a lunch, then made me an offer before i left, so waiting isn't always bad.
2) i'm in ny, so where's my bonsai tree?
10:35/11:02 -- I was 10:31... don't you see the difference between knowing that *I* didn't receive a tree and knowing that *all* others in non-NYC offices didn't receive trees? I can't disprove a negative without someone else chiming in with a positive. So I was fishing to see if anyone in another market *did* receive a tree.
I didn't get an offer on the same day from S&C. Instead, they had me come back in a week later to talk to another partner in the area I was interested. They finally gave me an offer after my second call-back. They are nothing if not thorough.
S&C gave you little bonsai?
You think they care? That is a lie!
They will work you like dog,
you will complain in your blog,
until at your desk, you die.
I got one of those "bonsai"...but although it was in a little dish like a bonsai, Im pretty sure it is actually not a bonsai...it lookslike a regular little bush and not like any breed of bonsai I've ever seen before (Im Japanese btw)...and it's curly like one of those lucky bamboo things you sometimes see