Career Center Survey Results: Top Partners to Work For – Smaller Legal Markets (Part 1)

After making our way across the country, which included stops in New York, Washington, D.C., and California, the final leg of this Career Center series on the Top Partners to Work For will cover some of the smaller legal markets.

Today we head back to the east coast to focus on Boston’s best Biglaw partners who work at the following top firms: Foley Hoag, Proskauer Rose, Skadden, Mintz Levin, Cooley, Greenberg Traurig, and Ropes & Gray.

Let’s see which partners made the cut….

Hemmie Chang. An associate commends Chang, a Foley Hoag corporate partner and chair of the Licensing & Strategic Alliances Group, for being a “compassionate and competent partner,” “one of the friendliest partners to work under and a true mentor,” and a “pleasure to work for.” In addition, “[n]ever would she have a harsh word to say nor would she lose her patience.”

Steven Boyko. Associates are eager to work for Boyko, a Proskauer Rose corporate partner and co-head of the Junior Capital Group, because: “Steve is extremely smart and thoughtful. He knows his business, the market and the people. He takes the time to explain concepts to associates and includes associates in client meetings. Steve is a rare lawyer in that he is completely hands on and when he provides a markup of your work, he has clearly given it a lot of thought. We can all learn a lot from him and I try my darndest to get on as many of his deals as possible. He has interesting clients and is very respectful of associates, treating us as his equal.”

Thomas Dougherty. An associate praises Dougherty, a Skadden litigation partner and head of the Litigation Group in the firm’s Boston office, for being “[p]atient and calm,” “the best mentor at the firm,” and “the reason for the Boston office’s tremendous growth.”

Susan Finegan. Finegan, a Mintz Levin litigation and pro bono partner, sets the bar for the firm in all survey categories, and is “an all-around phenomenal person.”

Patrick Mitchell. What makes Mitchell, a Cooley corporate partner, “without a doubt one of Cooley’s biggest assets,” is that he is “incredibly knowledgeable and insightful,” “he always has time to answer questions and is an invaluable resource in the development of junior attorneys,” “his door is always open regardless if you are working with him or not,” and “he has a sincere interest in developing you technically and professionally.”

Robert Puopolo. A Greenberg Traurig corporate partner, Puopolo is “well regarded among the associates of both his current and former firm.” In fact, “[i]t is widely known that associates at Goodwin (both in NY and Boston) still call him for career advice and with general legal questions.” The associate adds, “[h]e is so interested in legal questions, I am surprised he is not a law professor.”

Robert Skinner. A Ropes & Gray litigation partner, Skinner is described as “a phenomenal human being” and received the highest ratings in all survey categories.

Check back next week for our Top Partner series finale, which will cover the smaller legal markets of Chicago, Dallas, and London. In the meantime, you can find out more about the top law firms at which these partners work by visiting the Career Center, powered by Lateral Link.