ATL March Madness: Which Perk Do You Want From Your Firm?
It's time to start the first round of voting in this year's March Madness competition.
It’s time to unveil the first half of our March Madness bracket. Last week, we asked our tipsters to tell us about the perks they love at their firms. We got a few good tips through email and text. We did not get anything useful from our commenters (except for a well-played Scarface shot by Fr0zt and T-Bag confessing that he pimps out the staff), but that stands to reason because to tip about top law firms, the commenters would need to be “employable” or “lawyers,” which is asking a lot.
But even with the help we received, we didn’t hear about nearly as many mouth-watering fringe benefits as we’d expected. I guess it really isn’t the oughts anymore.
So we’ll be unveiling this year’s March Madness: “What perk do you want from your firm?” in two parts. First up, eight perks offered by law firms for your voting pleasure. Tomorrow, we’ll unveil the eight perks offered by the “real world” of corporate America that law firms should adopt.
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Without further ado, here’s our seeding:
1. All-Expense Anywhere — It’s hard to argue with a perk this extravagant earning the 1 seed. Bartlit Beck in Chicago has garnered headlines with its over-the-top vacation perk for years that makes its associates the envy of working stiffs everywhere. According to our tipster:
Our firm gives every associate an annual all-expenses paid “associate’s weekend.” Associates can take their significant other (or a friend) on a 4-day vacation, all paid for by the firm. The firm covers plane fare, hotel, meals and all activities for the weekend. Each associate gets to pick the place – anywhere in the lower 48. Post Ranch Inn? Amangani? The Plaza in New York? Mardi Gras? The U.S. Open? You name it. This unparalleled (as far as we know) perk allows associates to experience things we wouldn’t typically do for ourselves – rent a Ferrari for the weekend, play Pebble Beach, scalp Super Bowl tickets, order that bottle of over-the-top wine with dinner. And it’s a family affair. Associates can take the kids if they want, or if you decide to go without kids, the firm will pay for the babysitter.
2. The $2000 To Work Anywhere — We’ve taken some jabs at the setup of Quinn Emanuel’s new marketing initiative, but you can’t argue with its clever policy to encourage working on the road. As we’ve detailed before, the firm offers associates $2000 to travel anywhere in the world for a week on the condition they agree to “check you emails” and remain available during regular working hours. Still, your off hours in Rio beat the hell out of hanging out in your apartment.
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3. Tuition Repayment — There are a few different firms that offer some variety of this program, but we’ll credit Finnegan Henderson with starting the trend by offering to kick in for its staff to go to law school. A number of patent firms offer similar programs for patent agents to become patent lawyers. Regardless of the firm and the particulars of the program, as law schools dial up the debt, this may be the single most practical perk out there.
4. Snooze or Cruise — There’s not a ton of positive reinforcement in Biglaw. Do your job right and your reward is keeping your job. Which is actually a pretty good perk to my mind. But if you’re more needy, Cooley has your back, awarding special dispensation for good work allowing associates to take two hours to sleep in or bug out early at a time of their choosing.
5. Dancing With The Stars Competition — We can’t have Cooley reaching the next round with two perks, so we’ve decided to pit the two entries we got from Cooley people against each other. Fortune made a point of listing this one when it pegged Cooley as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For. Honestly, I don’t get how this is a perk. Unless the perk is you select your least favorite lawyers in the firm to embarrass themselves on the dance floor for your amusement. That I could get behind. Dance, monkeys, dance!
6. In vitro — We’ll credit O’Melveny as the leader when it comes to offering a high-tech helping hand to its female associates. The firm is known for covering the cost of various fertility treatments, up to and including in vitro, for female associates who whiled away too many years slaving away at their desk rather than starting a family. On the one hand, congratulations for recognizing the life sacrifice many associates make for the firm. On the other hand, isn’t this a sad commentary on the life of a young associate?
7. Vegas, Baby — Freeborn & Peters LLC has an interesting twist on a travel benefitcalled a “luggage party”:
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Dorothy Murrell, events coordinator at Freeborn, said the firm pays for perks including weekly attorney lunches on the company’s dime, treats on the first day of baseball season and an annual “luggage party.” On that day, any staff member, except for equity partners, interested in going on a weekend Las Vegas trip brings a suitcase to work, and four employees are randomly selected to be “whisked away” in a limousine to the airport for the weekend at no cost.
This sounds awesome… if you’re picked. If you’re not, didn’t you spend the night packing and then lug your bag all the way to the office for no reason?
8. Wine and Cheese — No list of benefits is complete without law firms getting you drunk after working you like a dog. Cleary has wine and cheese (which in my experience was more beer-heavy), but I know it’s not alone. A number of firms hand out free booze and snacks every Friday to congratulate each other on making it through the week without a complete meltdown. It’s a nice gesture that’s at least honest about how desperately you need a drink by Friday afternoon.
So here’s the bracket for this region:
And now let’s vote!
Which Perk Do You Want From Your Firm?
- (1) All-Expense Anywhere (97%, 675 Votes)
- (8) Wine & Cheese (3%, 24 Votes)
Total Voters: 699
Loading ...Which Perk Do You Want From Your Firm?
- (2) $2000 To Work Anywhere (88%, 587 Votes)
- (7) Vegas Baby (12%, 81 Votes)
Total Voters: 668
Loading ...Which Perk Do You Want From Your Firm?
- (3) Tuition Repayment (79%, 519 Votes)
- (6) In vitro (21%, 142 Votes)
Total Voters: 661
Loading ...Which Perk Do You Want From Your Firm?
- (4) Snooze or Cruise (91%, 593 Votes)
- (5) Dancing With The Stars (9%, 61 Votes)
Total Voters: 654
Loading ...Polls are open now, and voting will continue through Tuesday, March 24, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern.
