We received 1,036 responses to last week's ATL / Lateral Link survey on where you'd most want to work, which, in turn, was based on your nominations last month.

Here's how it turned out:

Survey Results: Which Firm Would You Most Want To Work For?

Overall, Latham & Watkins dominated the field, pulling in almost one fifth of all votes. Latham was the most popular choice among voters in L.A., the Bay Area, and Washington, DC, and was particularly favored by tax lawyers and litigators.

Runner-up Wachtell was actually the top choice of respondents in New York, narrowly besting Davis Polk and Latham. It was also, by far, the most popular pick among M&A lawyers, with roughly 30% of their vote.

Kirkland placed third overall, but was the top choice of Chicago respondents and patent lawyers, with almost twice as many votes as the next most popular firm in Chicago (Latham) and almost as many patent votes as the next two firms combined (Latham and Quinn).

Williams & Connolly, Ropes & Gray, and Davis Polk tied for fourth, with Ropes & Gray dominating the Boston vote, Williams & Connolly pwning DC (and gaining the second highest vote from litigators after Latham), and Davis Polk rocking the investment management scene (with Ropes & Gray running second best in that field).

Paul Hastings was the clear winner among labor & employment attorneys, winning almost 70% of the vote, and was also the most popular choice among real estate attorneys and lawyers in Atlanta.

On the Magic Circle front, Linklaters proved more popular than Allen & Overy, and was actually the most popular choice among securities lawyers. Allen & Overy was the most popular choice among structured finance attorneys.

So far, almost 1,000 ballots have been cast in this week's ATL / Lateral Link survey on where you'd most want to work, and it's clear that some firms are trying to win those votes.

Front-runner Latham has announced a "no layoffs" promise, and Ropes & Gray has upped the ante on the cool factor with revelations of card sharking partners. Speaking of cool, let's not forget that Quinn Emanuel's firm retreat is in Switzerland. Switzerland.

But while the firms work the vote, how do they work you? Are your assignments handed out by a careful administrator, or overseen by a mentor? Or is there a free market where you choose your own adventure?

Let's find out, in today's ATL / Lateral Link survey.

This month's ATL / Lateral Link survey, focused on which firm you would choose if you could go anywhere, was dominated by Latham & Watkins and Wachtell Lipton. But several firms were close behind.

  * Respondents had several reasons to applaud Latham: "Prestige", "Friends there are happy", "Awesome firm, awesome people", "They rock", "Prestige, substantive work, great litigation practice", and "Top notch clients and matters; kick ass bonuses; selective hiring in a good way (need good grades plus a good; personality); Vault top 10 without the stuffiness of originating on the east coast; good growth but no risk of Brobecking (great management + tons of funds).....should I go on?" Or, as one respondent summed it up: "ass kickers."

  * At Wachtell, with 2007 profits per partner of $4.48 million, money played a key factor in respondents' enthusiasm for the firm: "100% bonus", "money", "it's all about the cash", "I want the compensation!", "money honey" and, of course, "CASH."

  * "Money" was also a big plus for Cravath (even though their profits per partner were a mere $3.3 million). Voters also noted "Prestige, training, can go anywhere else afterwards."

  * "Prestige" and "Exit opportunities" also won several votes for Skadden, who also had more than $2 billion in revenues last year. (Their SideBar program is pretty cool, too.)

  * "Bonuses and work" were praised at Kirkland & Ellis, as was stability: "They're well positioned for the credit crunch and M&A downturn. And the pay's better, of course."

  * Sullivan & Cromwell was also coveted for "good work, and $$$$" as well as "reputation." With profits per partner of $3.13 million, that "$$$$" is appealing at multiple levels.

  * Paul Hastings surged in popularity as respondents complemented their labor & employment practice and their compensation structures in Atlanta and Chicago.

  * In an incendiary match-up, Davis Polk was heralded as "da bomb", while Boston heavyweight Ropes & Gray was declared "the bomb."

  * Among the Magic Circle firms, Allen & Overy supporters declared "Great offices, european attitude" while Linklaters was called "the best globally, both in equity and debt."

  * Debevoise won several votes for its combination of "prestige and culture".

  * Litigators were torn between Quinn Emanuel, where "hard core litigators with a great reputation" create an atmosphere where "[p]ersonality, quirkiness, and fun seem prevalent," and Williams & Connolly, as "the best litigatio[n] shop. Period."

So of these fourteen juggernauts of practice, prestige, and sweet, sweet profits, who would you most like to work for?

Cast your vote in today's ATL / Lateral Link survey, after the jump.

Last week's ATL / Lateral Link survey asked, "If you knew then what you know today, would you still choose to join your current firm?"

We received 540 responses, and, overall 68% of you said yes. But the gruntlement (i.e., satisfaction) varied quite a bit from market to market:

  • Atlanta - 50%
  • Boston - 74%
  • Bay Area - 79%
  • Chicago - 70%
  • Dallas - 80%
  • Houston - 82%
  • Los Angeles - 71%
  • New York - 71%
  • Philadelphia - 75%
  • Washington, DC - 68%

Apparently, "everything is bigger in Texas" includes job satisfaction, and the Bay Area is close behind, followed by Philadelphia. Meanwhile, firms in Boston have managed to produce slightly happier associates than firms in New York, notwithstanding the city's often lamented bagels and challenging pizza scene -- a challenge Chicago offices, hampered by quiche deep dish pizza, have been unable to surmount. Washington, DC lags a bit behind, and Atlanta clearly needs a hug.

Associates at a few firms were particularly likely to say they'd make the same choice today. Find out which firms have especially happy campers, after the jump.

The Ropes & Gray bonus memo, which some of you have already started discussing over here, appears after the jump. It outlines bonuses for the three most junior classes (2005-2007).

The firm appears to be paying market-level special bonuses to (1) New York associates and (2) certain associates outside of New York. But the memo is, as one commenter puts it, "very slippery":

In recognition of the extraordinary contribution associates have made to our success this year, the bonus ranges include a one-time special bonus ranging up to $10,000 for the class of 2006 and up to $15,000 for the class of 2005. Special bonuses are paid to New York associates and to other associates whose work commitment to the firm is comparable to that of associates in New York firms.

As previously announced, we vary from announced bonus ranges in unusual circumstances where an associate's performance review is substantially below our expectations or an associate's work commitment is substantially below our goal of 1,900 average billable and pro bono hours.

One Ropes source is displeased about the current state of affairs:

The firm appears to have over-hired in New York. Certain groups do not have enough work to meet the 1900 "soft" requirement. That would be fine because business is business, but some associates who were not given enough work to meet this limit were trashed at their reviews, and it was insinuated that it was their fault for not being able to get work. The end-goal seems to be to portray [a departure from lockstep pay] as a matter of associate incompetence rather than a failure to meet hours. Obviously, this story that is more palatable for publicity and recruiting purposes.

The complete memo, after the jump.

* Dems to propose new surveillance bill? [Newsweek]

* Only a Garrison Keillor stalker would call it "transcendental love." [CNN]

* Pearl drops lawsuit against terrorists. [MSNBC]

* Law firm World Series. [WSJ Law Blog]

* Today's stupid crimes from Court TV. [CourtTV]

We think this latest Vault 100 law firm thread will be a good one. Here are the five firms now on the table for discussion (in Vault 100 order, with prestige scores in parentheses):

26. Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft (6.648)
27. Hogan & Hartson LLP (6.622)
28. Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP (6.615)
29. Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP (6.588)
30. Ropes & Gray LLP (6.566)

We expect (formerly bedbug-infested) Cadwalader to generate a fair amount of discussion, since we hear associate morale over there ain't so hot. Consider this comment, from the morning's open thread on happy hours:

At my anonymous law firm they pour water in a trough and hang a feed bag in a conference room daily, they then ring a bell and let us know we have 2 minutes to eat and drink before we must get back to work ... Man, I love working at Cadwalader... Oops.

And we also expect interesting stuff about Mayer Brown. From a tipster:

Would you consider running a piece on the troubles at Mayer Brown? You've already reported on their partners being fired/leaving, the Refco mess, and their unhappy associates. I think some open speculation on where their firm is going would be very enjoyable at this point.

So have at 'em, in the comments. Thanks.

The Vault Top 100 Law Firms [Vault]

Earlier: Vault 1-5; Vault 6-10; Vault 11-15; Vault 16-20; Vault 21-25

Yes, that's right. In its New York office, Ropes & Gray has upped its clerkship bonus to $50,000 (and $35,000 in its other offices). If you have two years of clerkship experience, you'll get $70,000 -- no matter what office you're in.

From the firm website:

Our annual salary for first-year associates, in all of our offices, is $160,000. Associates joining Ropes & Gray from one or two years of clerking are treated as members of their law school class for compensation purposes. Associates joining our New York office receive a bonus of $50,000 if they clerked for one year and $70,000 for two years of clerking; associates joining our other offices receive a bonus of $35,000 if they clerked for one year and $70,000 for two years of clerking.

We haven't heard much clerkship bonus news lately. If you know of a move that we haven't previously reported on, please email us. Thanks.

Compensation & Benefits [Ropes & Gray]

That's what we're hearing in the comments. And by email, too:

Ropes in Boston has bumped to $160K for 1st years, $170K for 2nd years, $185 for 3rd years, etc.

Don't know more, because they've told people not to send out the memo, but I suspect you can find out the rest :-)

According to this comment, the alleged Ropes raise also extends to the firm's non-New York offices: Palo Alto, San Francisco, and Washington, DC.

Now, we don't consider this confirmed. All we have our some anonymous comments, and an email from a source who isn't at Ropes. We also don' t have a memo.

If you have a copy of the alleged memo, please feel free to post it in the comments. That wouldn't qualify as "send[ing] out" the memo, would it?

Update: The Ropes & Gray pay raise memo, which someone posted in the comments, has been authenticated for us by a source at the firm. So treat this news as confirmed.

According to this post at Greedy NY, the New York office of Ropes & Gray has matched the market bonuses, with respect to its most junior classes (who are paid lockstep bonuses -- more senior classes are not).

Here's the posting, which includes some non-NYC compensation figures (since some of you have been asking after them):

Matches for lockstep classes. Bonuses were actually $5K higher in Boston, D.C. and California offices to make up in part for lower $135K salaries in outside NYC. Above class of 2004 is not lockstep.

New York
Class Bonus Total Comp
2006 $30,000 $175,000
2005 $35,000 $180,000
2004 $40,000 $195,000

Other Offices
Class Bonus Total Comp
2006 $35,000 $170,000
2005 $40,000 $175,000
2004 $45,000 $190,000

We'd be interested in hearing about firms with significant pay differentials between their New York and non-New York associates.

A number of big firms -- e.g., Skadden and S&C -- pay their associates the same nationwide. At Ropes, if the above data is correct, the total compensation difference is only $5K. This seems negligible, especially given the high cost of living in New York.

(This Ropes data sounds reasonable to us, but we haven't verified it independently. If you're at Ropes and believe any of this to be incorrect, please drop us a line.)

Ropes matches [Infirmation / Greedy NY]

At the White House:

* On the heels of Christopher Oprison and Cheryl Stanton, former Wilmer Hale partner Paul Eckert joins the White House Counsel's Office.

Lateral Moves:

* Nicholas H. Politan, to Gibson Dunn & Crutcher (NY), from Bingham McCutchen, where he served as co-head of the project and structured finance group.

(Wild guess: He's the son of former federal judge Nicholas H. Politan (D.N.J.).)

* IP litigator Duane David-Hough, to Fish & Richardson, from Ropes & Gray (NY).

A few more moves, plus links, after the jump.

On the whole, this past weekend was a disappointing one for attorney nuptials. There were hardly any lawyer-lawyer weddings in the New York Times weddings-and-celebrations section -- we counted just one. And most of the couples involving a lawyer weren't super-exciting. Perhaps the Labor Day holiday is to blame.

But Legal Eagle Wedding Watch, in which we review and score selected lawyer couples from the NYT wedding announcements, soldiers on. As usual, we rate the happy couples in three to four categories: on their résumés, their families, their couple balance, and their beauty (if pictured).

Today three couples are in the mix:

1. Beth Hansher, David Javdan

2. Patricia Martone, Barbara Rosen

3. Richa Shyam, Deb Dasgupta

So which couple will come out on top? The answer, after the jump.

(Also, don't forget to vote for your "August 2006 Couple of the Month." You can do so by clicking here. Thanks!)