When the government wants some help with its antitrust cases, it turns to the young law firm of Boies, Schiller & Flexner. Although the firm might only be 5 years old, founding partners David Boies and Jonathan Schiller have brought over 60 years of combined experience in antitrust and complex commercial litigation matters to their law firm.
Though the firm's title carries the names of three lawyers, David Boies' name permanently overshadows the other two. Boies' counsel position on several high-profile cases has earned him the Lawyer of the Year distinction by National Law Journal in 1999 and Man of the Year runner-up by Time Magazine in 2000. Boies has built a formidable reputation early in his career with Cravath, Swaine & Moore by successfully litigating high-profile cases, including representation of IBM against its antitrust case, CBS and Mike Wallace against a libel suit, and Continental Airlines against United and American Airlines.
More recently, Boies has been using his reputation to bring his firm some of the most complex class action cases in the country. Since its establishment in 1997, the firm has handled the Microsoft antitrust case, the Christie's and Sotheby's collusion case, and investigation of the now-defunct Tyco International. And proving that he is not only money driven, Boies has provided his services to worthy legal battles at $40 an hour, practically free compared to his usual $750 hourly rate. But as flawless as their history might appear, Boies and his firm have also suffered some spectacular losses, including the Supreme Court case regarding the 2000 election vote count as well as Napster's file-sharing case. Yet the losses seem only to add to the celebrity of the firm and Boies, Schiller & Flexner now stands strong at just over 175 lawyers.
The Westchester headquarters of Boies, Schiller sets the standard for the rest of the firm's 11 offices. Just a short 30 minute drive from Manhattan, the Armonk office mixes the serious dedication to hard work of New York City with the more laid-back atmosphere of suburban Westchester County. As a litigation boutique, the firm capitalizes on the flexibility and casualness not found in the bureaucratic structure of large law firms. Associates report having tight work relationships with partners, often going out to lunch or visiting each others' offices. But although all the Boies, Schiller outposts are noted for being low-key, lurking beneath the firm's philosophy is a mandatory sleep deprivation requirement. It appears that Boies' legendary nonstop work schedule has rubbed off onto his firm and some associates have been known to put in 3,000 hours a year.
It is probably easier to get into Yale Law then to get hired at this firm. With no formal summer associate program and no real recruiting effort at top law schools, law students often wonder how to break into this seemingly impenetrable fortress. Clerkship experience and inside connections work wonders at this firm, but the hiring partner has been known to pull unique candidates from the résumé batch. On the bright side, the intensity of Boies, Schiller's initial hiring process means that the firm expects and intends for all associates to make partner. And perhaps due to the extreme work schedule, partnership often takes only five years.
Boies offers salaries at the top of New York City standards. First years at Armonk are making $135,000 and have the option of being compensated based on contingency. Smart associates who have chosen the contingency plan and who have worked on such cases as the $1.1 billion settlement on international vitamin price fixing can attest to being well compensated for their lack of personal lives.
Jobs
Boies, Schiller & Flexner currently has several openings in New Hampshire, Florida, Armonk, and New Jersey offices including opportunities for experienced litigation associates. More information regarding attorney positions at Boies, Schiller & Flexner can be found in the LawCrossing job database.
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