Founded in Cleveland in 1893, Jones Day is still headquartered in Cleveland, though not in the traditional sense. Since the firm streamlined its name, dropping the Reavis & Pogue that had adorned its masthead since 1974, the firm's managing partner has stayed in New York City. Despite these recent changes, Jones Day remains a firm steeped in tradition and respectful of its history.
Jones Day built its reputation through alliances to Cleveland's manufacturing industry, still retaining many of those clients today. It wasn't until the 1980s that Jones Day began to expand rapidly to Dallas, New York, Chicago, and Atlanta. The firm now has more than 25 branch offices in London, Paris, Madrid, Hong Kong, Beijing, and associate offices in India. Continuing its expansion, last year Jones Day opened a biotechnology and IP practice in Munich; new offices for its growing Columbus, Houston, and Atlanta branches; and announced plans for a second branch in China.
Representing over half of the companies in the Fortune 500, Jones Day's roster of clients reads like a Who's Who of American business: General Motors, RJR Nabisco, Amazon.com, Eastman Kodak, PepsiCo, Pfizer, and even the San Jose Sharks.
The firm's business practice is immense. A survey among Fortune 1000 corporations rated Jones Day first in client service. The firm topped Corporate Board Member's list of America's best corporate lawyers, and Thomson Financial ranked Jones Day as number one in M&A in 2000, 2001, and 2002. The Chicago and Washington offices oversaw the $8 billion merger of Chicago's Unicom and Pennsylvania's Peco Energy Company, which created the country's largest electric company. Building up a formidable antitrust practice, the firm handled antitrust issues for the $160 billion merger between AOL and Time Warner, and also for AOL's acquisition of Netscape.
In 2000, Richard Cieri, head of Jones Day's bankruptcy department, represented health care giant Allegheny Health's Chapter 11 bankruptcy hearings. He managed to ink a deal that allowed the company to retain its assets. Cieri became the first bankruptcy lawyer to earn a spot on American Lawyer's list of the industry's top ten deal makers. Jones Day has also developed a powerful litigation department. Taking up several states' rights cases, Jones Day undertook the unenviable task of successfully arguing against the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Violence Against Women Act on behalf of the state of Alabama.
The firm's leadership is concentrated in a managing partner who wields the power of a CEO. The managing partner has sole discretion on matters pertaining to partnership, new offices, compensation and the selection of his or her successor. This business model has proven successful. The firm ranks among the top ten revenue-producing law firms in the country. Jones Day is worth over $600 million, but they remain tight-lipped about finances. Refusing to disclose financial information, the firm will not even allow discussions of associate salaries. After the first year at Jones Day, all compensation is merit-based.
Unlike many of its competitors, Jones Day does not discount attorneys without credentials from a top-tier law school. Candidates from other schools still have a fighting chance to secure a position with the firm, although grades are still a crucial factor. The interviewing process is reportedly calm and casual. A prospective associate will engage in a series of chats, designed to weed out the arrogant and headstrong. The partners at Jones Day want to dispel the notion that their firm is too harsh and demanding. As befits a conservative firm, a strict dress code must be maintained, although in the Dallas and California offices, the rule calls for year-round business casual. New associates to Jones Day are presented with the opportunity to participate in the impressive training programs.
Once on board, associates are expected to put in long hours, though billable hour requirements vary from office to office. Pittsburgh associates might be working 55-hour weeks, while attorneys in the Cleveland office put in 90-hour weeks.
Jobs
Jones Day currently has several openings in its New York, Pittsburgh, and London offices, including opportunities for experienced litigation and other associates. More information regarding attorney positions at Jones Day can be found in the LawCrossing job database.
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