Denver law firms first-year pay tow the national drift

05/21/07

Denver law firms first-year pay tow the national drift

Keeping in tandem with the law firm salary trends in New York and California, law firms in Denver too have raised their first-year salaries to $160,000 from $135,000. The local firms such as Holme Roberts & Owen and Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck are still contemplating their moves. However, four top-tier national law firms - Cooley Godward Kronish, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, Morrison & Foerster, and Hogan & Hartson have confirmed their raises to denverpost.com.

If the firms want to stay in the race, it becomes imperative for them to raise the ceiling and keep salaries at par with other law firms. Admitting the challenge, Mary Stuart, HRO partner and chair of the Brownstein's hiring committee said, "We're obviously feeling the pressures..."

Clients also often exert pressure on the firms to select nation's top graduates. Cole Finegan, Hogan's managing partner in Denver said that the firm is trying to get the best of lawyers both nationally and internationally. Pay-packages in the Denver-based firms range between $105,000 and $110,000 and may go up to $120,000. Besides its clientele, law firms also have to consider the student debt factors apart from the billable hour requirements, which more often than not drive the decision-making process.

Halligan, ex-SG, NY to head Weil, Gotshal & Manges's Appellate practice
Caitlin Halligan, the former Solicitor General of New York state, is joining Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP, as head of the law firm's Appellate division.

Prior to joining Weil, Gotshal & Manges, Halligan served under the then New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer for over five years as the solicitor general. In that capacity, Halligan looked after the work of 45 appellate attorneys and coordinated legal status of the AG Office. Every month, she was required to supervise preparation of about 120 submissions in federal and state appellate courts.

Before accepting the new assignment at Weil, Gotshal, & Manges, Halligan, on April 30, Halligan won the case she had filed on the state's authority to regulate waste disposal, before the U.S. Supreme Court.

International law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP, has over 1,100 lawyers operating from its 19 offices in the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

BIZARRE NEWS

McDonald's not-that-happy a meal!
What ails McD's happy meal scheme?

First came out a rusty knife in Mc Clown's Happy Meal pack, then a condom, and now pot?!! In midst of it all, happy meal toys also tried to choke kids, and were forced to be withdrawn! Happy Meals, this time, were meant to be something more than imparting simple joys to the Irelan family. It also provided them with some thrill. The Irelans - Keith and Andrea - wanted to treat the kids to McDonalds picnic. With this intention they ordered three happy meals for their children from a McDonald's drive-through in suburban Chicago. Later, when the meals were distributed at the picnic spot, the Irelan's 8-year-old daughter was the happiest of the lot. She found three toys in her pack! The little one ran to her mother, Andrea, waiving the first toy, a lighter. Aghast, Andrea directed it to Keith, who rummaged the pack to find two more 'gifts' - a pipe and a pack of pot. Though the little one was disappointed at not understanding what the gifts meant, Keith rushed to the police with the bag of marijuana, pipe, and the lighter. The Ottawa Police Chief Brian Zeilmann, with the cooperation of the restaurant owner, apprehended McDonald's 17-year-old employee, Brandon Scott of Ottawa for possessing marijuana and drug paraphernalia. As before, McDonalds said sorry once more. However, the Irelans, unhappy with the sorry and the happy meal, are unsure. What's up next, Mc Dude?