Main Office: 11377 W. Olympic Boulevard | Los Angeles | CA | 90064
Phone: 310-312-2000 | Fax: 310-312-3100
Website: https://www.msk.com/
Year of establishment
1908
Number of partners
76
Number of offices
3
Partner to associate ratio
2.20
Biggest office
Los Angeles
Percentage of women attorneys
26.10
Number of attorneys
115
Percentage of minority attorneys
9.80
Number of associates
34
Percentage of LGBT attorneys
0.80
What would you, or others, like to see changed at employer?
Be more transparent and let people know what happened when someone leaves the firm. Letting rumors spread can lead to a toxic work environment.
What were the things that you liked most about this employer?
This firm is a great place to further your career. There is a fantastic professional development program in place and plenty of room for advancement. Partners are always willing to help guide you in the right direction.
What did you not like about this institution?
It seems like the firm is experiencing a rather high rate of turnover lately, and I'm not sure what the reason is. This has put some people on edge.
Career Opportunities:
Compensation & Benefits:
Work/Life Balance:
Senior Management:
Culture & Values:
Current or former employee?:
Current Employee
Length of Employment:
10+ years
What would you, or others, like to see changed at employer?
Management needs to hire more attorneys, preferable those with lots of experience, to help ease the work load for everyone and give help when needed.
What were the things that you liked most about this employer?
This firm is very busy and has a great starting salary along with a great group of people to work with. I also found the location to be very nice as well since it was not too far from me.
What did you not like about this institution?
It can get to be quite a bit too busy at times and it can be difficult finding help when needed during these times.
Career Opportunities:
Compensation & Benefits:
Work/Life Balance:
Senior Management:
Culture & Values:
Current or former employee?:
Former Employee
Length of Employment:
10+ years
Discover the Exciting Career Opportunity at Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP
Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP (MS&K) is a pioneering law firm with a long history of providing legal services to the entertainment, media, and technology industries. Founded in Los Angeles in 1908 by Shep Mitchell and M.B. Silberberg, the firm has grown into a global practice with offices in New York, Washington, D.C., and Hong Kong.
At MS&K, attorneys work with some of the world’s most innovative companies, including entertainment giants, media conglomerates, and high-profile start-ups. With its Bay Area location, MS&K provides attorneys with the opportunity to experience the heart of the entertainment and technology industries.
At MS&K, attorneys have access to a wide variety of practice areas and industries, including entertainment, media, technology, intellectual property, labor and employment, health care, and government relations. Attorneys have the opportunity to work with clients on some of the most pressing legal issues of our time, from copyright and trademark law to technology transactions and healthcare policy.
MS&K is committed to providing a supportive environment for its attorneys. A comprehensive benefits package, including competitive salaries, medical and dental care, and generous vacation time, helps to ensure that attorneys have the resources they need to succeed.
MS&K also offers a number of programs and benefits designed to help attorneys maintain work/life balance. These include flexible work schedules, support for pro bono work, and access to professional development resources.
At MS&K, attorneys have the opportunity to work with some of the most influential companies in the world, in some of the most exciting industries. Attorneys have the opportunity to gain experience in a variety of legal areas and to work with a diverse group of clients. With its excellent benefits package and commitment to work/life balance, MS&K provides attorneys with the opportunity to pursue a fulfilling and rewarding legal career.
Experience the Excitement of the Bay Area's Legal Scene at Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP
Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP practices law in the following areas and works with its clients to provide the best possible legal solutions.
Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP follows the set of hiring criteria outlined below.
On-campus interviews at Mitchell Silberberg are typically two-on-one and callbacks usually involve interviews with five or six attorneys, followed by lunch and, in some cases, dinner. A large share of the firm's attorneys participate in the recruiting process, both on-campus and at the firm: "there's a real commitment to bringing in the next great class of attorneys," one insider remarked. Recruits are generally not asked substantive questions ("being overly pedantic doesn't make for a helpful or friendly interview"), but "we enjoy hearing about candidates' law review topics or other experiences. If a recruit can speak enthusiastically about his or her involvement in past legal activities and jobs, and their grades are good, it makes the hiring decision a lot easier," noted one insider. A second person remarked that "when I interview a law student applicant, I am interested in the whole person, so certainly anything on the resume, including hobbies and interests, is fair game." Our contacts offered a number of suggestions as to how candidates might approach the interview itself. One insider advised interviewees to "be respectful. Listen to what each interviewer is telling you as if it is the first time you have heard it, even though three other attorneys already told you the same thing. Feel comfortable talking about yourself and do not put anything on your resume that you're not prepared to discuss." A second person urged candidates to "not come across as too star struck or interested in the glamour of entertainment law or as too arrogant or cocky-there's plenty of time for that after you pass the bar. Do be sincere."
Mitchell Silberberg boasts a number of women who are prominent in firm affairs. Deborah Koeffler (labor) is the firm's managing partner. Frida Glucoft heads the immigration department and is also on the firm's governing board. Danna Cook runs the music section. Miriam Beezy, a new trademark partner, "will be a powerful force in our IP department. She came from Disney, where she was in charge of their trademark protection, internationally,'' one contact informed us. Yvette Molinaro (litigation) is another new partner "who is very impressive. She was on the Goldman v. O.J. Simpson trial team and is consistency mentioned in Top Lawyers Under 40' -type reports," we were told. Mitchell Silberberg is "not an ol' boys type of firm;" female attorneys are not treated "with any less respect or professionalism" than male attorneys, and women have "probably better opportunities at the firm than their male counterparts," according to one insider. The maternity/paternity leave programs are generous and well-used; part-time work arrangements, however, are decided on an individual basis, "which does not provide a lot of guidance to associates," one insider noted; "it gives the appearance that you have to fight for flexibility- even if that isn't really true."
Mitchell Silberberg's summer associate program is especially strong, "the envy of many firms," we were told "When I was a summer associate, I thought the program was perfect. There was a lot of exposure to different areas, concepts, people, experiences, but no pressure to get more involved than you wanted to," noted one insider. Because Mitchell Silberberg has a department for "just about any kind of law a person could have an interest in (or be curious about), there's a real opportunity to explore before you commit yourself," we were told. Summer social events include dinners, Dodger games, Disneyland trips, a wine tasting event, and an evening at the Hollywood Bowl. "I thought my summer associate experience was well-balanced- I had plenty of social events and gained a good understanding of what it was like to practice law at MS&K," volunteered a second contact.
Beginning associates at Mitchell Silberberg are assigned to a specific department, although associates occasionally work in two departments or on cases that cross department lines (such as litigation and IP). Most cases are staffed very leanly- one partner, one associate. This lean staffing translates into relatively junior associates getting major "responsibility for (and exposure to) a lot of significant aspects of a matter," we were told for instance, as a first-year, I was brainstorming case strategies and developing a discovery plan for certain matters. This is much more rewarding than being the 8th cog in an insignificant wheel which is part of a massive litigation machine that you don't even know the big picture of. Of course, there are times when a little less responsibility would be nice- if three of your cases are on fire at the same time, your workload can easily get crazy," one insider informed us. Most associates have client contact soon after entering the firm. Such contact depends on the client and the matter, of course, but "often a junior associate will be the person keeping the client informed and answering questions about status, progress, legal and factual issues, etc. This is especially true when the client is either relatively unsophisticated or especially interested in being kept 'in the know' during each step," observed one insider, who added that "it's a wonderful opportunity to get a sense of exactly how your services can be shaped to serve the client's needs/desires." Training at Mitchell Silberberg is mosdy on-the-job, but first-year associates in litigation and labor go through a formal training program with lectures and some practicals, "ranging from fact investigation all the way through oral argument." The firm will reimburse associates for continuing legal education credits and, on occasion, it puts on seminars, but "not very often. These are of the one-hour-lunch variety and are not very well-organized," we were told. Although formal evaluations at Mitchell Silberberg are somewhat irregular and perfunctory, the informal feedback provided associates drew largely positive responses from our contacts. One insider reported that "informal critique is the norm; I almost always get good feedback on my written work from the partner I'm working with," while a second contact noted that "my work is regularly critiqued and I have discussions with the partner and senior associate in my department often, as the need arises." One person advanced a partial dissent on this matter, informing us that "I'd like more structured feedback, on a more regular schedule. Once a junior associate has worked with a partner a few times, the partner can tend to 'forget' to give feedback and advice. It forces an interested associate to walk a fine line- one doesn't want to harass a partner, and one doesn't want to seem as though one is fishing for compliments, but at the same time, it's important to know what areas are solid and what could use improvement." Attorney attire at Mitchell Silberberg is rather informal. Fridays are officially casual dress days, and "a lot of people dress down almost every day," we were told. "The firm seems to care less about how we dress than about how we work, and that's the way it should be," noted one insider; "everyone should be comfortable so as to optimize productivity and morale." The management of Mitchell Silberberg is "rather loose, so much so that it often appears that the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing," reported one insider, who further observed that "you have to learn, by trial and error, whom to talk to about specific issues; no one tells you these things. Often we hear of developments through the grapevine, or occasionally through e-mails and voicemails." A second contact remarked that "there are times when Mitchell's informality can be annoying. It often seems that there are no real written policies here- everything is handled on a case-by-case basis. While, for the most part, that's a good thing, there are times when an associate just wants to know exactly where he or she stands. For example: Paternity: is it there? How much? Part-time: can we do it? What hours will be required? For what pay? Bonus (which is based on whether you reach the 1900 billable hours required): what kind of 'nonbillable' weak-committees, pro bono, speeches and papers, etc.- counts toward the total? What doesn't?" Salaries at Mitchell Silberberg tend to be a "little lower" than at comparable LA firms. One insider noted, however, that "we don't work as many hours as other comparable firms. Some firms have 1950 or 2000 billable hour requirements and another couple hundred 'soft* billable hours, like recruiting and on-the-job training. We have an 1900 billable hour requirement, which includes these activities." Fringe benefits at the firm include a 401(k) plan, catered lunches, and free parking. Extra-firm socializing at Mitchell Silberberg is on the sparse side. People have "their own lives outside of the office. We do not need the firm to define who we are," noted one contact. Most associates at the firm "say goodbye" to their co-workers at day's end and on the weekends. There are, however, some young associates who "hang out" together ("the labor department associates are particularly close, socially," we were told), and a fair share of attorneys play on the firm's "very good" Softball and basketball teams. But, for the most part, "work is work, and social life is social life," observed one insider, who added that "of course, all that changes in the wee hours--once the pizza delivery and beer arrives, everybody's personal business is open to discussion." Mitchell Silberberg sponsors a monthly "themed" catered party for all staff and a weekly cocktail party on Thursday nights for attorneys only. In general, however, "the firm doesn't seem to take an active approach in promoting social activities, consistent with its live-and-let-live approach."
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