Lathrop GPM LLP

This firm really needs to lower their expectations and set realistic goals. For starters they should lower the starting salary to something more appropriate for new attorneys and decrease the amount of available of overtime hours.

Great fellow coworkers, top notch front desk staff, and excellent pay that is well above average. I also enjoyed the work environment as it always felt laid back and casual.

Unfortunately they hired too many attorneys and could not afford to pay us all the high salary that we were used to for so long. This led to a large lay off and downsizing of the firm.

Replace managers with competent ones. Care more about your employees. Don't let personal bias get in the way.

The benefits and culture are great. The office environment and teamwork is excellent.

Communication is poor. There are few advancement opportunities for female employees. Favoritism is a problem here.

Work comes from many different offices, so get to know all the partners and visit all the offices. You never know where you may make a connection or need a connection to get work and make your goal billed hours. 7 year partner track and it only seems to be based on graduation year, so first review for partner is end of year 6, so that may be partner by year 7. This is important for laterals who do not have a book yet that client development becomes real important in years 5-6.

Great support staff, great benefits including: 200 hours of support help, i.e. daycare, elder care, etc, $10,000 no questions asked spouse life insurance included, $150k life insurance paid by firm, health packages including no monthly but high deductible, discounts for health checks on medical insurance, great mentor/associate working environment, reviews not based on only hours billed and not looked too harshly if you do not make your goal (1900 for associates), at least $1500 disposable income for associates client development which includes monies towards cle, and bar dues, library fees, and cle portion of yearly renewal are each covered by firm and not part of disposable income.

Paralegal help needs to be better balanced, some paralegals are over burdened and some under. Some are at home and cannot always do what you need, so you have to give your projects a lead time which was a transition for me personally. You cannot just pick something up and expect it to be done that day, at least a day lead time is needed (i.e. for shell documents). You can get things filed on the day in emergency situations, but individual cases are assigned individual paralegals and this may not be the KC/OP office paralegals, but may be in Boston, Boulder, etc.