Drinker Biddle Achieves Top Ratings in Chambers Associate Rankings

Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP is highly rated across all categories in the latest Chambers Associate guide. The firm was ranked among the best in the nation in areas important to associates, including satisfaction, career opportunities, retention, benefits and lifestyle, pro bono, and diversity.

“Our associates are among the firm’s most valued resources, and we are gratified that these results clearly reflect that view” said Drinker Biddle Chairman and CEO Andrew Kassner. “Recruiting the best and brightest law school graduates is only the beginning. We are intentional about the way we support, develop and include associates in our work, mindful that they are the future of Drinker Biddle.”

In the annual survey of associates across the country, culture and community were identified as “probably the most attractive thing about this firm,” with an associate noting that “attorneys here have an ethos of helping each other.” Another said that “the firm is full of nice, smart people” who “care about our well-being.”

Focused attention on career development was specifically called out by associates, with the publication identifying Drinker Biddle’s distinctive training program for new arrivals and how “few firms in our guide go so far to smooth the passage from law school.”

Diversity was a standout, with the firm ranking eighth out of more than 100 firms surveyed in this important area. Chambers reports that surveyed associates observed a “genuine effort” on issues of diversity, with women making up 50 percent of the firm’s elected managing partners, who collectively serve in a similar role as a board of directors, as well as 50 percent of Drinker Biddle’s leadership team. Six of the nine lawyers promoted to partner this year were women and diverse.

Benefits and lifestyle were also an area where Drinker Biddle excelled, ranking again in the top 10, with the publication identifying “which firms find the best balance” between the perks and demands of building a successful career.

“We believe one of the keys to attracting and retaining top talent is being genuine. We are upfront in our messaging that we strive to create and maintain a community where our people feel included, mentored, and supported from the moment they join us, through their time with us, and beyond,” said Justin Kay, chair of the firm’s National Hiring Committee, which oversees the recruitment of associates. “This feedback from our associates demonstrates that the firm’s messaging is not just talk — it is a genuine statement of who we are and what we do. That is what helps set us apart from other elite law firms. It is why some of the country’s most talented lawyers have made Drinker Biddle their home. And it’s why they stay.”

Out of 110 firms nationally, Drinker Biddle’s rankings include:

• 8th for “Diversity” (efforts to recruit diverse associates, inclusivity training, diversity mentoring, diverse staffing and promotion, and opportunities to make partner if you start a family).
• 10th for “Benefits and Lifestyle” (bonus they receive, comprehensive benefits package, travel opportunities, ability to take vacation, and work/life balance/scope for flexible working).
• 12th for “The Most Satisfied Associates” (how happy they were, their intention to stay with the firm, how much the work motivates them, and the firm's value to them in their career).
• 12th for “Retention” (intent to stay at the firm, level of responsibility and client contact, quality of training, and how much partners were nurturing future leaders).
• 20th for “Career Opportunities” (autonomy in work acquisition, opportunities to establish themselves in a practice area, contact time with partners, and technological support).
• 20th for “Pro Bono” (how interesting the pro bono work is, whether pro bono helped build their skills, how committed the firm is to pro bono and whether there is pressure not to do pro bono).

Chambers Associate provides law students with a view into the working lives of associates at the nation’s leading law firms. The publication is the only U.S. legal career guide to conduct in-depth telephone interviews with thousands of associates on the topics that matter to them, including the work they do day to day, the social life, pro bono work, diversity, how hard they work, how they are paid, personal development and more. Interviewees are anonymous, so they can speak candidly.