Lost in the crowd, but not in the profits The Stealth Firm. That is what The American Lawyer calls Willkie Farr, marveling how a firm that makes so much money can be so seemingly invisible in the public eye. According to the 1998 American Lawyer survey, the firm ranked No. 13 in profits per partner at 900,000. It used to be that it didn t matter what school you went to. Now we ve become classier, an insider says.
Insiders say the firm looks heavily on whether the applicant is on law review.
The firm also favors clerkships. We re told the callback interviews are very, very casual and that partners will throw out questions like What did you do last summer to try to engage the applicant in a conversation. Additionally, an insider says that there is lateral hiring opportunities due to a busy practice, strong job market, and mid-level associates leaving. The culture at Willkie Farr is described as supportive, friendly and relaxed, in a stiff Wall Street way. While everyone has aspirations and wants top quality results, it s more of a team effort than a competition.