The firm s corporate department is described as big and impersonal, while the litigation department is said to be friendly and supportive. The property department s culture is described as cliquish. Associates repeat that they are treated professionally. It s demanding, but collegial. Of course, it s a hard-working environment.
People generally don t misbehave.
Long hours New York law firms are known for grueling hours, and Shearman is no exception. One insider says that you can work 100 hours a week with not too much of a problem. Says an associate, It s usually 10 to 12 hours a day with one full day on the weekend. But for every associate who says the hours at Shearman are terrible we never get a break, there s another who will state that the hours are, if not short, then not inevitably bad. Another insider claims that the hours really vary.