Firm Summary
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP
The legal powerhouse of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr (more often referred to as WilmerHale these days) was born in the early 2000s out of the high-profile merger of two firms that were already prominent in their own rights — New England mainstay Hale and Dorr, founded in 1918, and D.C.-based Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering, which opened some 50 years later. Today the firm has 1,000 lawyers in 13 offices across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. A truly full-service firm with practice areas covering nearly every industry and sector, the combined firm owes much of its success to its elite IP practice, which consists of highly skilled general IP, litigation, and appellate lawyers, many with technical and scientific degrees. Differentiating itself from many of its elite competitors, the firm is known for attracting clients through flexible and alternative fee arrangements.
Firm Stats
- Firm Name
- Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP
- U.S. Lawyer Headcount
- 883
- Headcount Change Since 2016
Overall-122Partner-8
- Salary Scale
- Market +
- Hours Required
- Unspecified
- Top Feeder Schools
- Harvard Law School, Boston University School of Law, Georgetown University Law Center
- Average Lawyer Tenure at Firm (Years)
- 6.5
- Revenue Per Lawyer Change Over Five Years
- 21%
- Women Partners (as Percentage of U.S. Lawyer Headcount)
- 7%
- Women Partners (As a Percentage of U.S. Partnership)
- 28%
- Promotion Rate
- 7%
- Most Common Federal Case Types
- Intellectual Property, Finance, Antitrust
- Most Active Federal Jurisdictions
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
- Frequent Federal Litigation Clients
- Intel Corporation, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Apple Inc.
Firm Policies
Work/Life Balance
- 18 weeks primary caregiver leave
- 14 weeks family leave
- Flex and/or reduced hours
- Subsidized backup care/emergency dependent care
- Telecommuting
Benefits and Perks
- Bar review course (PMBR)
- Bar exam fees (up to 2 states), travel, hotel
- $5K bar stipend
- Up to $10K salary advance
- Direct billing with preferred movers; moving of car
- Pro-rated stub bonus
- Mentoring
Superstars
Danielle Conley
Parnter, Co-Chair - Anti-Discrimination Practice
A partner in the firm’s D.C. office and Co-Chair of its Anti-Discrimination Practice, Conley focuses on handling high-stakes litigation and investigations, frequently representing high-profile companies and universities. Most recently, Conley has been in the news for representing Harvard University in its current discriminatory admissions practices case.
William Lee
Partner
A partner in the firm’s Boston office, Lee is a highly respected trial and appellate attorney, particularly in the area of intellectual property litigation, where he has represented numerous technology clients. To date, Lee has tried over 200 cases to verdict and argued more than 100 cases before the various Courts of Appeals. Notably, Lee served as lead trial counsel for Apple in the famous “smartphone war” litigations.
Matthew Martens
Partner, Co-Chair - Securities Litigation and Enforcement Practice Group
A partner in the firm’s D.C. office and Co-Chair of its Securities Litigation and Enforcement Practice Group, Martens focuses on representing clients in high-stakes criminal and civil matters at every stage, from investigation to trial. Martens is one of few attorneys who has succeeded at trial on behalf of all types of client – civil plaintiff, civil defendant, criminal prosecution, and criminal defendant. Previously, Martens worked at the U.S. Department of Justice and as Chief Litigation Counsel for the Division of Enforcement at the SEC.
Lester Ross
Partner
Partner-in-Charge of the firm’s Beijing office, Ross is widely recognized as a leading figure in the American legal and business communities in China. His practice focuses on M&A and regulatory matters across a wide range of industries, and he regularly represent both local and foreign corporations on regulatory compliance and competition law in China.
Above the Law Coverage
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WilmerHale And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Of Leaking Client Whistleblower Docs To The WSJ
The one simple thing you can do right now to avoid ending up like the lawyers in this story.
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It Happened AGAIN — Another Biglaw Partner Falls For Internet Prank
Come on, stop falling for this stuff.
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Which Biglaw Firm Is Best For Pro Bono? (2017)
The pro bono all stars!
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Paul Manafort Parts Ways With WilmerHale
Say goodbye to Biglaw.
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100 Biglaw Firms Putting Diversity On The Front Burner
Biglaw is working on its diversity problem.
The Law Firm Transparency Project draws upon Above the Law research as well as data provided by Leopard Solutions and UniCourt. Click here for an expanded methodology and definition of terms.
