Top-Tier Practice, Small Firm Feel
Twitter, Cisco Systems, Amazon, Facebook, Hewlett-Packard.
It’s safe to say you’re familiar with these household names. Now we invite you to get to know the law firm that represents them as well as hundreds of other exciting technology and life sciences companies.
Like many of our clients, Fenwick & West proves that sophisticated, cutting-edge work performed at the highest level isn’t always a function of size. Our goal is not to be the biggest law firm, but rather the best law firm in the practice areas critical to our clients. How do we do it? Keeping our focus on what is important to our clients instead of trying to be a legal superstore.
You’ll find intellectual stimulation in a remarkably collegial atmosphere at Fenwick. And with very little hierarchy, you’ll be practicing at the highest level for a first-rate group of clients that are doing remarkable things.
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Our approach is not only good for our clients; it’s great for our attorneys as well. The firm’s smaller scale means that you won’t get lost in the shuffle. You can actually get to know the decision-makers and have real input into the direction of the firm. It also means that you’ll have significant responsibility and client contact.
Our firm’s culture is just one of the many reasons Fenwick partners have turned down offers to merge with well-known megafirms. They love the Fenwick experience and so will you!
Cutting Edge Clients
We are the law firm that incorporated Apple, took Oracle and eBay public, and handles Cisco's acquisitions.
You could say we are Lawyers Who Get IT®.
Many of our clients are well-known companies redefining e-commerce, communications, entertainment and social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and Electronic Arts.
We also represent a growing number of life sciences companies spanning the spectrum of therapies from small molecules and protein- and nucleic acid-based therapeutics, to medical devices and drug delivery systems and innovative personalized medicine diagnostics.
Our client list also includes a number of cleantech companies at the forefront of alternative energy.
We were in Silicon Valley when there were more apricots than silicon. As a result of our history and experience, we are deeply integrated in the unique eco-structure of Silicon Valley, not only with entrepreneurs and their companies, but also with venture capitalists and investment bankers who help drive the area's constant innovation. At times it is a wild ride, but nonetheless it is an exciting and rewarding one.
Free Market System
Nothing is more important to an attorney than a firm's system for assigning work.
For this reason, we created our Free Market System, which provides associates with a significant opportunity to choose their work assignments and the partners with whom they will work. In fact, they are actively encouraged to take that initiative.
While many large firms have a central work assignment system in which associates are simply told what to do, Fenwick's Free Market System encourages associates to take ownership of their careers, develop the necessary contacts within the firm to find work that interests them, and maintain positive work relationships. It also motivates partners and senior associates to be invested in junior and mid-level associates' professional development and to earn their trust and respect. Partners who don't learn that lesson may have trouble staffing their projects.
While our system is very flexible, the key is that we actively encourage associates to shape their own work experiences. If you would prefer to simply have assignments delivered to you, Fenwick is probably not the right choice for you.
Diversity
From our founding in 1972, diversity has been a core component of our culture, and we commit significant resources towards improving our efforts at the firm across all levels.
The firm actively recruits diverse attorneys—race, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability, geographic/cultural background—through numerous channels, including on-campus initiatives and minority bar associations and job fairs. We believe that respect and acknowledgment of others’ backgrounds fosters cooperation, creativity and mutual understanding and helps us serve our clients better.
Fenwick has implemented a number of diversity initiatives, including:
- Diversity Committee: To refine existing diversity programs as well as plan and implement innovative new diversity initiatives.
- Women’s Leadership Initiative: Focused on building the leadership, management and business development skills of our women attorneys.
- Diversity Leadership Initiative: Partners commit to fulfilling a variety of diversity-promoting action items throughout the year.
- Bar Association Activities: To promote the advancement of diversity initiatives in the broader legal community, Fenwick attorneys chair key diversity committees.
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- Affinity Groups: Informal attorney groups centered on common interests and backgrounds to create a more comfortable and inclusive environment.
- Attorney Recruiting Initiative: A commitment to maintain strong representation of diverse attorneys in Fenwick’s summer program as well as participation in minority job fairs and interfacing with diverse law student groups.
The firm recently received high honors on The American Lawyer’s 2010 Diversity Scorecard, and for the second consecutive year held the top-seven national ranking as one of the most diverse U.S. law firms.
- Click here to view our Diversity and Inclusion Newsletter.
Pro Bono
At Fenwick, we are proud of our commitment to the community and to our culture of making a difference in the lives of individuals and organizations in the communities where we live and work. We recognize that providing legal services is not only an essential part of our professional responsibility, but also an excellent opportunity for our attorneys to gain valuable practical experience, learn new areas of the law and contribute to the community.
The pro bono work we provide to our clients results in changes to businesses, futures and lives. During 2010, our firm donated over 10,000 hours, valued at more than $5 million in legal fees.
Our pro bono program allows our attorneys to serve others and to grow as professionals and individuals. They provide services ranging from corporate business counseling, intellectual property and tax services to women's rights, voter protection and assistance to lower income individuals, people, and organizations in our communities. Our litigation associates also have the chance to brief and argue cases in the Ninth Circuit–an invaluable experience to have at an early stage in their careers.
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Working with a variety of local and national organizations, Fenwick's pro bono efforts include fellowships, child advocacy, civil rights, impact litigation, Appellate Project, Street Law, AIDS Project, death penalty, corporate, intellectual property, tax and political asylum/immigration.
- Click here to view our Pro Bono Annual Report.
Contact Us
Attorney Recruiting Contacts:
Julieta Stubrin
Manager of Attorney Recruiting & Diversity
Fenwick & West LLP
Silicon Valley Center
801 California Street
Mountain View, CA 94041
Gabriela Del Aguila
Senior Attorney Recruiting Coordinator
Fenwick & West LLP
Silicon Valley Center
801 California Street
Mountain View, CA 94041
phone: 650.335.4949
e-mail: recruit@fenwick.com
Staff Recruiting Contact:
Joanne Millard
Staff Recruiting Manager
Fenwick & West LLP
Silicon Valley Center
801 California Street
Mountain View, CA 94041
phone: 650.335.7849
e-mail: jobs@fenwick.com