associate

associate attorney

document reviewer

enterprise account manager

business development executive

Winston & Strawn LLP

Started out as a "different" kind of eDiscovery review in that projects appeared well managed with a promise of steady employment, team oriented with an emphasis on quality work, thinking outside the box, with some substantive work. The Newark office was expanded to accomodate at least another fifty attorneys with extra office space and computers set up upon our hire, along with new kitchenette and break room. 

This "different" kind of eDiscovery review later turned out to be different in the highly unprofessional way cases were managed and attorneys treated.  Emphasis was placed on pace and not quality of work, which I have never experienced to such a degree in this industry.

The large newly expanded portion of the Newark office with break room/kitchen closed after a few months and went back to twenty five attorneys spread over approximately eight small offices.  At one point there were as many as sixty or so attorneys in Newark. Most left on their own accord, including great team leads that were the only saving grace here. 

Nasty emails and meetings with upper management regarding quality of work were sent regularly, yet we were expected to review a unrealistic high number of docs, bringing some to tears and others quitting.  Management stated our hourly bill rate was higher than our competitor, so we had to work smarter and faster to give a better work product.  We were told to use and share "tips" to go faster with no discussion on quality. Management would throw out a number for us to review per hour, without having seen the work or listening to our concerns that it could not be accomplished without screwing up the quality.  Attorneys wanted to give the best product possible, but sometimes felt their hands were tied.  If the Associates and Partners only knew what was going on...or maybe they did...not sure.  In any event, the ones I had contact with were professional and respectful...even excited about their cases.

We were on many an exciting case from sports to pharmaceutical matters, but could not even enjoy and take in the interesting aspects of the cases due to the rush to speed through. 

Upper management is overheard saying they have a hard time retaining employees...I wonder why. 
The Newark and NY eDiscovery Offices are closing in mid December.  The DC office is soon to follow suit.  We were told via email in November of "new exciting opportunities", then in a meeting informed of office closings and a new center in Texas opening in mid December.  We could apply if interested.  Yeah, relocate to Texas for a temporary job at a center doomed for failure. Then two hours later called to another meeting and told to go home because they had reached their budget for the quarter.  We were out of work for almost two weeks and invited back to finish up work. 

The office in Texas is doomed to fail with the same upper management running the show.  If  offices in NY, NJ and DC failed in part due to lack of cases and finances...I am not sure what difference a move to Texas will make. Maybe someone in management went to law school in Texas, who knows.

The only saving grace, fellow contract attorneys who worked there a year formed a bond that cannot be broken working for such a horribly managed review center.  This could be a great place if they hired ediscovery managers, experienced, knowledgeable technicians on the back end and those who can seek out new business.  

Most stayed because of the easy commute and the fact that the company name of Winston & Strawn on a resume opened doors for new permanent opportunities.  I thought it would be different...I was totally disappointed.

If you are a legal secretary and are thinking of joining this firm, please read.

Over the past 8 years there have been a number of legal secretary layoffs with the most recent taking place in June 2013 where 15 legal secretaries were let go and one secretarial supervisor.  I have personally found that the legal secretaries here, especially those that have been here 20 years or more, think they are better than you when that is definitely not the case.  I have worked alongside legal secretaries who barely know how to operate a computer and the firm's various computer programs and coincidentally noted that those same incompetent secretaries are very friendly with the secretarial manager and secretarial supervisors.  There is definitely a connection between the two.

I have also noticed I rarely see my secretarial supervisor on the floor yet on a number of my annual reviews she gave me mediocre ratings while the attorneys I work for have given me the highest ratings you can give.  Unfortunately, her review is used when calculating my raise and bonus and I have gone through a few years of no raise or bonus.  How in the world can someone that I rarely see and do not work for at all properly evaluate my work?  This practice is very unfair.  They also have secretarial teams here and the secretarial teams get to review each other, too, which also reflects on whether you get a raise or bonus.  You better pray that everyone on your secretarial team likes you because many legal secretaries have received bad reviews from their team members which, of course, affected their raises and bonuses.  Point blank -- the secretarial teams here do not work.  Some of us actually think the secretarial manager and supervisors like that they do not work because it gives them something to gossip about.

Speaking of gossip, gossiping is definitely the way of life here.  It does seem that many people here are so miserable in their own lives that they love it if someone else's life has issues and they want to tell anyone who will listen about their co-worker's issues.  Very sick.  Because I know how bad the gossiping gets here, I keep to myself.  If you work here, watch what you say to any legal secretary or it will be spread like wildfire throughout the office.

I like the attorneys I work for but due to all the issues above, I would never refer anyone I know to work here.

This firm has been having "under the radar" layoffs for the past 8 years and their most recent layoff was this past June 2013.  One secretarial supervisor and 15 legal secretaries were laid off.  They also closed 3 floors of their Chicago office.  This firm is not doing well and the word is getting out because I have been hearing things from people I know that work at the other big Chicago firms.

The firm and secretarial management are horrible.  It seems as if no one knows what they are doing.  I strongly feel that they should replace the entire secretarial management team.  We rarely, if ever, see our secretarial supervisor yet come annual review time, she reviews us and her review affects our raises and bonuses.  How can someone I barely see nor do I work for accurately evaluate me?  I consistently get high marks from the attorneys I work for but my supervisor gives me low marks and when I question her why she gave me low marks, her responses never make sense.  There have been some years I have not received a raise or bonus and I'm positive it is due to my secretarial supervisor's review.

They have secretarial teams here that DO NOT WORK!  There are feuds going on between the secretaries on every floor of this firm because there are too many lazy people that work here.  There are two types of legal secretaries here:  the lazies and the doormats.  The doormats are doing the lazies work for them.  And the lazies are usually very friendly with secretarial management which is why they get away with not working.

I would not recommend anyone work here, attorney or legal secretary, because the firm has let go a good number of very outstanding and hardworking attorneys and legal secretaries over the years so they cannot recognize or appreciate talent when they have it.

I worked at another large Chicago law firm prior to joining Winston and it was a very laidback and friendly environment.  Employees at that firm worked very well together so projects ran smoothly.  I assumed all large law firms were the same.  After I joined Winston, I learned I was very wrong about that assumption.

I went into complete culture shock when I joined Winston because my legal secretary co-workers were very snobby, unfriendly and computer illiterate.  I got the message that many of them think they are better than you.  It was very difficult asking other legal secretaries for information that you needed from them to complete a task because they were not helpful due to their snobbiness.  I was treated like an enemy rather than a co-worker.

I agree with the other review that secretarial management needs to be replaced.  There is at least one secretary on each floor that is allowed to be employed here but does not have to work.  And whenever they have a support staff layoff, I could never understand why secretarial management would choose to keep incompetent legal secretaries but let go the highly qualified legal secretaries.  Same goes for attorneys.  I have worked for some extremely intelligent, hardworking attorneys over the years and they were asked to leave.  No wonder this firm's glory days are fading fast!

Overall, this firm still believes it is THE top Chicago law firm when in reality it is far from the truth.  Wake up and smell the coffee, W&S, your glory days are over.

Archaic and outdated policies with a good ol' boys attitude. The greed is immeasurable, the empathy nonexistent.  There are more policies here than a dog has fleas.  There's a form for everything, so it's easy to get bogged down from all the hairsplitting, especially if time is of the essence.  The "Winston Way" is such a joke.  Loyalty and hard work are not rewarded here - one never knows who will get the axe or when it will come.  Many outstanding employees have been mercilessly cut loose for the sake of downsizing, many incompetents are left to plod on.  Why there's such a distorted discrepancy no one knows.  We leave scratching out heads, especially when we have outstanding reviews on our record.

Their policy of laying off people is to suddenly appear at your desk or office like an evil genie toting an empty box for you to pack up your belongings.  Then, they watch you to make sure you don't take anything other than personal materials.  The humiliation is almost unbearable, and people have left sobbing.  "Thank you for your years of service and outstanding record, but don't let the door hit your backside on the way out."  Thank heaven, I found something better.

Frightening, isn't it?

Although the place is good to harness your skills for future opportunities elsewhere, unless you are 'besties' with upper management, if you are looking into any growth/title promotions - it won't be happening.

As I've stated elsewhere (see title), growth should be provided to those who've dedicated Time in order to provide efficient service/support, as well as provide innovation and ambition. There's obvious favoritism here, and some type of 'down-low' corruption/politics. If, for some reason, you decide to take a stand to how things are going because of it being unfair - you'll then become a target. 

Upper Management doesn't listen to their employees' wishes...especially when they bring in the $. And if you're a 'Staff', then you're definitely not listened to...

The fact there are separate attorney & employee holiday parties. An attorney-only cafeteria, at which the items are discounted. Hard-nosed, opinionated rotund suburban female-driven Business Development department with lack of ideas, nor willingness to accept new thoughts or ways of doing things. Favoritism reigns, ostracism of new employees common, library-like environment, coworkers barely know one another, more boring the subject matter and attorney personalities is impossible anywhere on earth--the oxygen was let of this firm 50-75 years ago. It's lifeless, energy-starved, and technologically-challenged. It's a death knell to anyone that does not fit their ideal mold.

This is the worst department I have every had the misfortune of working for.  The manager puts everything off until the last possible minute and expects you to accommodate her emergency.  She lies to her staff.  She is hostile and hateful. She complains about her boss, the executive committee, the partners and Human Resources on a regular basis.  She is rude and demeaning and keeps the morale of her department low. She is a workaholic and therefore does not encourage a work/life balance.  She makes the job harder than it has to be.  She is unfocused and does not pay attention to what she is doing because she rushes thru everything thereby requiring most assignments to be redone due to inaccurate information, and then blames you for her mistakes.

Winston and Strawn is an experience that has helped me realize my potential in the technology field. I've learned that a lot of the skills I've learned on my own have been a great help in regards to my experience. And from that I have learned that I have a great love for technology and the office environment. Working in the IT department has confirmed that I have a knowledge of the IT field more than I have realized. I have had the opportunity to speak with users, help troubleshoot issues for configuring machines. As well as learn my way around the front side of Computer configuration. My opportunity and time to work the IT field has been a great eye opener. I now know the direction in which i would like to take for future endeavors.

I've enjoyed my time at Winston, albeit brief. It's a large, international firm, but you can tell they value their employees. There is a good work-life balance and many events, including staff appreciation, gifts given by HR to employees for recognition and holiday parties and office social events to name a few. 

Dress is business casual on all days except Friday (jeans) but the atmosphere for a law firm, is quite laid back and reasonable. Located in a great location downtown, this is one of the many perks of working here.

I've really enjoyed my time working for my manager as well. She's engaging and easy to get along with, but wants to see you succeed.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Associate 4 salaries reported	$207,500 per year
Associate attorney 4 salaries reported	$243,750 per year
Document reviewer 3 salaries reported	$27.00 per hour
Enterprise account manager 1 salary reported	$180,000 per year
Business development executive 1 salary reported	$6,191 per month

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