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Firm of the Year update: stellar scores for Shearman despite loo issues
14 December 2012
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As responses for RollOnFriday Firm of the Year 2013 head towards 3,000, early contenders for both the top spot and the infamous Golden Turd are already emerging.

Life seems particularly happy at Shearman & Sterling. Lawyers praise the "friendly, collegiate atmosphere" and "first class work". Despite the often "relentless hours", one associate enthused "people thought I was mad to join Shearman several years ago, but I would recommend it to anyone". It's not all rosy however: several respondents moaned about the toilets blocking up.

Meanwhile Olswang is an example of a firm generating a very mixed bag of results so far. Half of the respondents lavish the "ideas-driven" firm with praise for its "young energetic partnership", "open culture" and, um, "great range of booze". While the other half bemoan poor retention rates, "smug" partners and an excess of "deadwood". One particularly disenchanted junior lawyer claimed associate competitiveness at the firm "is akin to gladiators being sent to kill each other in front of the fat evil romans (partners)."

    Scenes at Olswang yesterday

At the arse end of proceedings, DAC Beachcroft gets a kicking for being "rubbish",  for lawyers not having "a cat in hell's chance of a bonus", "relentless hours" and malfunctioning air conditioning. Dundas & Wilson staffers are also less than happy with "very poor pay" and coffee machines which apparently expel "what looks and tastes very much like toilet water". No wonder several respondents complain of low morale.

There is still plenty of time to spill the beans, good and bad, on your firm in either the UK survey or the Australian survey.


Comments

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anonymous user
14/12/2012 08:47
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I see the culture at DAC has prevailed at DAC Beachcroft post-merger, then.
anonymous user
14/12/2012 09:43
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It's 'collegial' - not collegiate
anonymous user
14/12/2012 11:29
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Poor DAC Beachcroft lawyers and their "relentless" 9 to 5 EVERY week day
anonymous user
15/12/2012 08:26
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Definitely not 9-5 at DACB. But the pay seems to suggest it is.
anonymous user
15/12/2012 16:50
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Not sure about the coffee machines tasting of toilet water at Dundas as I've never compared it, but I'm sure its a good enough description!
Poor pay indeed, the general feeling about the place is exactly that. Increases have been insulting and embarrassing.
Some are looked after the rest forgotten about, just depends how much ar*e kissing you can do.

Make you own tea/coffee if you want a decent cup. Probably why so many partners have left in the past 18 months, 18 isn't it?

Scrooge lives...
anonymous user
15/12/2012 17:44
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DAC Beachcroft is a great place for promotion but only if you can't manage teams, don't bring in any new clients or work or have any plans to, upset the associates and are generally sociopathic.
anonymous user
15/12/2012 18:43
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Any chance you can draw a distinction between Dundas & Wilson in Scotland and in London? There's a lot of differences between the two.
anonymous user
17/12/2012 14:25
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I'm perfectly happy at Dundas & Wilson in Edinburgh, - still relatively junior in PQE. Been here for 3 years and seen lots of changes, but at the end of the day there is a lot to be said for the culture and the people you work with - I work with genuinely nice, bright and inspiring people.
anonymous user
17/12/2012 22:51
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DAC Beachcroft is a hideous place to work. Literally awful. No redeeming features. The bizarre and somewhat grotesque woodland scene and beach murals that adorn the newly done up Fetter Lane reception tell you everything that you need to know about the partners I.e. not a clue, not living in the 21st century. They also have an almost universal inability to manage other human beings, which seems to be the overwhelming quality required in the firm's partners.
anonymous user
19/12/2012 13:04
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Hmmm yes there is a lot to be said for the culture and who you work with, am sure it is lovely working in Edinburgh, its just a shame that Edinburgh and London are not able to work together ...

As for the coffee machine, I can say from personal experience it is well and truly disgusting and as an added bonus we all get to wash our cups in the tiny toilets as there are no kitchen facilities ...
anonymous user
19/12/2012 15:30
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As a London D&W person, there is nothing wrong with the coffee. I can choose between 5 varieties. Although there is a kitchen on my floor we use the disposable cups provided, so need to wash them in the toilets - that really is NOT nice.
I also get on very well with my colleagues in Edinburgh, but as we all know relationships from a distance work best when everyone makes the same effort.
anonymous user
19/12/2012 16:11
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Free, and as much as you can drink tea, coffee, herbal teas or hot chocolate drinks are available for all partners and staff. Its certainly not awful but it is down to personal taste. Personally i like costa coffee but not starbucks. I cannot believe some are grumbling about the coffee provided. Go buy your own - problem solved. Moaning at a ridiculous level and as for washing cups use the paper cups provided! And like the PQE I also work with good people.
anonymous user
19/12/2012 18:42
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DW 'no sink person' - maybe it would be wiser to mention such inadequacies to your Managing Partner or Department head rather than dishing the dirt on the company via RoF?
You could always leave for a floor with a sink?
If you're referring to The London office, there are 4 kitchens on the premises, so your complaint has no substance.
Walk to the next floor where there is one! Pleb... ;)
Hard life isn't it...

Happy Christmas

From Donald Shaw ate my tuna sandwich...
anonymous user
20/12/2012 05:02
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The last time DAC Beachcroft won the Golden Turd there was a three line whip for partners to submit favourable returns for the next survey and to 'strongly encourage' their teams to do so.

So expect a last minute flurry of responses!
anonymous user
20/12/2012 09:59
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Roll on Friday come and visit us, you are invited! Sample our coffee and Tunnochs teacakes. Count the sinks, fridge freezers, microwaves,toasters & kettles at our disposal. Join the Pilates class in the office on Wendesdays, or watch our partners dancing gangnam style on the intranet. Father Christmas dropped by yesterday and spent some time on the 9th floor. You'll find our office conveniently located just a stone's throw from Covent Garden.

Donald never touched my hamster
anonymous user
20/12/2012 14:22
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You can indeed choose between 5 varieties – none of them very nice, agreed its personal taste just ask the queue of D&W staff in Starbucks in the morning.

Donald at my sandwich ‘person’ do please forgive my plebness, its just that most law firms do offer basic facilities for staff and as to mentioning such inadequacies to a Managing Partner or Department Head, what a brilliant idea, I shall mention it when I see them in line at the Starbucks queue in the morning …
anonymous user
20/12/2012 15:59
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All those facilities and Pilates! Wow!!!
Don't forget the 'Extra Mile Award' (aka employee of the month),
I wonder who in Scotland will be the recepient of this first all new motivational master stroke brought in by the management team?

Sleepiness night tonight.....

Elfie Irvine
anonymous user
20/12/2012 19:33
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Yes the coffee is terrible but in better shape than Dundas & Wilson. The coffee brand may survive!
anonymous user
20/12/2012 22:38
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All you Dundas and Wilson folk, sleep easy, your coffee may be bad but I bet you don't get no pay rises whilst your partners go to conferences with cocktail tables and sushi making stands to keep them amused. Ho ho ho DACB.
anonymous user
23/12/2012 09:20
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Those at DW may get the odd pay rise, yes I mean odd! But the partners are either away playing golf, lunching or watching rugby and claiming their lives back in expenses whilst the rest of us are working hard back at the office. No wonder the bonus and salary pool has shrunk as the partners continue to line their pockets.
Christmas bonus said it all! Bottle of Prosecco....
The life of Riley.

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