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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Track to becoming a partner? Associates who have been with the firm at least two years and who have been in active legal practice for at least six years can be considered for partnership.

What other career tracks, if any, does the firm offer? The firm realizes that partnership may not be the ultimate objective of all practitioners and, therefore, offers alternative career paths which include Of Counsel, Staff Attorney, Patent Agents, and in certain cases, Part-time or Contractor status.

How is training of less experienced practitioners handled? The firm invests a great deal of time training its practitioners through weekly educational meetings, partner one-on-one instruction, and encouraging participation in appropriate outside seminars. The firm has also established “mentors” to help practitioners develop their legal and client management skills.

What are the billable hour requirements? The firm expects a minimum of 1,500 billable hours each year. The practitioner has the opportunity to increase his/her compensation with billings above this minimum standard. We also offer a salary based compensation plan that requires a higher billable hour commitment.

Can you explain attorney compensation? All of our practitioners are compensated based on a percentage of individual collected billings. There are also bonus provisions incorporated into our compensation system that reward higher than expected collections.

What Bar expenses are paid for by the firm? The firm pays for California bar review course and bar exam expenses, US Patent Bar course materials and exam expenses. The firm pays for annual bar dues for California and the ABA.

Does the firm pay any stipend? The firm pays a summer stipend to incoming associates while they study for the California state bar exam.

When will I become eligible for firm benefits? Most benefits begin within 30 days of your date of hire. See our benefits page for more details.