Avoid This Sinking Ship - Marketing & Business Development Orrick Employee Review

Nothing says "this firm is thriving" quite like dueling Glassdoor reviews, right? This once collegial, innovative, and hard-working team has been gutted—both in size and morale—by a thoughtless restructuring led by a partner with no verifiable marketing acumen, zero business development achievements, and absolutely no people management skills. Under this individual’s direction, marketing professionals were unceremoniously removed from their roles without so much as a conversation or input. Decisions about their futures were made by people who had never even spoken to them. Their options? Accept the new role or leave. Experienced professionals with years of expertise were reduced to glorified ticket-takers, simply fulfilling orders. For prospective attorneys considering a job at Orrick, beware: business development support is sparse at best. Most departments are left with just one or two overworked people trying to provide strategic support. If you’re promised otherwise, talk to some of the recently departed partners—or the rainmakers actively documenting this partner's countless missteps in hopes of finally forcing change. Need help with your bio, pitching clients, building your brand, or targeting clients for new work? Good luck. The remaining team members are talented, but there are far too few of them left to make a real impact. Many of them are likely close to giving notice too. If you're a legal marketer, explore literally any other option. Savvy candidates turned down offers once they see the team’s structure and realize they’d be walking into a mess with no meaningful support. Unsurprisingly, there’s been a steady exodus of talent as a result. The few marketers who remain are micromanaged with time-tracking demands—because, after all, "attorneys do it, so why shouldn’t you?" Except attorneys bill separate clients for their time. This is a ridiculous oversight exercise you'd be spared at any other firm. Be warned that the partner behind these changes wouldn’t dream of getting their own hands dirty, so anyone considering a management role within marketing should know they’re signing up to eventually be a scapegoat. This same partner didn’t bother to attend a single meeting to explain the restructuring decisions, instead delegating the dirty work to others. They’re equally spineless when delivering bad news to other partners. Thankfully, some within the partnership are starting to catch on. If you join the team, expect to be handed “playbooks" created by Lean Six Sigma experts—individuals with no actual experience in the work they’re documenting. There are no marketers at the helm here. Finally, let’s talk about the firm’s mindset. Orrick once prided itself on being a "best place to work." But when leadership received constructive criticism, their response wasn’t to listen or improve—it was to downplay the importance of such recognition and focus on "managing (especially associate) expectations." This immature, performative culture thrives on the illusion of niceness. Take the diversity of leadership, for instance: one glance at the photos of those in charge tells you all you need to know about how hollow that claim really is. In short: avoid this sinking ship.