Fenwick & West LLP
Fenwick & West counts approximately 457 attorneys in 8 offices. Founded in Palo Alto, CA in 1972.
$225,000+
Market base, no firm announcement (as of Sep 2026)
Not reported: Partnership Track.
Openings
3L / Entry-LevelOpen
Multiple
Opens
Opened Aug 25Deadline
Rolling
2L Summer 2028 · Class of 2029Opening Soon
Opens
Nov 1, 2026Deadline
Not announced
Fenwick pays $225,000+, the same as 159 of the 197 firms that publish pay.
Listed firms by announced first-year comp
| First-Year Comp | Firms |
|---|---|
| Above $225K | 18 |
| $225K | 159 |
| Below $225K | 20 |
Source: firm announcements. 197 listed firms publish a first-year figure.
About Fenwick & West
Fenwick focuses on technology and life sciences companies and the investors that support them. Its practice follows businesses through formation, financing, growth, public offerings, and strategic transactions. That industry concentration gives its corporate work a recurring connection to the commercial development of new products, platforms, and scientific research.
The firm's published matters illustrate both the transactional and contentious sides of that focus. It has highlighted work involving Figma's public offering, Wiz's acquisition by Google, and CoreWeave's public offering, alongside patent litigation for Lashify. These examples show a practice that addresses how innovation is funded and commercialized as well as how intellectual property is defended.
For students, Fenwick's defining feature is this combination of sector knowledge and legal work across a company's development. Corporate transactions and intellectual property disputes can involve similar underlying industries while requiring different day-to-day skills. Exploring the firm's individual practices offers a clearer picture of those opportunities
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than treating technology law as a single category.
Rankings
Latest published editions. Each links to its source.
Size and Standing
Associate Life
Practice Strength by Market
Every band below appears on this firm’s Chambers USA 2026 profile, checked September 26, 2026. Where Chambers splits a table into The Elite and Highly Regarded, every Elite firm ranks above every Highly Regarded firm.
Scroll sideways to see recognition.
| Practice | Market | Recognition, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
Intellectual Property | Vermont | Band 1 |
Intellectual Property: Patent Prosecution | California | Band 1 |
Startups & Emerging Companies | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Tax | California: Northern | Band 1 |
Technology | California | Band 1 |
Venture Capital | California | Band 1 |
Artificial Intelligence | Nationwide | Band 2 |
Capital Markets: Convertible Debt | Nationwide | Band 2 |
Capital Markets: Debt & Equity | California | Band 2 |
Corporate/M&AThe Elite | California: San Francisco, Silicon Valley & Surrounds | Band 2 |
Corporate/M&A | Washington | Band 2 |
Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation | California: San Francisco, Silicon Valley & Surrounds | Band 2 |
Intellectual Property: Trademark, Copyright & Trade Secrets | California | Band 2 |
Life Sciences: Corporate/Commercial | California | Band 2 |
Capital Markets: Equity: Issuer Counsel | Nationwide | Band 3 |
Intellectual Property | Washington | Band 3 |
Intellectual Property: Patent Litigation | California | Band 3 |
Intellectual Property: Trademark & Copyright | Nationwide | Band 3 |
Life Sciences | Nationwide | Band 3 |
Life Sciences: IP/Patent Litigation | California | Band 3 |
Litigation: Securities | California | Band 3 |
Tax: Corporate & Finance | Nationwide | Band 3 |
Technology | Nationwide | Band 3 |
Intellectual Property: Patent | New York | Band 4 |
Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation | Nationwide | Band 5 |
Intellectual Property | Massachusetts | Band 5 |
Intellectual Property | Nationwide | Band 5 |
Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations | California | Band 5 |
Tax: Controversy | Nationwide | Band 5 |
International Trade: Export Controls & Economic SanctionsHighly Regarded | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Corporate/M&AHighly Regarded | Nationwide | Band 2 |
Privacy & Data SecurityHighly Regarded | Nationwide | Band 2 |
Corporate/M&AHighly Regarded | New York | Band 4 |
33 reported ranking rows
Facts verified by BigLaw Bear, narrative by the firm. Figures carry a source link where we hold one; prose is Fenwick & West’s own.
Firm Highlights
Summer Program
Pro Bono
- Average Hours Per Attorney
- 43.4 hoursAm Law pro bono rank #54
Schools Fenwick & West Hires From
6 schools name Fenwick & West on its own employer or placement pages. These lists are not exhaustive.