Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

If you want to work at the intersection of law and innovation, Orrick should be at the top of your list. Headquartered in San Francisco with approximately 1,020 attorneys worldwide, Orrick is a global law firm that has built its identity around four sectors: Technology and Innovation, Energy and Infrastructure, Finance, and Life Sciences. The firm has been named a Technology Practice Group of the Year by Law360 five times and was recognized as the Tech Industry Advisory Team of the Year by The American Lawyer.

Orrick is the go-to firm for venture capital, emerging company transactions, and tech M&A, having handled over $157 billion in work across nearly 3,000 venture financings. The firm's energy and infrastructure practice is equally formidable, and its cybersecurity and privacy team is one of the most active in the country. Orrick also developed its own internal generative AI assistant, demonstrating the kind of forward-thinking approach that permeates the entire firm.

The culture at Orrick is genuinely distinctive in BigLaw. Associates consistently describe their colleagues as humble, approachable, and collaborative. The firm offers 40 hours of bonus-eligible unplugged time after busy periods, and the dress code leans casual, jeans and sneakers are common. This is a place where the quality of work is elite but the atmosphere feels refreshingly human.

Orrick runs a free-market summer program with approximately 65 summers and does not impose a formal billable hours requirement. With PPP of $3.2 million, Orrick punches well above its headcount. The firm recruits heavily from West Coast and top national schools, and candidates with backgrounds in technology, science, or engineering have a natural advantage here.