Marshall Dennehey reviews

3.9

67% would recommend to a friend

(218 total reviews)
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G. Mark Thompson

85% approve of CEO

74% positive business outlook

Marshall Dennehey has an employee rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars, based on 218 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Marshall Dennehey employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Legal industry (3.6 stars).

Reviews by job title

218 reviews
1.0
Jul 7, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Free parking in suburban offices. Pre-tax dollars can be used for public transportation in urban offices. High turnover (this is really a con) is indicative that you should GTFO!

Cons

Super low pay (think $80,000-$100,000) for associates, especially compared with peer firms and the amount of work assigned. No bonus schedule - people get $500.00 and that's their bonus! It is insulting. No compensation program - most people will not get salary increases no matter how much or how little they work. Focus on billables distracts from good work. Associates reprimanded often for not meeting billables. Low focus on minority retention and women attorney retention. They pay a lot of attention initially for their statistics and reporting figures to local papers, etc., but ultimately don't care if you succeed or not. Only defense work - basically all insurance. Most attorneys did not attend prestigious schools and are more like "street" attorneys. Those who did attend prestigious colleges and law schools are an afterthought and not treated too well. There is a tech/IT mandatory training - so the firm can basically check a box saying they complied with a training on how to save documents and send emails. That way if anyone accidentally messes up, it's all on the individual and firm can disclaim liability. The training is pointless as everything that is taught is easily learned by associates who grew up in the past few decades. There is also a billing "training," in which associates are talked AT - basically someone reads off a piece of paper some billing codes and then associates are told they cannot count any time unless it is billable. There is zero substantive legal training and zero HR training. Ramp up time is expected to be very quick - instantaneous really. There is a steep learning curve. Partners are critical and demanding. They can be smart and have good cases sometimes too, but they disrespect associates, especially female and minority associates.

1.0
Jan 6, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Opportunity for good insurance defense work experience working shoulder to shoulder with some very fine, learned attorneys. Acceptable starting salary. Free coffee (all you can drink). On a departmental team basis, the work is enriching and collaborative. Responsibilities are myriad and self-directed generally.

Cons

Billing expectations for paralegals are rigorous and challenging, on par with associate attorney expectations. Outdated system of monitoring paralegals (and support staff) kills morale. Paralegals are considered professionals only to the extent that they garner billables for the firm. Paralegals are viewed as support staff rather than professional staff, which is a shock to the system. Most firms of this size and caliber do not micromanage their paralegals to the extent that Marshall Dennehey does. Ostensibly, paralegals are viewed as support staff (assistants, clerks, messengers, receptionists) and must follow administrative rules like signing in and out in front of the "floor manager," who is always watching to see if you stray from the floor. No breaks are allowed - not even to step out for some fresh air or to grab a snack from the in-building C-store - and to do so will earn you a talk with and warning from the floor manager (who is a secretarial staff member). Overtime is strongly discouraged. The internal management hierarchy seems to sweat the small stuff to the point of preoccupation, staunchly enforcing rules like leaving the office floor, or not taking your lunch during prescribed hours, or forgetting to sign in or out, etc. Over several months this becomes annoying and almost petty, and effectively obliterates any sense of well-being, ownership and enjoyment of what could be an otherwise enriching, satisfying work experience. If you have come from a law firm or corporate setting where as a paralegal you were given certain latitudes to conduct your day in your own way with the expectation that you are a professional, while maintaining your productivity and billables, you will be sadly disappointed in the complete opposite mindset at Marshall Dennehey.

1.0
Jul 15, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The only Pros that I can think of are the commute is fast and MOST of the Admins, support staff and attorneys are nice . Oh and the summer hours are nice .

Cons

Where do I begin... The management is a good place to start , they are useless !!! You ask them questions and go to them with issues all you get is either scolded for asking or ignored . The two of them are the worse managers that I have ever had. You have people with legitimate issues that they are supposed to be able to speak to management about but you can't ! So what is their purpose ??? All they do is stay in their offices all day how can you manage an office staff from your office ?? When you talk to the asst office manager about issues all you get are catch phrases like "OMG" and "I can't, I can't " with no resolution. The office manager and asst. Office manager are the jokes of the office and probably the whole company . And the pay is from the early 80's/90's so don't go there thinking you are going to make a lot of money because you won't ! And the raises are small to say the least you won't even notice the difference in your paycheck yet they are a billion dollar company. And there are plenty of "favorites" there too if you are favorite you can sit on your butt all day and get paid to do nothing and management won't say a word . Meanwhile the hardworking employees just have to pick up the slack of the "favorites". Don't waste you time coming to this firm . The morale is to the ground!!!

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Glassdoor has 225 Marshall Dennehey reviews submitted anonymously by Marshall Dennehey employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Marshall Dennehey is right for you.