Does Wilson Elser pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Wilson Elser employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.6 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Wilson Elser. This rating has improved by 10% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Wilson Elser?

68% of Wilson Elser employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Wilson Elser 3.4 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.6 for culture and values and 3.7 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Wilson Elser?

Associate Attorney (91) , Associate (58) , Paralegal (53) , Attorney (47) , Legal Secretary (31) , Legal Assistant (22) , Litigation Paralegal (19) , Law Clerk (13) , Partner (13) , Conflicts Analyst (9) , Of Counsel (8) , Paralegal Clerk (7) , Legal Records Clerk (6) , Senior Associate (6) , Lawyer (5)

What are the pros of working at Wilson Elser according to real employee reviews?

"The people are great and easy to get along with." ((in 51 reviews)); "Benefits are good and working from home once a week is helpful" ((in 32 reviews)); "Good work life balance something that is not typical for attorneys." ((in 22 reviews)); "Staff is nice and helpful" ((in 19 reviews)); "Great support staff and assistance" ((in 10 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Wilson Elser according to real employee reviews?

"Low pay for support staff" ((in 48 reviews)); "poor management and organization skills" ((in 29 reviews)); "$100 bonuses or no bonuses" ((in 21 reviews)); "There is no training or formal mentoring program as young associates are "thrown into the fire."" ((in 14 reviews)); "Unless you're a seasoned attorney who's coming in with your own business, you don't have much leverage to negotiate a high salary." ((in 13 reviews))

What are employees saying about Wilson Elser layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Wilson Elser layoffs and their outlook for job security at Wilson Elser in 2026.

What are the top reviewed Wilson Elser locations?

New York , White Plains , San Francisco , Los Angeles , Chicago , Las Vegas , Houston , San Diego , Milwaukee , Baltimore , Orlando , Florham Park , Dallas , Boston , Phoenix , Philadelphia , Atlanta , McLean , Albany , Denver , Newark , Washington , Stamford , Seattle , Madison , Garden City , Detroit , Livonia , Costa Mesa , Elizabeth

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Wilson Elser

Wilson Elser reviews

3.7

68% would recommend to a friend

(647 total reviews)

Dan McMahon

81% approve of CEO

80% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

3.9

Diversity & inclusion

3.7

Senior management

3.7

Career opportunities

3.6

Culture & values

3.6

Compensation and benefits

3.4

Work/Life balance

Wilson Elser has an employee rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, based on 647 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Wilson Elser employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Legal industry (3.8 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

647 reviews

1.0

May 28, 2016

LAWYER

Associate lawyer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Some very good lawyers but the firm continues to lose talent at an alarming rate. Clique centric. Impossible to develop clients since partners who were introduced to clients by the firm's founders now do not reciprocate and hoard all contacts. So, since becoming a partner is tied to client relationships, you cannot advance. If you are happy making other people rich, then this is the place for you.

Cons

I noticed a number of surprisingly positive reviews. I think that the firm's marketing department must be submitting reviews or encouraging the placement of reviews to counter the departures of what must be about 30-40 lawyers so far this year. Unfortunately, the folks in the upper 1% of the pay scale do not care about the rest of the firm. The firm lives and dies by the motto " Management takes care of management". Many lawyers that have been there for years have the abused spouse look about them. Sad.

3.0

May 25, 2016

Paralegal

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great coworkers, everyone is very nice

Cons

The pay is fairly low

5.0

May 24, 2016

Potential for an Excellent Experience

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

This firm houses some of the best attorneys and professionals from whom anyone would want to learn. If you're fortunate enough to land a spot with one of the good teams, you'll be working with the best and being supported all the way through. Opportunities are there for those provided with the right mentoring.

Cons

Unfortunately, the experience will vary based on your team. If you're placed with a not-so-good group, it can be pretty rough. You'll probably still gain a lot of good experience if you're relatively new in your career, but you might find it hard to stick around, long-term. Compensation can seem low compared to other big firms, but it's partially a reflection of the industry primarily serviced by the firm.

Viewing 544 - 546 of 647 Reviews

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