Overview
Introduction
With a stronghold in Florida and offices in the Northeast, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC, Carlton Fields has grown from a long-time sole office in Tampa to 11 offices and about 330 attorneys. Collaboration, both internally among attorneys and externally with clients, is key to the firm’s success. Diversity has long been championed by Carlton Fields—Doyle Carlton, when he was governor of Florida, advocated for women’s voting rights in the 1920s and was named to the country’s first Civil Rights Commission.
Firm Stats
Total No. Attorneys (2022)
No. of Partners Named (2022)
Featured Rankings
No. of 1st Year Associates Hired (2022)
No. of Summer Associates (2022)
Base Salary
Vault Verdict
Carlton Fields generally looks for candidates with some work experience on their resumes, though they also consider candidates straight out of law school. The firm has a collaborative atmosphere, and attorneys are not in competition with each other. Firm-sponsored events are well attended, but impromptu after-hours socializing is less common. Partners are genuinely interested in mentoring associates—with whom they often work on-on-one—and the firm offers a fair amount of transparency, particularly regarding financials. Hours can ebb and flow, but associates are generally satisfied with their compensation for those hours. Associates rave about their work and the level of responsibility they are given. While attorneys don’t report a wide variety of wellness initiatives, they are pro...
About the Firm
Carlton Fields, PA is home to more than 300 lawyers practicing across 11 offices. The firm has a strong national trial practice, as well as experience in myriad areas, including antitrust, business transactions, class actions, construction, employment, healthcare, insurance, litigation, M&A, real estate—to name some.
Spreading Through the Sunshine State and Beyond
Giddings Mabry founded Carlton Fields over a century ago with the help of his father Milton Mabry—a former Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice—and Doyle Carlton—who would go on to become Florida’s 25th governor. The firm has maintained its strong reputation in Florida and is among the Top 20 firms in Vault’s Best Law Firms in Miami. Over the years, the firm has branched out beyond the sunshine state, adding offices in...
2024 Vault Rankings
Associate Reviews
- “People are very down to earth and always willing to work together to provide the best service we can. We have several officewide events and annual firmwide events where attorneys can socialize together.”
- “I find the firm's culture to be inviting and accepting.”
- “The associates have good relationships and are willing to help each other out. The culture is not one of competition, but rather being part of a team.”
- “Collegial, but not overly social. There are not many impromptu social events or happy hours, but firm-sponsored functions, even if voluntary, are well attended. [The] atmosphere in the office is friendly between attorneys of all levels and between attorneys and staff.”
Diversity at Carlton Fields, P.A.
Getting Hired Here
- “The firm looks for laterals and former law clerks.”
- “I believe our hiring process is competitive. Our litigation department focuses on clerks and laterals but considers individuals directly out of law school. I believe there are some local feeder schools.”
- “For associate laterals, the firm is looking for experienced laterals with strong writing and oral advocacy skills.”
- “My firm was particularly interested in federal clerkships, and people who could really ‘vibe’ with the office. We are truly a collaborative bunch, and I think it's very important for the firm to selectively choose associates that fit within the firm's culture. They are also highly selective because they don't hire many associates.”
Perks & Benefits
