Overview
Introduction
Talk about history—Foley & Lardner was founded in Wisconsin when it was still a territory and not yet a state. From humble beginnings in Milwaukee in 1842 to substantial growth in the past 50 years, Foley has become a 26-office , 1,100-attorney force in the legal world. The firm is known for work in intellectual property, corporate law, and litigation—especially as these matters relate to the energy, healthcare, life science, innovative technology, and manufacturing sectors.
Firm Stats
Total No. Attorneys (2024)
No. of Partners Named (2023)
Featured Rankings
No. of 1st Year Associates Hired (2023)
No. of Summer Associates (2024)
Base Salary
Vault Verdict
Foley & Lardner can claim both Barack Obama and Antonin Scalia as alumni but doesn’t brag about it. Consistently, despite exponentially expanding throughout its long history, Foley & Lardner has worked hard to remain true to its modest Midwestern roots. Although the firm has offices in major U.S. cities, its largest office remains in Milwaukee, and several other major offices are in the region. The firm looks for excellence in candidates but isn’t snobby about pedigree, regularly hiring top students from regional law schools in addition to T14 graduates. Although “lifestyle” and “BigLaw” don’t typically go hand in hand, Foley & Lardner is different; associates praise the firm's friendly, family-oriented culture in which work-life balance is achievable a...
About the Firm
Although Foley & Lardner handles a wide range of business matters, the majority of the firm’s major clients are in the automotive, energy, healthcare, life science, and technology fields. With an excellent healthcare practice and a client roster boasting corporate staples such as Harley-Davidson and Cummins, Milwaukee’s best firm has grown into an international operation while maintaining local allegiances.
Midwestern Roots, Global Reach
Foley & Lardner was founded in 1842 in Milwaukee when Asahel Finch and William Pitt Lynde opened shop before the city had even paved its roads. More than a century passed before the firm established a presence outside Wisconsin, creating a DC branch as it became the first Badger State firm to establish an office outside the state. From ...
2025 Vault Rankings
Associate Reviews
- “The day-to-day atmosphere is warm and caring. Foley & Lardner could easily be called ‘Family & Life’ because we get to have them.”
- “Great culture, overall. People are friendly with each other and are genuinely interested in helping when they can. The firm gives plenty of opportunities to socialize, especially during the summer months, and events tend to be well-attended. Associates are treated well and with respect by partners. Most partners are approachable and seem to sincerely want to help associates develop their skill sets. It is understood that our staff is the backbone of the firm. They are treated with respect and associates often seek their advice on issues.”
- “Foley's culture is second to none. We have eight core values, all of which center around making Foley a strong workplace, both internally and externally. In the Dallas office, we have a mix of organic and firm-sponsored social events, with a heavy majority being organic. There's a strong office presence without any pressure to feel like you must be by your desk 24/7.”
- “The culture at Foley can be fast-paced and overwhelming at times, but Foley actively tries to make sure that their associates take care of themselves and don't burn out. I also love that Foley encourages everyone to respect vacation time in order to let the attorneys and staff recharge.”
Diversity at Foley & Lardner LLP
Getting Hired Here
- “The firm is really keen on hiring summers from schools where they have had successful summer associates transition to first-year associates in the firm. They appear to value the law school attended, grades, and journal experience.”
- “Foley hires from highly-ranked law schools and strong schools within its offices' markets. Foley looks for candidates who are personable, effective, and motivated. One important thing to know about Foley's recruiting is that most Foley offices give summer associate offers by practice group—this was important to me as a 2L going through the recruiting process.”
- “I'm involved in hiring and it's crazy competitive especially since nationalizing the pay scale. People realize that Foley is a lifestyle firm where you can make the same amount as big firms but have a much better life and be treated better. As for hiring decisions, they are increasingly selective about the hard quantitative factors like school rank, GPA—it's a threshold requirement. Diversity and inclusion and personality and highly prioritized to protect our firm culture. We somewhat regularly pass up higher grades for better fit.”
- “The firm looks for candidates who are BigLaw-capable (typical academic credentials) and a good culture fit for the firm, office, and practice group. Candidates are often hired from well-regarded local/regional schools as opposed to mostly/solely T14 schools. The prevailing attitude is that there are tons of people able to do the work, but the firm prefers interesting people who fit the culture of the firm.”
Perks & Benefits