Overview
Introduction
Associates at Holland & Knight enjoy their work and appreciate their colleagues. The firm is a true pro bono leader, especially when it comes to its work supporting veterans. For those hoping to make partner, the firm provides a realistic pathway. The firm crosses state and national borders with approximately 2,200 attorneys spread across 34 locations. Holland & Knight has a laid-back culture but takes service to the community seriously.
Firm Stats
Total No. Attorneys (2024)
No. of Partners Named (2023)
Featured Rankings
No. of 1st Year Associates Hired (2024)
No. of Summer Associates (2024)
Base Salary
Vault Verdict
Holland & Knight carefully curates its attorney roster through targeted, lean, and locally oriented recruiting and hiring. The firm is a very big fish in many smaller ponds; therefore, getting in the door can be challenging because of stiff competition. Notably, the firm cares as much, if not more, about a candidate’s personality and unique experiences than other criteria. This selectivity contributes greatly to the firm’s welcoming, collaborative culture: Holland & Knight attorneys genuinely like and enjoy working with each other, and the firm is considered to be family friendly. At 2,000 hours, the billable requirement is higher than many associates prefer, and a full bonus is tied to hitting that number. Despite the requirement, associates are quite satisfied wi...
About the Firm
A veritable global conglomerate, Holland & Knight complements its fleet of offices in the United States with locations in Algeria, Colombia, England and Mexico. With a political pedigree and strong Capitol Hill ties, the firm covers dozens of practice areas, from litigation, corporate law, intellectual property, healthcare, and tax to more industry-specific areas.
A Prime Pedigree
Holland & Knight is the combination of two firms built by Florida practitioners Peter O. Knight and Spessard Holland with roots dating back to 1889 and 1929, respectively. Present-day Holland & Knight owes much of its success to Chesterfield Smith, who oversaw the merger of Holland’s and Knight’s practices in 1968 and was the new firm’s first managing partner. Smith worked to transform...
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2025 Vault Rankings
Associate Reviews
- “The firm's culture is very welcoming and deeply collaborative. There is little to no interpersonal tension to speak of among attorneys at the firm. Lawyers get together a few times a year at firm-sponsored events and associates additionally gather informally on occasion. The lawyers are well-supported by the staff, who are always helpful, thoughtful, and effective. The atmosphere at the firm is a friendly one.”
- “Attorneys tend to be friendly, partners respect staff and associate boundaries, associates do not socialize much outside of work but tend to be friends, very few firm-sponsored social activities.”
- “HK provides a very friendly work environment. The firm's culture is that of being quick to help your colleagues, whether it be in your own office or other offices across the U.S., which allows not only efficiency but also great client service. When you are at HK, you get the sense that folks genuinely like each other, and you come across many lawyers who have been at HK since they started their career, which is a testament to the firm's culture.”
- “Friendly but professional. There's a great cultural balance here—everyone is awesome to work with, but there's little pressure to socialize outside of work. There are fairly regular firm-sponsored events with excellent attendance, all of which have been fun, and the practice groups are very tight-knit. Lots of people who have gone from summer associates all the way to partner together attend each other's weddings, family funerals, etc. The focus seems to be ‘let's get this done so we can all get each other home to our loved ones.’ Very much a team mentality.”
Why Work Here
Who We Are
A global law firm with approximately 2,200 lawyers and other professionals spread amongst 34 offices throughout the world, Holland & Knight provides outstanding career opportunities for attorneys at all levels. Our attorneys work collaboratively – drawing upon our depth and breadth of legal experience and industry knowledge – to address clients' needs as effectively and efficiently as possible. A "one-firm" structure means that we work across departments and offices so that we can support the most complex matters at all levels providing comprehensive and value-added service. The hallmark of Holland & Knight's success has always been, and continues to be, legal work of the highest quality, performed by well-prepared lawyers who revere their profession and are devoted to their clients.
Diversity at Holland & Knight LLP
Getting Hired Here
- “The firm considers candidates from a wide variety of law schools and backgrounds but hires judiciously and in a manner calculated to ensure long-term success. The firm clearly values the traditional qualities that make for successful applicants but also gives consideration to regional ties and character/personality.”
- “We seem to hire mainly from word of mouth versus putting out a requisition (it seems like most of our new hires have been former DOD/JAG attorneys lately). Hiring seems to be more experience-driven at the mid-level to senior-level and more pedigree (i.e., law school, journal experience, clerkship) at the junior level.”
- “H&K looks for personality and unique experience in its candidates. For this reason, they tend to seek candidates from a variety of schools but still prioritize premier schools in the area. Grades and extracurriculars play important roles. It also really helps to participate in H&K's programs (like the 1L Demystifying the Law event). H&K gets a lot of really great candidates and, all things being a tie, is probably more likely to go with someone who has a connection to an attorney inside the firm.”
- “I believe a focus of the hiring process is ties to the region where our office is located. Candidates who went to local schools seem to have an advantage. I have recently interviewed summer associates, and we do get handouts with talking points prior to the interviews.”