Overview
Introduction
Robinson Bradshaw is a growing firm of more than 160 attorneys, with four offices operating in and around North Carolina. Prospective associates are expected to work primarily from one of the firm’s offices, but those who do have a strong chance of making partner so long as they stick around (and that is what they want for their career). With no billable-hour requirement and with lockstep compensation, Robinson Bradshaw makes the top five in our rankings for career outlook, hours, satisfaction, associate/partner relations, and firm cul...
Firm Stats
Total No. Attorneys (2021)
No. of Partners Named (2021)
Featured Rankings
No. of 1st Year Associates Hired (2020)
No. of Summer Associates (2021)
Base Salary
Vault Verdict
Robinson Bradshaw recruits primarily from regional schools in the South due to an expectation that associates live in North Carolina, and it seeks candidates who want to stick around for a while. Associates report that the firm facilitates a “nice guys finish first” culture and fosters real friendships between attorneys and staff—even during COVID-19. Partners outnumber associates, and the expectation is that every associate who wants to make partner will, so partners and associates have very close working relationships, and associates feel valued and respected. The firm has no billable-hours requirement and, uniquely, is hours-blind, meaning only the managing partner can view the hours billed by attorneys. As a result, compensation is lockstep and is not tied to hours, resulting ...
About the Firm
Robinson Bradshaw is a growing, full-service firm based in North Carolina. The firm has more than 160 attorneys practicing in a broad range of practice areas in four offices across the Carolinas: Raleigh, Charlotte, and Research Triangle in North Carolina, and Rock Hill in South Carolina. Robinson Bradshaw represents clients all over the country and emphasizes collaboration and collegiality amongst its attorneys by, among other things, not tying compensation to any individual attorney’s billable hours or originations.
Southern Roots
Robinson Bradshaw has been an active pillar of the North Carolina legal community since its founding in 1960. The firm operates as a full-service, corporate-focused law firm, and as it has grown it has chosen to focus on strengthening and deepening its ties...
Associate Reviews
- “We've all heard the phrase ‘nice guys come in last.’ Well, Robinson Bradshaw is the firm where nice guys (and girls) come in first. It's where the pleasant, the polite, the courteous, and the kind come to practice law. If you're a ‘take no prisoners’ type looking to squash anything in your path to partner, this isn't the place for you.”
- “Our firm is very focused on building and maintaining a community among the lawyers, staff, etc. The firm sponsors regular social events (firm-wide dinners, the annual all-attorneys retreat, various summer associate events, group lunches, happy hours, etc.) and many of the attorneys hang out with each other outside of work as well. Even during the pandemic, the firm was very intentional about planning virtual and socially distanced social activities.”
- “I started during the pandemic so it is hard to assess this. The first-year cohort is pretty close. I do not socialize much outside of work because of COVID-19, but if I do it is usually with one of my colleagues. (We have also done a virtual game night.) The firm also has coordinated specific pandemic-modified programs like a virtual book club or hikes. I feel like I interact with staff regularly. The staff are incredibly useful for clueless first years. They take the time to explain software/programs/processes and I feel like I have grown close to a few staff members that I hope to interact with more post-pandemic.”
Diversity at Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A.
Getting Hired Here
- “Robinson Bradshaw looks for candidates with strong academics, and most candidates that receive interviews are in the top five to ten percent of their class. Judicial clerkships are also considered desirable, but are not necessary.”
- “This firm hires the top students from the top schools. The firm recruits mostly at regional schools in the south—Duke, UNC, Virginia, Vanderbilt, and Wake Forest—because those students are more likely to want to be in North Carolina. Excellent academic performance is a prerequisite. I can identify at least three or four associates who graduated summa cum laude from top schools; a number of associates clerked at the Federal Circuit and district levels; etc. But grades are not everything, and the firm seems to place more of an emphasis on ‘fit’ than most. When I interviewed for a summer associate position I believe I interviewed with 25 different attorneys, so clearly the firm wanted to make sure a broad range of its attorneys felt comfortable hiring me (and the other summer associates) and that I fit into the firm's culture.”
- “Robinson Bradshaw is a lifetime firm. Folks come as summer associates and then stay for 40 years. If you're smart, kind, and collaborative, you'll be a good fit. If you're looking to make the highest salary in the shortest period of time and then transition out of law firm life, Robinson Bradshaw is not the spot for you.”
Perks & Benefits
