The Work  

Associates are hired into specific departments – such as litigation, environmental or corporate – but are then free to shop around the various practice groups before settling. The significance of each practice area varies from office to office, but options are broadly: litigation; financial industries; energy; labor and employment; business; environmental; and government relations. In 2011, the firm sees three associates starting in litigation, one in labor and employment, one in environmental and one in financial services.

Assignment to a department hinges on personal preference, demand for work and the office itself: “When I came in, I said I wanted a broader approach and didn’t just want to be in one niche straight away,” a junior reported. “The workload was tailored to mirror what I wanted.” Some people in the firm focus on one specific industry and only do that kind of work while others – like those in government relations – could be “helping the energy team one day, finance the next and maybe healthcare after that.” The firm commented that there is a lot of cross-over between certain groups.

“Energy is a major thing here at Balch and the workload and legislation change all the time; it’s really exciting.” Clients are typically big utility companies and the subject matter is “just about everything and anything. There are a lot of coal contracting matters currently, nuclear work, licensing, litigation, FERC issues... I don’t know what the next phone call will bring.”

Some of the work done by the environmental team and some of the pharma-related work may be attractive to those with a science background. “I’m looking at the BP oil spill and dealing with scientists on a day-to-day basis; I’m probably the happiest I’ve been in my career.” Not that the spill was a good thing, they hastened to add.

Business associates handle wide-ranging matters for clients from all the firm’s industry sectors: financing negotiations, corporate integrity agreements, bond issuances, tax exemptions and general due diligence, to name a few. The financial institutions group covers “most kinds of banking matters like lending, creditors’ rights and regulatory,” offering a “roughly 50-50 split between banking and creditors’ rights.”

Juniors felt they were sufficiently challenged both intellectually and interpersonally, regardless of their department or office. They put this down to Balch’s emphasis on building up a solid general skillset in addition to developing a specialism. The learning curve, though steep, is manageable and support is easily available. “The firm gives its employees lots of flexibility,” a source found. “You know what your responsibilities and deadlines are and, so long as they are met, you have plenty of leeway.” Many praised the considerable level of responsibility and client contact they received early on.

To see what more associates have to say on the work, see the Web Extras.

Training & Development  

All new associates are brought to Birmingham at the start of their time with the firm for orientation and lectures about the firm’s history, values and clients. There’s a litigation training program that entails a mock court competition overseen by judges and ex-judges; although it requires a lot of preparation, “it’s extremely beneficial and a good chance to do everything yourself – normally partners handle things in the courtroom while associates assist. After each witness or statement the judges will give advice, perhaps telling you to cross-examine harder on a certain point, for example.” Lunchtime sessions to explain certain matters and legislation are provided on an ongoing basis where required. Departments have different training systems; the bank loans group, for instance, has a weekly meeting to go through the language used in lending.

If an associate needs to qualify for another Bar, the firm pays for the course and their billable target will be adjusted accordingly. Interviewees felt that the training, feedback and support were good, with partners always prepared to lend a helping hand.

Balch & Bingham acts as a sponsor to the Alabama Defense Lawyers Trial Training Program and is frequently called upon to teach and lecture on trial and litigation topics.

Offices  

From modest origins in Birmingham and buoyed up by successes during the ‘Sunbelt’ boom, Balch expanded into Montgomery in 1940 and into Washington, DC in 1990. It went on to merge with Eaton and Cottrell of Mississippi in 2001, acquiring offices in Gulfport and Jackson, then with Meadows, Ichter & Bowers in Atlanta in 2003. The firm’s “constantly looking for new opportunities where expanding makes sense for existing clients or existing practice areas,” managing partner Alan Rogers says.

The rationale behind the firm’s footprint is to cover not only the region’s main centers of commerce but also its governmental hubs. For clients in heavily regulated industries, a presence on the ground is indispensable.

Compared to the smaller offices, Birmingham is considered to be “a different world. Lots of attorneys work there and the departments are mostly on the same floor, focusing on one kind of law,” a junior said. Its canteen, complete with plasma screens, is a good place for associates to hang out and meet people from other floors. Associates order in food about three times a week from local restaurants.

Culture  

To join Balch is to join a close-knit group: expect regular invites for casual drinks or to watch sports at a colleague’s house at least once a week – partners included. “Work’s very important,” a source mused, “but without the other parts of your life there’s no point going to work.” Partners “always make time for you whether it’s talking about the case you’re working on, family or just to catch up.” Alan Rogers said: “We have a footprint spanning Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Washington, DC. An awareness of the political and economic realities in these states is part of our culture. So too are the concepts of teamwork and mentoring.”

When we called, Auburn had just won the National Championship, so perhaps that made interviewees more inclined to say things like: “Around here, college football is king.” Auburn’s head coach Gene Chizik is a B&B sports client. That said, “outside of work people are very into sports year round and we often go to New Orleans to see the Saints with clients, or to basketball.” However, we don’t want to give the impression that a deep interest in sports and football statistics is essential; people have plenty of interests, from politics and business through to family, travel and literature.

The feel of the offices varies – size being a major factor – but “a shared culture trickles down through the firm,” a junior reported. “When deadlines are tight, they take priority, but when work moves at average speed, people care what you’re doing and allow you greater flexibility.”

Hours & Compensation  

The target for all associates is 2,000 hours. There are different levels of bonus starting at 2,000, and then at 2,075, 2,150 and 2,250, but these vary from year to year. “Most people in my class hit their target last year, and some exceeded it,” one associate believed. “The firm may give you a pro rata number to hit” if you have extra commitments which mean you bill less one month.

An average day in the department involves “getting in at about 8.15am and working until noon, a 45-minute lunch break, work until 5.45pm or 6.15pm. Sometimes I might stay until 7.30pm, but 5.45pm or 6.15pm is the average. So when I get home I’m not too worn out to spend time with my family.”

Pro Bono  

The associates didn’t know of any pro bono activities organized by the firm, but figured that if you wanted to do some, it would be supported. As far as they knew, pro bono hours don’t count towards billable hours. Community involvement includes assisting a Birmingham middle school and sponsoring a career explorer program through the Boy Scouts of America.

Diversity  

Associates say that the firm is “diverse for a Southern firm in terms of where people went to school, undergrad degrees, and we have a lot of women.” They agreed it does what it can to improve diversity. A Jackson associate said: “It’s a small office but there are two black associates here and three female associates, one woman of counsel and one female partner.” Another associate said, “the younger lawyers are close to 50-50 male-female.” The firm wants “people from both sides of the political spectrum and plenty of people help candidates from both sides.” As far as football’s concerned, “about half support Auburn.”

Get Hired  

Many at Balch are from the Southeast region or have strong ties here, but this is by no means essential – you simply need to understand the firm’s values and attitudes irrespective of hometown or law school. An associate described these values as “work ethic, pride in work and the recognition that people have other important things outside of work.” Managing partner Alan Rogers adds: “Honesty, transparency and best practices. Teamwork is also important but every attorney should come to work feeling they have the autonomy to master their craft.”

Strategy & Future  

Balch knows what its strengths are and its strategy reflects this. Growth for growth’s sake is out, but where a new office makes sense, it’s a possibility. The firm is “constantly looking for new opportunities where expanding makes sense for existing clients or existing practice areas,” Rogers says. “We would not go to a city just because we like that city or market; we’d go if it made sense for what we do well.” He expects industry groups to expand, but this growth will be natural rather than aggressive.

Talking about the regional economy, Rogers is “optimistic about the South because population growth continues as people and businesses move here. We represent clients in the energy industry who are planning for substantial load growth generated by a growth in people and business. Although we don’t believe the region is in boom times at the moment and there are economic problems, we don’t compare to some of the harder hit states.”