Perkins Coie
Overview
Perkins Coie is a leading international law firm that advises innovators and industry leaders across technology, life sciences, energy, financial services and other sectors. The firm emphasises a forward-focused perspective, deep industry expertise (notably in technology and IP), and a one‑firm, collaborative culture built over more than a century. Perkins Coie operates a broad full‑service platform — corporate, litigation, regulatory, IP, privacy & security, ESG and more — with cross‑practice teams that handle complex domestic and cross‑border matters. The firm is recognised on multiple national rankings (Am Law 50, Chambers listings) and has been repeatedly named among top employers (Fortune "100 Best Companies to Work For" 2003–2025).
Values & Culture
Practice Areas
- Corporate & M&A
- Capital Markets
- Banking & Finance
- Private Equity & Venture Capital
- Investment Funds
- Financial Services & Regulation
- Technology & Digital
- Intellectual Property
- Data Protection & Privacy
- Dispute Resolution & Litigation
- Competition & Antitrust
- Employment
- Environment & Planning
- ESG & Sustainability
- Real Estate
- Insolvency & Restructuring
- Tax
- White Collar Crime
- Infrastructure & Projects
- Pensions
Geographic Focus: Perkins Coie is US‑founded with a strong national platform (21 U.S. offices) and an international footprint in Europe and Greater China (notably London, Beijing, Shanghai and Taipei). The firm positions itself as a trusted adviser to technology and innovation clients across the United States and in key international markets, combining domestic transactional and regulatory capability with cross‑border support through its Asia and Europe offices.
Training Contract
- Academic Requirements: Perkins Coie typically recruits second‑year law students for its U.S. summer associate programme and occasionally pre‑clerkship third‑years for U.S. offices. The firm runs specialised fellowships (e.g., Patent Litigation Fellowship) for 1L candidates.
Mentorship
Formal mentor assignments for new associates and summer programme participants; supervising lawyers provide informal feedback after assignments and submit formal written evaluations (midsummer and final) for summer associates. The careers pages emphasise mentors who help mentees learn firm practice and values.
Programmes & Schemes
A 10‑week summer associate programme for second‑year law students that places participants in a specific practice group, provides hands‑on legal work mirroring first‑year associate assignments, formal and informal feedback from supervising lawyers, social events, and exposure to partners and in‑house teams. The programme is the primary source for junior associate hires.
- Duration: 10 weeks
A dual summer programme for 1L students that can include a second summer placement; applicants may also apply for the Inclusive Leaders Fellowship. Summer associates are assigned to a practice group and receive project supervision and formal evaluations; the programme feeds into the firm’s 2L/associate hiring pipeline.
- Duration: 10 weeks (per summer placement)
- Deadline: 2026-01-02 (resume submission deadline listed for the recruitment timeline)
Targeted 1L fellowship focused on patent litigation. Fellowship recipients participate in the firm’s dual summer programme with specialised patent litigation assignments and mentoring to develop litigation and technical skills relevant to patent disputes.
- Duration: Dual summer placements (timing aligned with the 1L dual summer programme)
A fellowship offered to 1L dual summer applicants aimed at supporting diverse and under‑represented students through mentorship, professional development and experiential legal work during the firm’s summer programme.
- Duration: Dual summer placements (linked to 1L summer programme)
A Legal Business Analyst programme available in the London office offering cross‑practice exposure and professional development in legal operations, business analytics and project work; designed as a career development opportunity in the firm’s London office.
Notable Matters
Perkins Coie advised Real Asset Acquisition Corp. on a $1.7 billion business combination agreement with IQM, acting on the public company/transaction-side work for the SPAC combination, including securities and transactional documentation associated with the transaction.
Capital Markets
Perkins Coie advised PacifiCorp on a $2.5 billion first mortgage bond offering, providing capital markets, regulatory and transactional counsel for the bond issuance.
Capital Markets
Perkins Coie acted for Avalara on its acquisition of Versori, providing M&A, transaction documentation and related corporate counsel to the acquiror.
Corporate & M&A
Perkins Coie advised Lendlease on the sale of its U.S. military housing business, handling corporate sale documentation and related regulatory and transactional matters.
Corporate & M&A
Perkins Coie provided capital markets counsel to Itron, Inc. on an upsized $805 million convertible senior notes offering, advising on securities, disclosure and transaction structuring.
Capital Markets
What Perkins Coie Looks For
Key Competencies
- Commercial awareness
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Client service and responsibility
- Intellectual curiosity and innovation mindset
- Communication and written advocacy
- Technical/sector knowledge for practice areas (e.g., STEM background for IP/patent roles)
Evidence Signals
- Relevant summer associate or internship experience (especially in tech, corporate or IP teams)
- Technical degrees or coursework for IP/patent & technology roles
- Mooting, litigation clinic, or research demonstrating analytical and advocacy capability
- Pro bono involvement and evidence of commitment to public interest
- Demonstrable commercial/transactional exposure (deal experience, start‑up involvement)
Benefits & Wellbeing
- Extensive orientation and formal training for new associates
- Assigned mentors and structured summer associate evaluations (midsummer and final)
- Hands‑on legal responsibility and early client contact on lean teams
- Targeted fellowships (e.g., Patent Litigation Fellowship, Inclusive Leaders Fellowship)
- Legal Business Analyst development programme in London
- Robust pro bono opportunities and firmwide pro bono recognition/awards
Awards & Recognition
- Named among the "100 Best Companies to Work For" by Fortune, 2003-2025
- Ranked among the “Best Workplaces in Consulting & Professional Services” by Great Place to Work®, 2017-2025
- Named one of 2025’s Best Workplaces for Parents™ by Fortune
- Recognized as an Am Law 50 firm on The American Lawyer 100 list, 2013-2024
- Ranked 22nd largest law firm in the United States by attorney headcount by Law360, 2025
- Chambers USA recognized 198 lawyers, with 58 lawyers ranked Band 1, 2025
- Named “Environment Law Firm of the Year” by Chambers USA, 2023
- Named “Law Firm of the Year” in Technology Law by Best Lawyers®, 2026
- Best Lawyers® recognized 385 attorneys, with 21 lawyers named "Lawyer of the Year," 2026
- Recognized in IAM Patent 1000 and World Trademark Review listings (2024-2026 mentions)
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Perkins Coie states diversity is a long‑standing core value and strategic goal; the firm holds Mansfield 7.0 Certification Plus and has maintained a 100% Corporate Equality Index score and related employer recognitions.
- Mansfield 7.0 Certification Plus for Diversity Leadership (Diversity Lab), 2022-2024
- Diversity, Inclusion & Opportunity strategic programmes (firmwide)
- Inclusive Leaders Fellowship (1L)
- Corporate Equality Index score of 100% and "Best Places to Work" designation from Human Rights Campaign Foundation, 2009-2025
- ChIPs Honor Roll recognition for gender diversity in IP practices (Inclusion Blueprint Survey)
Pro Bono
Perkins Coie emphasises a century‑long commitment to pro bono work, drives firmwide pro bono initiatives, and has received numerous pro bono awards (e.g., Lawyers for Good Government Outstanding Pro Bono Partner Award 2025; multiple Pro Bono Honor Roll and organisational awards across 2022–2025).
Innovation
Perkins Coie positions innovation and legal technology at the core of many practices—particularly technology transactions, AI/ML, data centres and digital infrastructure. The firm offers cross‑disciplinary teams that combine IP, privacy, regulatory and transactional expertise to support clients' digital transformation, and publishes specialised hubs/resources (e.g., Data Center Hub). Perkins Coie has been recognised in technology law rankings and awards, and encourages associates to work on cutting‑edge tech matters and AI/privacy regulatory issues.
- Technology Transactions & Privacy Law practice (125+ lawyers focused on technology transactions and privacy)
- Data Center Hub (resource and hub for data center legal issues)
- Digital Transformation service offering
- Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning advisory work across practices
- Product Innovation & Market Development practice
Quick Application Angles
- Position yourself as an adviser to innovators: reference Perkins Coie’s technology and IP strength and mention work for clients such as Avalara or transactions in the data‑infrastructure and fintech space to demonstrate sector fit.
- If applying to IP or patent litigation roles, highlight technical/STEM qualifications and relevant patent or litigation experience — the firm runs targeted Patent Litigation Fellowships for 1Ls.
- Show commercial awareness on capital markets and corporate matters (Perkins Coie advised on multi‑hundred‑million and multi‑billion transactions such as the $1.7bn IQM business combination and $2.5bn PacifiCorp bond offering).
- Emphasise teamwork, client service and pro bono: the firm stresses collegiality, lean teams and long‑running pro bono programmes — cite concrete examples of collaborative project work or pro bono involvement.
- For London applicants, reference the Legal Business Analyst programme and the firm’s expanding UK capability to show local commitment and readiness to contribute to cross‑border matters.
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