Firm Culture
ST&G is widely recognized as one of the premier bankruptcy law
boutiques. When local and national publications put together
their "Best Lawyers" lists, the attorneys from ST&G are always
well-represented, if not over-represented, in the field of
bankruptcy. As one such publication stated, "The bankruptcy
attorneys in California (particularly the enclave at Stutman, Treister
& Glatt) are the best in the country . . . ."
The firm's practice is fast moving and constantly challenging.
Because a debtor's general business and legal problems often become
acute when it encounters financial difficulties, members of the firm
are required to deal with diverse areas of substantive business law,
including bankruptcy, commercial, tax, securities and real property
law. Moreover, the "debtor's attorney" must develop a high degree
of competence in all skills performed by lawyers, e.g., negotiation,
litigation, legal drafting, client relations and, most importantly,
understanding the business and financial issues facing our
clients. At ST&G, associates are immediately given as much
responsibility and independence as they are capable of handling in all
of these areas.
The firm places great emphasis on superior academic and professional
achievement. Members of the firm have taught on the faculties of the
University of Southern California, Loyola and Arizona State law
schools. Many members teach specialized courses sponsored by the
American Law Institute/American Bar Association, California Continuing
Education of the Bar, and several other organizations. Members of the
firm include former law clerks to United States Supreme Court Justices;
several former law clerks to federal appeals and district court judges;
several former editors and members of the Harvard, Stanford,
California, University of California at Los Angeles, University of
Southern California, Duke and Columbia Law Reviews; contributing
authors of Collier on Bankruptcy, a former member of the Board of
Governors of the State Bar of California; members of the National
Bankruptcy Conference; two former Chairpersons of the Business
Bankruptcy Committee of the American Bar Association Section on
Business Law; several past Presidents of the Los Angeles Financial
Lawyers Conference; and numerous Chairpersons of State and Los Angeles
County Bar Committees (on Debtor/Creditor Relations and Bankruptcy,
UCC, and Bankruptcy Specialization). The firm's outlook on life in
the legal profession is progressive and democratic. ST&G is
fully committed to its longstanding "lock-step" compensation system, by
which all members of the same class receive the same salary and bonus
as all other members, in order to maximize collegiality and minimize
intra-firm competition. Advancement in the firm is also designed
to eliminate intra-firm competition; currently, a qualified associate
becomes a principal approximately 5½ years after joining the firm, and
a senior principal approximately 12 years later.
Because ST&G hires only the most highly qualified and motivated
associates (i.e., those who demonstrate clear potential for becoming
principals of the firm), it compensates them accordingly. Thus,
associates at the firm are paid at rates that are competitive with, and
sometimes exceed, those paid by most other leading Los Angeles
firms.
In addition to providing competitive fringe benefits, the firm has a
long-standing sabbatical program for attorneys who have become
principals. Approximately once every five years, each attorney is
entitled to a fully paid three-month sabbatical. Attorneys can do
whatever they please during their sabbatical. Traditionally, most
attorneys spend their sabbaticals traveling or teaching. Those
attorneys who join the firm directly out of law school can plan on
taking their first sabbatical approximately one year after becoming a
principal.
For recruiting information, please contact us at: recruiting@stutman.com
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