Sterne Kessler Ranked Among Vault’s ‘Top 150 Under 150’

Washington, D.C. (July 18, 2018) – Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox is pleased to announce that it has been named to Vault’s fourth annual “Top 150 Under 150” list [for the third consecutive year]. The list was created to recognize outstanding law firms with fewer attorneys, but no less expertise, than the global mega firms. Additionally, Sterne Kessler was ranked fifth on both the “Best Intellectual Property Boutique” list and the “Best Midsize Law Firm for Diversity” list.

The Vault guide arrives at their rankings based on feedback from associates on their day-to-day work experience and the firm profile in the Vault guide includes direct quotes from associates. Following are a few highlights of what Sterne Kessler associates had to say about various aspects of their life at the firm.

• On satisfaction: “I am very satisfied. I am tasked with a lot of challenging work and have been able to do things many of my law school peers as a second year have not, such as take a deposition or draft expert reports from scratch.”

• On firm culture: “The culture is very collaborative and everyone is willing to help mentor younger associates.”

• On associate/partner relations: “I have always felt that the partners at the firm fully support me, treat me with respect, and value the contributions I make. We have annual reviews, in addition to informal feedback at any time, where we discuss progress I have made and make goals together for the upcoming year.”

• On compensation: “The firm offers a great package. Dollar amounts work out to top market when bonuses and other compensation is factored in.”

• On quality of work: “I’ve had the opportunity to manage global patent portfolios for some of the largest corporations in the world, defend key patents in post-grant proceedings with parallel litigation, played key roles in patent diligence for several deals and potential deals totaling over $100M, and been exposed to some great pro bono opportunities.”

• On diversity efforts: “After discussing with my law school peers, I have learned that Sterne Kessler is very diverse regarding gender, race, orientation, and people with disabilities. The hiring directors are very open to diverse candidates.”

According to the publication’s editors, they determine Vault’s Top 150 from a developed list of the best-known and most sought-after U.S. firms with fewer than 150 attorneys. Editorial and research teams analyzed Vault survey data, news stories, trade journals and other legal publications; spoke with lawyers in the field and reviewed other published rankings. Vault editors also assessed each firm for prestige, quality of life and professional growth opportunities, and then narrowed down the results to come up with the list of 150 law firms known for providing top-notch service and delivering big results. Associates were asked to rate their firm on a 1-to-10 scale for each of several quality of life categories.

Sterne Kessler is consistently voted as a “great place to work” by both attorneys and staff, as reflected in Sterne Kessler’s status as a Washington Post “Top Place to Work” for the fifth consecutive year and nine placements in The Washington Business Journal’s “Best Work Places” competition.

Sterne Kessler’s full Vault profile is available here. Talented individuals that are interested in learning more about career opportunities at Sterne Kessler are encouraged to visit the firm’s website here.

About Sterne Kessler

Founded in 1978 and based in Washington, D.C., Sterne Kessler is dedicated exclusively to the protection, transfer, and enforcement of intellectual property rights. Our team of attorneys, registered patent agents, students, and technical specialists include some of the country’s most respected practitioners of intellectual property law. Most of our professionals hold an advanced level degree, including nearly 50 masters degrees and an additional 50+ with a doctorate in science or engineering — credentials wide and deep enough to fill the faculty of a science-oriented university.