THE FIRM: Sidley Austin LLP, with offices in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia and approximately 2,000 lawyers, is one of the largest law firms in the world. Our diversified global practice encompasses the entire spectrum of corporate, transactional, litigation and governmental matters. Nationwide and throughout the world, Sidley Austin LLP prides itself on the breadth of its practice and the quality of its representation of an extraordinary client base, including many of the world's leading industrial enterprises, financial institutions, professional firms, health care providers and media and communications companies, as well as governmental and public entities and sovereign nations.

THE SAN FRANCISCO OFFICE: Established in 1971, Sidley’s San Francisco office, with approximately 51 lawyers, combines the benefits of a long-standing local presence with the resources of a global law firm.

Sidley’s office in San Francisco helps innovation-driven clients succeed in the increasingly competitive marketplace. Our partners comprise market-leading practitioners across the range of core disciplines important to companies in the region. We also harness the resources and experience of practices from the firm’s global reach, which encompasses 20 offices in the U.S. (including Silicon Valley), Europe and Asia. Respected rankings organizations such as Chambers USA (2015) report that our San Francisco team “provide[s] the highest-class service,” is “very solution-oriented” and is “terrific ... top to bottom.”

Our litigation lawyers are involved in all forms of business litigation, including complex commercial, securities, white collar defense and antitrust litigation. We also handle a broad range of securities matters, including representing issuers, directors and officers, accounting firms, investment banks and brokerage firms, in securities class actions, SEC and FINRA investigations and enforcement matters.

Our intellectual property lawyers represent clients in patent, trade secret, copyright and trademark lawsuits in California and nationwide. We trace our connections back to the earliest days of Silicon Valley. We represent both emerging technology and Fortune 500 companies, locally and throughout the world, with special focus on Asia Pacific region. We also have extensive experience in Section 337 unfair trade practice cases before the International Trade Commission.

Lawyers in San Francisco also provide a full range of capital markets, M&A and general corporate services. We have extensive experience handling IPOs and add-on offerings, convertible and other equity-related securities, investment grade and high yield debt, PIPES and registered direct offerings, structured notes and other indexed securities, REIT financings and preferred and trust preferred securities. We have a robust M&A practice, representing buyers and sellers of public and private companies, private equity firms, boards of directors and financial advisors. We provide a full range of legal services to hedge fund clients, and advise NYSE and NASDAQ-listed companies on a comprehensive range of corporate governance, reporting and other matters.

We have represented a principal party in a number of “first of their kind” structured finance transactions, including the first conventional mortgage pass-through financing, the first automobile lease securitization involving a titling trust and the first tobacco litigation settlement securitization.

Sidley’s Global Life Sciences practice, composed of lawyers who work closely with each other in the United States, Europe and Asia, counsels clients on the full array of issues, including challenges manufacturers face throughout the life cycle of their products. The firm litigates and arbitrates on their behalf around the globe; defends them in criminal and civil government enforcement actions; assists on strategic transactions; and represents their interests in legislative and key regulatory agencies.

NEW ASSOCIATES: In addition to a firmwide orientation, many of the practice groups provide additional group-specific orientation and training. Other opportunities include the Litigation Skills Program and "Corporate College." We engage in detailed, semiannual reviews of each associate's performance, progress toward partnership, and overall growth as an attorney. We normally begin considering associates for partnership during their eighth or ninth year. Progress toward partnership is determined on an individual basis and may vary among associates graduating in the same year.

SUMMER PROGRAM: Our summer associate program is designed to acquaint students with our legal practice, the people in our office, and the city of San Francisco. Summer associates are given assignments generated by each work group. Assignments include research and writing projects, drafting of documents, participation in or attendance of client conferences, negotiations, closings, depositions and court appearances.

PRO BONO: The San Francisco office has a long-standing commitment to pro bono work and is currently engaged in multiple pro bono projects. Along with lawyers across the firm, lawyers in the San Francisco offices devote hundreds of hours participating in the Capital Litigation Project through which Sidley lawyers represent Alabama death row inmates in post-conviction proceedings. Lawyers in San Francisco and throughout the firm also represent applicants for asylum as part of Sidley's Asylum Project. The Firm supports the ABA pro bono standard of striving to spend 60 hours per lawyer on pro bono matters.