Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Reviews

• MD

  Marsh D

  Dec 29, 2025
  1.0
  Elite firms love to speak the language of principle. They invoke the rule of law, democratic norms, and institutional responsibility—right up until those ideals become inconvenient. When the Trump era placed the legal profession under real pressure, Skadden’s response was not principled restraint or quiet courage. It was capitulation. Faced with an unmistakable test of whether power would be challenged or accommodated, the firm chose the safest possible path: protect access, preserve influence, and avoid friction with authority—no matter the broader cost. That choice stripped the firm’s prestige of any moral weight. What remained was branding. This is the part future attorneys should take seriously. If you are a law student or young lawyer who believes this profession is supposed to serve something larger than revenue, leverage, and proximity to power, Skadden’s conduct should give you real pause. A prestigious letterhead is a thin consolation when it comes at the expense of ethical clarity and professional independence. And let’s be clear: you do not have to sell your conscience to have an elite career. There are other top-tier firms—equally demanding, equally respected—that do not fold when doing the right thing becomes uncomfortable. A recent podcast told the story of an attorney who refused to go along with his firm’s ethically compromised position, even when silence would have been easier and safer. Instead of being sidelined, he was ultimately vindicated and rewarded for choosing integrity over obedience. That story matters because it exposes a lie many firms quietly rely on: that moral courage is a career risk. In reality, it’s often the opposite. Skadden was not alone. Firms like Paul, Weiss and others demonstrated how quickly the legal industry can abandon its professed values when power applies pressure. But leadership firms don’t get to hide behind industry trends. Higher status carries higher responsibility—and Skadden failed that test decisively. If your idea of prestige is corner offices, institutional self-preservation, and staying on the right side of whoever holds power, this firm will meet your expectations. If your idea of prestige includes independence, backbone, and the willingness to defend democratic norms when it actually costs something, you should look elsewhere. History is ruthless with institutions that confuse influence for integrity. It doesn’t remember who stayed relevant. It remembers who stayed silent. Skadden had a choice. And it made exactly the one history will not forgive.
• TH

  Tim Hemminger

  Mar 29, 2025
  1.0
  Terrible lawyers
• CH

  Chris Hill

  Jun 17, 2024
  1.0
  This law firm hires some real dirt bags. Shelisa Thomas a employee of this firm has tried to get away with insurance fraud with me and is the most deceptive and dishonest person I've ever met. I can't believe this law firm would host such a person. If she's and representation of the people that work here I would stay far away.

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