No Silver Service at My Desk? I'll Sue!

How much can lawyers be thankful for? Plenty, according to a New York Times article that ran on Thanksgiving morning.

The article detailed perks law firms offer to lure top talent and then keep associates happy as they toil away grinding out those billable hours—at starting salaries of $160,000 a year.

The perks described, from concierge services to Spanish wine tastings, are cushy. But, as it turns out, not quite as cushy as the Times described.

Fulbright & Jaworski, a national firm with Texas roots, is requesting a correction: The Times story says the firm offers reimbursements to employees who buy a Subaru, Nissan or General Motors vehicle.

Fulbright says it actually contracts with BenePlace, a company that manages voluntary benefits and offers discounts on a variety of items, including the purchase of G.M. and Toyota vehicles. No reimbursements. And no Nissans or Subarus.

And Fulbright does not offer the "on-site tailoring" described in the Times article. There was "a gentleman" who came to Fulbright's Houston office in past years and took tailoring home. "We are not even sure if the guy is coming around anymore," says Fulbright spokesman Darrin Schlegel.

Clearly, there's a lot of interest in the topic: The Times story shot to the top of its "most emailed" business story, and currently ranks fifth on the Top 10 list.

Meanwhile, associates at Cravath, Swaine & Moore were surprised to read in the article that "lawyers who work into the evenings can have dinner delivered, on a silver tray, from the Palm restaurant, a hot spot for media and financial executives."

No such luck. If they feel peckish while working late, they have to settle for the regular cafeteria, which a spokesman said is open well into the night, or they can order a meal in from seamlessweb.com. The selections for delivery there run along the lines of Go Sushi, Joe's Shanghai, and Ray's Pizza. Dinner is delivered in traditional cardboard and plastic containers.

Cravath associates often dine at the Palm, which is across the street from Cravath's office on Eighth Avenue. They also regularly take summer associates there during the recruiting season. The restaurant, however, said its white-coated waiters aren't carrying steaks across the avenue on silver platters. It doesn't deliver to anyone, at all.

Cravath, unusual among the big New York firms, does have an on-site daycare facility, another of the perks flagged by the Times. The daycare is available to all employees in emergencies when their own nanny or childcare is unavailable. For a small fee, employees can bring their infants to the center every day for up to six months.

The entrance to the center is adorned with a picture of ducks. Not just any ducks: It is a Syrian mosaic from the firm's extensive art collection.

Speaking of ducks, Cravath also offers discounts on pet insurance—again, to all employees, not just to the associates.

by Karen Donovan