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Cole & Van Note

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Beware of Fake Positive Reviews - Associate Attorney Cole & Van Note Employee Review

1.0
May 29, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The pay for associates is good. A lot of the people that work here are nice and trying to do their best in a chaotic environment. The founding partner does have a lot of experience and you can learn a thing or two from him if you are able to hear the lessons through the rest of the noise he generates. Both the partners leave the office by 3 at the latest most days, which is nice unless you need them for something.

Cons

First, please be aware that the reviews dated April 29, May 4, and May 13th are definitely fake. They are supposedly written by staff who worked here for more than one year, but due to the turnover rate at this place, only one person has actually lasted that long and they would not rate this place five stars. Also, if you ever meet the founding partner, you will see that they are clearly written in his voice. I have also heard since I left that management is asking people to write positive reviews on here to try and balance out the bad ones. The other positive reviews could be real, but I doubt it and the real people they could have be written by have worked here less than one or two months. The turnover rate is high. I worked here for approximately six months and at least two people left every month. This is not a large firm so that means that outside of one paralegal, the entire legal support staff turned over during my brief time there. The founding partner is a generally abrasive person who can be challenging to work for or be around. I personally was not bothered by him, but I can certainly see why others would be, especially the women who work for him. He is the main driver of the high turnover rate among paralegals and legal assistants. He is the kind of person who has ever shifting expectations and expects those around him to anticipate his shift in expectations without any communication. If you are reading this and applying for a legal or executive assistant position under him, I would say it is only worth it if they give you at least 100,000 dollars per year to compensate the for the immense emotional labor you will be asked to do in addition to your actual job. Overall, he is a good lawyer but a bad leader. If he is having a bad day for whatever personal reason, that becomes everyones problem. The non founding partner seems either totally overwhelmed or completely checked out to me. Getting even a small task completed with her requires a ton of follow up, and even with written and in person follow ups things still do not move. For me, it was challenging to have turning in work be almost as much work as the work itself due to the amount follow up required to get approval to proceed. Overall, this place makes a lot of things harder than they need to be.

Explore other reviews about Cole & Van Note

5.0
Oct 24, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I don't usually write reviews but felt compelled to do so when I read a recent one-star review that was so different from my experience, it seems suspect. I am a previous employee and can say that this firm is fast paced, and the employees are both brilliant and easy to get along with. I have not had another experience where I was surrounded by so many great people. The partners and the employees at this firm are at the top 1%, smart, ambitious and organized. The work is extremely interesting/complex; firm is diverse; partners seem to genuinely are about your development as an employee and promotions are possible when you excel. I found compensation is highly competitive.

Cons

If you want to do your job and be left alone, this is not the place for you. If you are uncomfortable working in a team environment you may not excel here. If you are unwilling to learn, you do not want to work here.

1.0
Oct 13, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Nice office space and building.

Cons

Toxic Leadership: The managing partner runs this firm like a monarchy. He is a bully who curses at employees and belittles them, specially targeting women. He yells and will speak to you like you’re a child. He hires young employees and takes advantage of their inexperience. Lack of Clear Communication: Employees are expected to anticipate needs and read minds due to vague and unclear instructions. Closed Door Policy: The managing partner keeps his office door closed which creates an unapproachable atmosphere. If you walk into his office without knocking or calling him first, you will get yelled at. High Stress and Burnout: Employees are overworked with unreasonable expectations. I wasn’t an attorney and found myself working 60-hour weeks. I tried to sit down with both Laura and Scott, but nothing changed. I had no weekends. Employees leave that place with serious mental health issues. I developed serious mental health issues from this place and couldn’t work for a few months due to the trauma. Unhealthy Competition: The work environment fosters distrust and competition among colleagues. The managing partner pits employees against each other. In sum, the managing partner at this firm creates a toxic work environment that significantly contributes to mental health issues among employees. His abusive behavior and lack of support have surely caused undue stress and trauma on many of his former employees, warranting serious consideration of legal action against him.

3
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