Hostile Work Environment - Legal Assistant The Halks Firm Employee Review

1.0
Jun 7, 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

There are no pros, unfortunately.

Cons

The attorney that owns the firm will mislead you to think you'll only be working 40 hours a week when really its more like 50-60 hours a week, he will ask you to come in on weekends because he takes on more clients than he can handle and does not let any associates take clients for themselves. The attorney is a narcissist and he speaks to his employees condescendingly, he will swear at you and yell at you in front of everyone in the office (the suite is shared with another firm). He uses his employees as an extension of his personal agenda; like making you walk across the street to starbucks to get him coffee because he's too lazy to do it himself when he's on his way back from court. He makes racist and sexist comments and makes fun of his own clients calling them fat, ugly, and a bunch of other horrible things. He shames people who are overweight and tends to hire young petite females. He gets mad if you have to leave work early or take time off due to an illness. Good luck asking to leave early during a winter weather warning, he will either say no or give you a hard time about it. Attorney Halks has a bad reputation in family law and many family law attorneys do not like him or respect him at all because of his personality and hostility. Everyone at the Suffolk Probate and Family Court dislikes him as well after they witnessed him yelling at an associate of his on the phone for missing his calls while she was speaking to the clerks. If you want to have a good reputation in law, avoid working here. The only good reviews he has are on his website from his clients which don't mean much since he calls them and asks them to leave good reviews and will keep calling them till they do. No bad reviews are on his website because he chooses which ones he wants to display so don't be fooled. Since March 2019, he's had 7 employees quit because of how disrespectful and unprofessional he is. He has a hard time keeping employees because of his behavior and fails to realize that HE is the problem. I had co-workers at his firm that were going to therapy because of him and losing their hair from the mental distress he caused. Save yourself, don't work here.

Explore other reviews about The Halks Firm

5.0
Feb 24, 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I absolutely loved my time as the office manager for The Halks Firm. The team is incredibly supportive and the work environment is lively and often extremely entertaining. Attorney Halks, his associate attorneys, paralegal, and interns (during the summer), were all smart, funny, and hardworking. The office has a supportive and collaborative atmosphere and I felt like I was part of a family there. I'm proud to have been a part of The Halks Firm and miss them all very much!

Cons

Attorney Halks primarily deals very contentious bitterly fought custody / divorce matters. So be prepared to deal with upset clients going through the worst time in their lives. These type of clients often do not have patience or respect for the slow pace of litigation.

5.0
Jan 30, 2020
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Attorney Nicholas Halks is a great employer who respects his employees and encourages their successes. Attorney Halks instantly welcomed me in and made me feel apart of the team. After only a short time, the whole firm had felt like family. The attorneys are great to work with and I couldn’t imagine better coworkers! They are all funny, witty, and an overall pleasant group of people to be around.

Cons

I jumped into a whole new world that I had never been exposed to upon arrival. Everything in the office moved quickly and a lot of terms were thrown around quickly. I had gone in ready to take on what they had asked of me (and it was a lot, but nothing I couldn’t handle). I made mistakes but the firm was always understanding and helpful about it — always trying to improve me. This firm is highly respected and attention to detail is important if it is to maintain a highly respected firm. If you want a job where you can sit around all day, don’t apply here. But if you want a job where you have the opportunity to build your career and work up the ladder, work here. There is always room for improvement here. It is a great place to work nonetheless.

3
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