Delaware Law & Trial Experience
Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2026 10:08 am
Hi everyone,
I'm a junior associate at a major law firm in NY. My firm luckily has a top securities and corporate lit practice and I've gotten to partake on issues going to trial in the Delaware Chancery, and have generally built up a real interest in federal securities and corporate lit. I like my firm and my job a lot (and have gotten surprisingly substantive experience), but I want to take the next step to take on business lit and be more involved in the case than big law generally affords.
Due to personal reasons, I don't yet know if I'll be in NY or Philadelphia, so here are is my question:
-If in NY, my thought is to apply to commercial lit boutiques (Elsberg, Selendy, Susman (probably a stretch), etc.). I've heard the culture at Selendy is awful, but bracketing that -- can anyone speak to how true the marketing from these firms is - i.e., are you getting way more substantive experience, what does that look like, have you gotten to play roles in arbitrations or trials (direct exam, cross-exam, etc)?
-If in Philly, I'll look at the Philly and Delaware market. The Philly market doesn't seem too thrilling for commercial lit but I may be missing something. There are great Delaware lit firms though, for example Ross Aronstam Moritz is top notch. I'm wondering if anyone can speak to that experience -- do associates actually get to play a substantive role in cases (same as above, writing briefs, taking depositions, involved in trial, etc) or are these firms glorified local counsel that don't do too much? I'd guess its case-dependent, but curious if anyone has experience.
I'm a junior associate at a major law firm in NY. My firm luckily has a top securities and corporate lit practice and I've gotten to partake on issues going to trial in the Delaware Chancery, and have generally built up a real interest in federal securities and corporate lit. I like my firm and my job a lot (and have gotten surprisingly substantive experience), but I want to take the next step to take on business lit and be more involved in the case than big law generally affords.
Due to personal reasons, I don't yet know if I'll be in NY or Philadelphia, so here are is my question:
-If in NY, my thought is to apply to commercial lit boutiques (Elsberg, Selendy, Susman (probably a stretch), etc.). I've heard the culture at Selendy is awful, but bracketing that -- can anyone speak to how true the marketing from these firms is - i.e., are you getting way more substantive experience, what does that look like, have you gotten to play roles in arbitrations or trials (direct exam, cross-exam, etc)?
-If in Philly, I'll look at the Philly and Delaware market. The Philly market doesn't seem too thrilling for commercial lit but I may be missing something. There are great Delaware lit firms though, for example Ross Aronstam Moritz is top notch. I'm wondering if anyone can speak to that experience -- do associates actually get to play a substantive role in cases (same as above, writing briefs, taking depositions, involved in trial, etc) or are these firms glorified local counsel that don't do too much? I'd guess its case-dependent, but curious if anyone has experience.