Company Cannot Handle Growth - Legal Assistant Gilson Daub Employee Review

1.0
4 Aug 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Initially, the company culture was good. In an entry level position, the work is easy enough.

Cons

Since starting here, everything has gone downhill. Upper management and above do not listen to anyone and don't have any idea what's going on with employees at a staff level. They are out of touch. There is no room for growth unless you are close with upper management. Staff was told they should not worry about financial growth, only personal growth despite being paid less than the living wage. Remote workers have been told they are not eligible for any sort of promotions because they are not in office--none of the work that is done needs to be in office as all of it is done on a computer. They do not have enough staff in any given department, making each person do the work of about three other people. Although, not all of the people in the departments actually work. Despite the overwhelming growth this firm has had, they are not looking to increase support staff's pay. Trying to speak with anyone in management about concerns is impossible. They will actively avoid you or dismiss your concerns entirely. The attorneys treat the support staff as "less than", often talking down to them and being non-responsive and then blaming them for the consequences of doing that. The office culture is toxic. Upper management will let just about anything slide. It feels like behavior that would not be tolerated in a law firm or office setting in general is rewarded. They say that they have an open door policy, but staff are told not to speak out or bring up their concerns to higher management for fear of termination. Overall, it has become hard to continue to work here. I am actively looking for other employment opportunities because I'm not sure how much more I can take. Many good people have left this job because the company as a whole is not willing to promote, give raises, or make the staff feel like they matter and feel heard.

Explore other reviews about Gilson Daub

5.0
9 Jan 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Gilson Daub is a great place to work. Leadership is hands-on, communication and transparency are great.

Cons

Compared to other firms who do similar work, there really aren't any cons to working at Gilson Daub.

1.0
13 Apr 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

At the lower and middle management levels, the staff is excellent. My direct manager was supportive and professional, which made my early tenure very positive. ​Growth Opportunities (Initially). There is a clear path for promotion if you are a high performer. I was promoted from Team Lead, to Team Captain, to Assistant Manager, to Staff Manager based on my technical skills and work ethic.

Cons

Once promoted to management, the environment shifts dramatically. The current CFO (formerly the Controller) creates a hostile work environment. She is known to be verbally abusive, dismissive, and manipulative (documented for over 7 years). ​Despite my creating the automated systems for our data, the CFO would frequently make baseless claims about "not understanding the numbers," often expecting data to show things that are logically impossible (such as tracking email response behavior via incoming metrics). ​There is no "open door" policy here. When I formally complained to the CEO regarding the CFO’s abusive behavior and requested a witness or recordings for our meetings to ensure professional conduct, I was demoted two hours later. ​Rather than addressing the conflict or allowing me to self-demote (which I requested two weeks prior), leadership chose to strip away years of promotions—moving me from Staff Manager all the way back to Legal Assistant—simply for requesting a safe, professional workspace. ​The environment at the top is so high-stress and dysfunctional that it necessitated seeking professional therapy.

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