AstraZeneca hires Arnold & Porter to investigate oncology scandal?

There is unconfirmed information that AstraZeneca has just hired the famous white-shoe law firm Arnold & Porter to investigate the recent oncology sales force scandal that has resulted in the dismissal of one regional sales director. AstraZeneca did not reply to a request for comment on this development.

Arnold & Porter, one of the "Big Three" Washington, D.C., firms, has built its stellar reputation advising on antitrust matters, as well as M&A, intellectual property and bankruptcy.

A&P is also known as a firm with a heart - it's got a top pro bono practice and has made the "Best Company to Work For" lists in numerous publications. A&P has 700 attorneys in seven offices worldwide.

Many associates praise Arnold & Porter as the "most laid-back, non-confrontational firm" in D.C. "Very liberal and very accepting," it is a firm where "people feel free to be themselves," making it "a very comfortable place to practice law."

"The firm encourages attorneys to develop their own individual strengths without a cookie-cutter approach, resulting in an interesting and idiosyncratic group," explains an associate.

Additionally, at A&P "there is a notable lack of cruelty" with regard to how partners relate to their underlings. "Partners treat associates like people, are friendly, but professional," describes another insider.

A&P's cozy work environment has been widely noted. The firm frequently makes appearances on Working Mother's "100 Best Companies" in recognition of the firm's flexible scheduling, child-care options and parental time off.

In fact, it is the only law firm to earn the magazine's salute for two consecutive years. In 2005, Arnold & Porter made Fortune magazine's prestigious list of the "100 Best Companies to Work For," gracing the list for the fourth consecutive year. It also achieved a No. 3 ranking on The American Lawyer's "A list" which measures, among other things, firms' associate satisfaction and workplace diversity.

I'm not making any of this up. You can read for yourself here, in "Why work for Arnold & Porter?"