Pros
If you are an above average student who would like to enroll in a Ph.D program and do think that your skill in mathematics might not quite yet be ready for a rigorous program, Cornerstone Research buys you time in the application process. Furthermore, those who are interested in in law and economics will find Cornerstone Research to be a very rewarding job. The CEO, Cindy Zollinger, is a fantastic human being and truly cares about employees at all levels. While none of the work is truly mind bending, some of it can at times be interesting, especially antitrust and securities case work.
Cons
Management is absolutely atrocious. The Cornerstone Research business model is very flawed in that the entry level position for a career employee is dominated by recent Ph.D recipients. Although the employees are very smart and technically capable, they are very raw and have little to no working experience. Also, because of adverse selection, Cornerstone Research ends up with second or third tier Ph.D students who aren't superstars. This results in two people in an entire office offering thought leadership and everyone else just taking up space. Managers have very poor management skills, frequently wasting client money on tasks that are irrelevant or poorly planned. The MBA hires do very well at Cornerstone Research, but senior leadership prefers to hire Ph.Ds.