Hosting Costs Law Firms
This is a list of the world's largest law firms by revenue in 2017.[1][2]
Even if your law firm runs lean, you may be missing these opportunities to cut overhead and improve profitability. United States Facilities Ostrow Reisin Berk & Abrams 16 Oct 2014 United States: Five Ideas For Cutting Overhead Costs At Your Law Firm.
| Rank | Firm | Revenue (US$) | Lawyers | Revenue per lawyer (US$) | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kirkland & Ellis | $3,165,110,000 | 2,000 | $1,585,000 | United States |
| 2 | Latham & Watkins | $3,063,992,000 | 2,436 | $1,258,000 | United States |
| 3 | Baker McKenzie (verein) | $2,900,000,000 | 4,723 | $614,000 | United States |
| 4 | DLA Piper (verein) | $2,634,094,000 | 3,609 | $730,000 | United Kingdom / US |
| 5 | Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom | $2,582,325,000 | 1,784 | $1,447,000 | United States |
| 6 | Dentons (verein) | $2,360,000,000 | 8,658 | $273,000 | N/A (Decentralised) |
| 7 | Clifford Chance | $2,092,047,000 | 2,174 | $962,000 | United Kingdom |
| 8 | Sidley Austin | $2,036,161,000 | 1,873 | $1,087,000 | United States |
| 9 | Hogan Lovells (verein) | $2,036,000,000 | 2,685 | $758,000 | United States |
| 10 | Allen & Overy | $2,027,855,000 | 2,293 | $884,000 | United Kingdom |
| 11 | Morgan, Lewis & Bockius | $2,001,000,000 | 1,943 | $1,030,000 | United States |
| 12 | Linklaters | $1,963,791,000 | 2,305 | $852,000 | United Kingdom |
| 13 | Jones Day | $1,959,360,000 | 2,513 | $780,000 | United States |
| 14 | Norton Rose Fulbright (verein) | $1,958,000,000 | 3,339 | $586,000 | United States |
| 15 | Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer | $1,808,467,000 | 1,955 | $925,000 | United Kingdom |
| 16 | White & Case | $1,804,200,000 | 2,039 | $885,000 | United States |
| 17 | Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher | $1,642,585,000 | 1,275 | $1,288,000 | United States |
| 18 | Ropes & Gray | $1,597,091,000 | 1,162 | $1,374,000 | United States |
| 19 | Greenberg Traurig | $1,477,180,000 | 1,944 | $760,000 | United States |
| 20 | CMS (EEIG) | $1,461,526,000 | 3,558 | $411,000 | United Kingdom |
| 21 | Sullivan & Cromwell | $1,400,790,000 | 812 | $1,725,000 | United States |
| 22 | Weil, Gotshal & Manges | $1,390,901,000 | 1,118 | $1,244,000 | United States |
| 23 | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett | $1,375,662,000 | 988 | $1,393,000 | United States |
| 24 | Mayer Brown | $1,313,000,000 | 1,571 | $836,000 | United States |
| 25 | Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison | $1,301,773,000 | 1,000 | $1,302,000 | United States |
| 26 | Davis Polk & Wardwell | $1,240,000,000 | 967 | $1,283,000 | United States |
| 27 | Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan | $1,229,807,000 | 770 | $1,597,000 | United States |
| 28 | Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton | $1,214,044,000 | 1,214 | $1,000,000 | United States |
| 29 | Herbert Smith Freehills | $1,194,645,000 | 2,071 | $577,000 | United Kingdom |
| 30 | King & Spalding | $1,138,540,000 | 1,007 | $1,131,000 | United States |
| 31 | Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr | $1,137,300,000 | 869 | $1,309,000 | United States |
| 32 | Reed Smith | $1,119,239,000 | 1,550 | $722,000 | United States |
| 33 | Paul Hastings | $1,118,100,000 | 921 | $1,214,000 | United States |
| 34 | Cooley | $1,072,079,000 | 897 | $1,195,000 | United States |
| 35 | King & Wood Mallesons (verein) | $1,072,000,000 | 2,762 | $388,000 | Hong Kong |
| 36 | Morrison & Foerster | $1,062,700,000 | 960 | $1,107,000 | United States |
| 37 | Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld | $1,039,656,000 | 858 | $1,212,000 | United States |
| 38 | Goodwin Procter | $1,032,437,000 | 909 | $1,136,000 | United States |
| 39 | Eversheds Sutherland | $1,032,175,000 | 2,323 | $444,000 | United Kingdom |
| 40 | Squire Patton Boggs (verein) | $1,000,044,000 | 1,497 | $668,000 | United States |
| 41 | K&L Gates | $989,861,000 | 1,793 | $552,000 | United States |
| 42 | Winston & Strawn | $978,458,000 | 849 | $1,153,000 | United States |
| 43 | Dechert | $977,900,000 | 928 | $1,053,000 | United States |
| 44 | Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe | $974,560,000 | 940 | $1,037,000 | United States |
| 45 | Arnold & Porter | $951,500,000 | 950 | $1,001,000 | United States |
| 46 | Covington & Burling | $945,500,000 | 941 | $1,005,000 | United States |
| 47 | McDermott, Will & Emery | $925,470,000 | 985 | $940,000 | United States |
| 48 | Shearman & Sterling | $955,400,000 | 882 | $1,084,000 | United States |
| 49 | Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy | $916,538,000 | 690 | $1,328,000 | United States |
| 50 | Proskauer Rose | $890,311,000 | 730 | $1,220,000 | United States |
| 51 | Kim & Chang | $870,000,000 | 920 | $946,000 | Korea |
| 52 | Holland & Knight | $848,191,000 | 1,079 | $786,000 | United States |
| 53 | Debevoise & Plimpton | $822,030,000 | 631 | $1,304,000 | United States |
| 54 | Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati | $797,000,000 | 746 | $1,069,000 | United States |
| 55 | Perkins Coie | $785,997,000 | 944 | $833,000 | United States |
| 56 | Alston & Bird | $781,758,000 | 812 | $962,000 | United States |
| 57 | Willkie Farr & Gallagher | $772,000,000 | 644 | $1,199,000 | United States |
| 58 | Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz | $763,020,000 | 243 | $3,135,000 | United States |
| 59 | O’Melveny & Myers | $738,000,000 | 660 | $1,118,000 | United States |
| 60 | Slaughter and May | $736,019,000 | 528 | $1,394,000 | United Kingdom |
| 61 | Baker Botts | $731,827,000 | 717 | $1,021,000 | United States |
| 62 | Vinson & Elkins | $727,475,000 | 615 | $1,183,000 | United States |
| 63 | Ashurst | $726,996,000 | 1,321 | $550,000 | United Kingdom |
| 64 | McGuireWoods | $715,430,000 | 1,012 | $707,000 | United States |
| 65 | Clyde & Co | $710,626,000 | 1,597 | $445,000 | United Kingdom |
| 66 | Cravath, Swaine & Moore | $706,736,000 | 504 | $1,402,000 | United States |
| 67 | Foley & Lardner | $686,175,000 | 822 | $834,000 | United States |
| 68 | Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton | $671,101,000 | 678 | $989,000 | United States |
| 69 | Baker & Hostetler | $647,065,000 | 906 | $715,000 | United States |
| 70 | Seyfarth Shaw | $637,484,000 | 865 | $737,000 | United States |
| 71 | Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson | $634,900,000 | 491 | $1,293,000 | United States |
| 72 | Bryan Cave | $592,577,000 | 847 | $700,000 | United States |
| 73 | Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman | $589,472,000 | 619 | $952,000 | United States |
| 74 | Gowling WLG | $587,140,000 | 1,224 | $479,700 | Canada |
| 75 | Pinsent Masons | $579,921,000 | 1,482 | $391,000 | United Kingdom |
| 76 | Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy | $576,971,000 | 553 | $1,043,000 | United States |
| 77 | Katten Muchin Rosenman | $574,039,000 | 620 | $926,000 | United States |
| 78 | Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt | $570,960,000 | 449 | $1,272,000 | Canada |
| 79 | Hunton & Williams | $562,405,000 | 655 | $859,000 | United States |
| 80 | Allens | $559,000,000 | 632 | $884,000 | Australia |
| 81 | Venable LLP | $540,462,000 | 636 | $850,000 | United States |
| 82 | Littler Mendelson | $538,000,000 | 1,043 | $516,000 | United States |
| 83 | Troutman Sanders | $508,731,000 | 672 | $758,000 | United States |
| 84 | Locke Lord | $504,302,000 | 664 | $759,000 | United States |
| 85 | Faegre Baker Daniels | $491,044,000 | 659 | $745,000 | United States |
| 86 | Blake, Cassels & Graydon | $480,480,000 | 618 | $777,000 | Canada |
| 87 | Polsinelli | $475,092,000 | 783 | $607,000 | United States |
| 88 | Nixon Peabody | $473,700,000 | 602 | $787,000 | United States |
| 89 | Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith | $470,800,000 | 1,201 | $392,000 | United States |
| 90 | Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart | $469,475,000 | 822 | $571,000 | United States |
| 91 | Duane Morris | $466,034,000 | 660 | $706,000 | United States |
| 92 | Drinker Biddle & Reath | $461,841,000 | 562 | $822,000 | United States |
| 93 | McCarthy Tetrault | $460,976,000 | 602 | $766,000 | Canada |
| 94 | Simmons & Simmons | $456,435,000 | 820 | $557,000 | United Kingdom |
| 95 | Fox Rothschild | $453,000,000 | 743 | $609,000 | United States |
| 96 | Jenner & Block | $448,745,000 | 508 | $884,000 | United States |
| 97 | Yingke | $445,619,000 | 7,438 | $60,000 | China |
| 98 | Zhong Lun | $443,991,000 | 1,680 | $264,000 | China |
| 99 | Bird & Bird | $434,393,000 | 1,116 | $389,000 | United Kingdom |
| 100 | Blank Rome | $431,310,000 | 555 | $777,000 | United States |
| 101 | Williams & Connolly | $425,000,000 | 331 | $1,286,000 | United States |
| 102 | Schulte Roth & Zabel | $424,100,000 | 357 | $1,188,000 | United States |
| 103 | Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton | $424,025,000 | 574 | $739,000 | United States |
| 104 | Jackson Lewis | $420,487,000 | 771 | $545,000 | United States |
| 105 | Crowell & Moring | $418,743,000 | 433 | $967,000 | United States |
| 106 | Fish & Richardson | $416,784,000 | 349 | $1,194,000 | United States |
| 107 | Cozen O’Connor | $416,000,000 | 611 | $681,000 | United States |
| 108 | Boies, Schiller, Flexner | $410,000,000 | 320 | $1,281,000 | United States |
| 109 | Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft | $408,100,000 | 373 | $1,094,000 | United States |
| 110 | Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough | $405,426,000 | 534 | $759,000 | United States |
| 111 | Garrigues | $403,559,000 | 1,292 | $312,000 | Spain |
| 112 | Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky & Popeo | $400,000,000 | 449 | $890,000 | United States |
| 113 | Haynes and Boone | $397,500,000 | 545 | $730,000 | United States |
| 114 | Barnes & Thornburg | $395,459,000 | 529 | $747,000 | United States |
| 115 | Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz | $392,133,000 | 727 | $539,000 | United States |
| 116 | Taylor Wessing | $388,634,000 | 935 | $416,000 | Germany |
| 117 | AllBright Law Offices | $388,558,000 | 2,100 | $185,027 | China |
| 118 | Cahill Gordon & Reindel | $387,651,000 | 290 | $1,335,000 | United States |
| 119 | Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel | $387,000,000 | 326 | $1,187,000 | United States |
| 120 | Fidal | $385,703,000 | 1,267 | $304,000 | France |
| 121 | Akerman LLP | $385,237,000 | 631 | $611,000 | United States |
| 122 | Clayton Utz | $376,000,000 | 724 | $519,000 | Australia |
| 123 | Fenwick & West | $374,920,000 | 321 | $1,169,000 | United States |
| 124 | Berwin Leighton Paisner | $371,619,000 | 685 | $543,000 | United Kingdom |
| 125 | Steptoe & Johnson | $368,900,000 | 379 | $974,000 | United States |
| 126 | Fasken | $359,840,000 | 749 | $480,000 | Canada |
| 127 | Davis Wright Tremaine | $357,547,000 | 521 | $686,000 | United States |
| 128 | Ballard Spahr | $353,340,000 | 516 | $685,000 | United States |
| 129 | Loyens & Loeff | $352,139,000 | 862 | $409,000 | Netherlands |
| 130 | Shook, Hardy & Bacon | $350,700,000 | 467 | $751,000 | United States |
| 131 | Husch Blackwell | $349,053,000 | 614 | $568,000 | United States |
| 132 | Borden Ladner Gervais | $346,320,000 | 697 | $497,000 | Canada |
| 133 | Pepper Hamilton | $341,814,000 | 450 | $760,000 | United States |
| 134 | MinterEllison | $338,600,000 | 813 | $416,000 | Australia |
| 135 | Dorsey & Whitney | $337,287,000 | 489 | $690,000 | United States |
| 136 | Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani | $331,200,000 | 662 | $500,000 | United States |
| 137 | Hughes Hubbard & Reed | $325,300,000 | 290 | $1,122,000 | United States |
| 138 | Manatt, Phelps & Phillips | $316,900,000 | 308 | $1,028,000 | United States |
| 139 | Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker | $314,850,000 | 760 | $414,000 | United States |
| 140 | Addleshaw Goddard | $312,454,000 | 957 | $326,000 | United Kingdom |
| 141 | Irwin Mitchell | $311,680,000 | 913 | $341,000 | United Kingdom |
| 142 | Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner | $309,116,000 | 291 | $1,062,000 | United States |
| 143 | Osborne Clarke | $308,844,000 | 788 | $392,000 | United Kingdom |
| 144 | Loeb & Loeb | $306,193,000 | 324 | $944,000 | United States |
| 145 | DWF | $304,204,000 | 932 | $326,000 | United Kingdom |
| 146 | Arent Fox | $303,500,000 | 346 | $877,000 | United States |
| 147 | Stikeman Elliott | $300,815,000 | 470 | $640,000 | Canada |
| 148 | DAC Beachcroft | $296,470,000 | 1,123 | $264,000 | United Kingdom |
| 149 | DeHeng Law Offices | $295,994,000 | 2,531 | $117,000 | China |
| 149 | Grandall Law Firm | $295,994,000 | 1,920 | $154,000 | China |
| 151 | Bradley Arant Boult Cummings | $292,506,000 | 501 | $583,000 | United States |
| 152 | Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice | $289,300,000 | 468 | $619,000 | United States |
| 153 | Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney | $287,000,000 | 422 | $680,000 | United States |
| 154 | Andrews Kurth Kenyon | $280,232,000 | 301 | $931,000 | United States |
| 155 | Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira | $280,039,000 | 897 | $312,000 | Spain |
| 156 | Bracewell LLP | $278,697,000 | 369 | $756,000 | United States |
| 157 | Hengeler Mueller | $278,005,000 | 280 | $993,000 | Germany |
| 158 | Lowenstein Sandler | $270,593,000 | 268 | $1,011,000 | United States |
| 159 | Quarles & Brady | $267,145,000 | 461 | $580,000 | United States |
| 160 | Fieldfisher | $266,823,000 | 531 | $502,000 | United Kingdom |
| 161 | Snell & Wilmer | $260,000,000 | 413 | $630,000 | United States |
| 162 | Macfarlanes | $259,862,000 | 340 | $765,000 | United Kingdom |
| 163 | Kennedys Law | $252,644,000 | 792 | $319,000 | United Kingdom |
| 164 | Vedder Price | $252,000,000 | 302 | $835,000 | United States |
| 165 | Stroock & Stroock & Lavan | $251,000,000 | 251 | $1,000,000 | United States |
| 166 | Jackson Walker | $249,429,000 | 359 | $694,000 | United States |
| 167 | Holland & Hart | $248,963,000 | 443 | $562,000 | United States |
| 168 | Rodl & Partner | $245,910,000 | 456 | $539,000 | Germany |
| 169 | Stinson Leonard Street | $245,393,000 | 414 | $593,000 | United States |
| 170 | Bae Kim & Lee | $244,455,000 | 625 | $391,000 | Korea |
| 171 | Stephenson Harwood | $244,137,000 | 523 | $467,000 | United Kingdom |
| 172 | Dinsmore & Shohl | $243,266,000 | 546 | $446,000 | United States |
| 173 | Kelley Drye & Warren | $242,202,000 | 293 | $827,000 | United States |
| 174 | McCarter & English | $237,183,000 | 368 | $645,000 | United States |
| 175 | Munger, Tolles & Olson | $236,274,000 | 190 | $1,246,000 | United States |
| 176 | Choate, Hall & Stewart | $236,251,000 | 163 | $1,454,000 | United States |
| 177 | Kutak Rock | $231,913,000 | 487 | $476,000 | United States |
| 178 | HFW (previously Holman Fenwick Willan) | $230,731,000 | 466 | $495,000 | United Kingdom |
| 179 | Withers LLP | $227,637,000 | 555 | $410,000 | United Kingdom |
| 180 | Frost Brown Todd | $223,567,000 | 445 | $503,000 | United States |
| 181 | Wiley Rein | $222,585,000 | 249 | $894,000 | United States |
| 182 | Dickinson Wright | $220,912,000 | 440 | $502,000 | United States |
| 183 | Knobbe, Martens, Olson & Bear | $220,000,000 | 277 | $794,000 | United States |
| 184 | Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr | $219,324,000 | 375 | $585,000 | United States |
| 185 | Jun He Law Offices | $219,183,000 | 450 | $487,000 | China |
| 186 | Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP | $217,206,000 | 454 | $479,000 | United States |
| 187 | Winstead PC | $216,766,000 | 321 | $675,000 | United States |
| 188 | Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman | $216,759,000 | 266 | $815,000 | United States |
| 189 | Gide Loyrette Nouel | $212,459,000 | 485 | $438,000 | France |
| 190 | Dykema Gossett | $212,261,000 | 378 | $561,000 | United States |
| 191 | Thompson & Knight | $212,022,000 | 280 | $758,000 | United States |
| 192 | Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn | $210,400,000 | 263 | $800,000 | United States |
| 193 | Stoel Rives | $210,313,000 | 343 | $613,000 | United States |
| 194 | Marshall, Dennehey, Warner, Coleman & Goggin | $210,000,000 | 506 | $415,000 | United States |
| 195 | Watson Farley & Williams | $209,978,000 | 458 | $458,000 | United Kingdom |
| 196 | Mishcon de Reya | $207,916,000 | 366 | $568,000 | United Kingdom |
| 197 | Thompson Hine | $206,759,000 | 342 | $605,000 | United States |
| 198 | Chapman and Cutler | $200,400,000 | 223 | $897,000 | United States |
| 199 | Schiff Hardin | $199,899,000 | 254 | $786,000 | United States |
| 200 | Corrs Chambers Westgarth | $199,000,000 | 570 | $349,000 | Australia |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^Seal, Ben (September 24, 2018). 'The 2018 Global 100 Ranked by Revenue'. The American Lawyer. Retrieved 2018-12-01.
- ^Seal, Ben (October 22, 2018). 'The Global 200, Ranked by Revenue'. The American Lawyer. Retrieved 2018-12-01.
For two decades, Vault.com, a career and jobs information site that tracks a handful of industries, has ranked law firms based on industry reputation as decided by those in the legal space. The result is a report on the best 100 firms in the United States. Its latest roster of winning firms is out, and last year’s number one – Cravath, Swaine & Moore – has retained its title.
An annual ranking of U.S. law firms rates organizations on prestige. (image credit: Shutterstock)
For a look at the full Top-10 firms on the list, check out our slideshow below, complete with some feedback from employees there, as well as salary information.
Gallery: America's Most Prestigious Law Firms In 2017
Vault.com’s results are based on a survey conducted earlier this year of nearly 18,000 law firm associates who were asked to rate other firms on a scale of 1 through 10 in terms of the perceived prestige they held within the industry. Respondents were not allowed to rate their own firms, only ones with which they were familiar. Vault’s report also includes feedback employees gave of the upsides and downsides of the firm that they work for.
Based in New York City, the number one, Cravath, Swaine & Moore, also has a major office in London and 25% of its clients are located outside of the United States. The firm employs 498 attorneys and was founded in 1819.
“Cravath invented the business model upon which nearly all large law firms are organized,” wrote Vault senior law editor, Matt Moody. “And associates clearly haven’t forgotten that the firm is responsible for industry-wide associate raises last year.”
Law Firms Names
Employees who sounded off to Vault about what it’s like to work at Cravath tout the opportunities available to work on “Challenging and cutting edge cases,” and say the organization heaps “A lot of responsibility from the beginning” on its employees. Also notable are the “Best exit options.”
On the downside, employees lament the demanding hours, a culture of perfectionism and an “Opaque path to partnership.”
In second place in the ranking is Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, another New York City-based organization, this one founded in 1965 with a stable of 255 attorneys. Wachtell spent 13 years at the top of Vault’s roster until being unseated last year by Cravath.
Wachtell employees spoke highly of the intelligent personnel working at the firm, “The caliber of assignments,” and the money. Downsides include unforgiving hours, the constant strive for perfection and “24/7 accountability.”
In third place on the roster is Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates; another New York-based firm with a handful of locations in the United States, Asia, Europe and South America. Its attorney count is 1,742, according to Vault. Founded in 1948, it was the first law firm to report $1 billion in annual revenue.
Skadden employees note the invigorating assignments, quality personnel and the firm’s prestige as high points. Downsides? Unpredictable hours, leadership that lacks transparency and how challenging it is to make partner.
'>Prestige and a positive reputation in the legal world can mean the difference between a firm attracting top talent and, well, not.
For two decades, Vault.com, a career and jobs information site that tracks a handful of industries, has ranked law firms based on industry reputation as decided by those in the legal space. The result is a report on the best 100 firms in the United States. Its latest roster of winning firms is out, and last year’s number one – Cravath, Swaine & Moore – has retained its title.
An annual ranking of U.S. law firms rates organizations on prestige. (image credit: Shutterstock)
For a look at the full Top-10 firms on the list, check out our slideshow below, complete with some feedback from employees there, as well as salary information.
Vault.com’s results are based on a survey conducted earlier this year of nearly 18,000 law firm associates who were asked to rate other firms on a scale of 1 through 10 in terms of the perceived prestige they held within the industry. Respondents were not allowed to rate their own firms, only ones with which they were familiar. Vault’s report also includes feedback employees gave of the upsides and downsides of the firm that they work for.
Based in New York City, the number one, Cravath, Swaine & Moore, also has a major office in London and 25% of its clients are located outside of the United States. The firm employs 498 attorneys and was founded in 1819.
“Cravath invented the business model upon which nearly all large law firms are organized,” wrote Vault senior law editor, Matt Moody. “And associates clearly haven’t forgotten that the firm is responsible for industry-wide associate raises last year.”
Employees who sounded off to Vault about what it’s like to work at Cravath tout the opportunities available to work on “Challenging and cutting edge cases,” and say the organization heaps “A lot of responsibility from the beginning” on its employees. Also notable are the “Best exit options.”
On the downside, employees lament the demanding hours, a culture of perfectionism and an “Opaque path to partnership.”
Hosting Costs Law Firms Near Me
In second place in the ranking is Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, another New York City-based organization, this one founded in 1965 with a stable of 255 attorneys. Wachtell spent 13 years at the top of Vault’s roster until being unseated last year by Cravath.
Wachtell employees spoke highly of the intelligent personnel working at the firm, “The caliber of assignments,” and the money. Downsides include unforgiving hours, the constant strive for perfection and “24/7 accountability.”
In third place on the roster is Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates; another New York-based firm with a handful of locations in the United States, Asia, Europe and South America. Its attorney count is 1,742, according to Vault. Founded in 1948, it was the first law firm to report $1 billion in annual revenue.
Skadden employees note the invigorating assignments, quality personnel and the firm’s prestige as high points. Downsides? Unpredictable hours, leadership that lacks transparency and how challenging it is to make partner.