While navigating the various United States court systems can be a stressful, and sometimes harrowing experience, the fact is that many of us will find ourselves embroiled in them at some point.
Whether you’re dealing with a trial court, appeals court, or a state supreme court, sometimes lawyering up is simply unavoidable.
Luckily, from divorces to traffic tickets, there are 1.3 million licensed lawyers, and over 200 law firms with at least 500 attorneys to browse. There are even entire law firms dedicated to highly unambiguous sorts of cases.
So what are the largest law firms in America? To answer that, we’ve gathered a list of the top 7 largest law firms,
1. Kirkland Ellis
While Kirkland Ellis is the largest law firm in America by revenue, they come in at number seven by number of attorneys. This law firm was founded 112 years ago in 1909, and since then has developed nine major offices across the US.
Over the years Kirkland Ellis has had its fair share of controversial and high-profile clients, from Jeffery Epstein to Brett Kavanaugh. One of the law firm’s major areas of center is commercial litigation, but they also specialize in other corporate interests.
2. Latham Watkins
Founded almost a hundred years ago in 1934, Latham Watkins is a long-standing international law firm. This law firm employs over 2,700 attorneys across the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
Latham Watkins’ notable prestige garners them a high-paying clientele. They’re known for being well-rounded and capable of handling a plethora of case types.
Additionally, Latham Watkins seems to have a high interest in political affairs. In the 2016 election cycle, they donated 83% of their 1.8 million dollar contributions to American Democratic candidates.
3. DLA Piper
Earning its spot as the second-largest law firm in the US, DLA Piper is the largest law firm headquartered in New York City. Additionally, they maintain offices in 40 countries, from the Asian Pacific to Europe.
DLA Piper was the result of a major 2005 merger between Gray Cary Ware Freidenrich, Piper Rudnick, and DLA. Because DLA was originally based in the UK, DLA Piper is technically classified as a multinational law firm.
4. Baker McKenzie
Holding its place as the number one largest law firm in America, Baker Mckenzie is a general practice law firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. This law firm is one of the largest in the world, with 77 offices in 46 areas. Worldwide, Baker Mckenzie employs over 6,000 attorneys, and domestically that number is 4,720.
As mentioned, Baker Mckenzie zeros in more on general practice than specialization. However, a majority of the law firm’s cases revolve around corporate law.
5. Skadden Arps Slate Meagher Flom
Skadden Arps Slate Meagher Flom, commonly known as Skadden, is an international law firm with 22 offices globally. Some of their major practice areas include transactions, litigation, and regulation.
Skadden is no stranger to controversy, as their 2012 work in Ukraine landed them in some heated water with the FBI. The law firm assisted Viktor F. Yanukovych, the former president of Ukraine.
After several federal investigations into the matter, Skadden ended up paying a $4.6 million settlement to the Department of Justice, because they hadn’t registered as a foreign agent before taking Yanukovych on as a client.
6. White Case
Founded in 1901, White Case is an international law firm based in New York City. As of 2021, the law firm has 44 offices in 30 countries, spanning from Latin America to Asia.
Classified as a general practice law firm, White Case typically specializes in white-collar legal issues.
7. Sidley Austin
Today’s Sidley Austin was formed by a 2001 merger between the original, Chicago-based Sidley Austin, and the New York-based Brown Wood. Today, this law firm has 20 offices worldwide, including its newest in Munich, Germany.
However Sidley Austin is a general practice law firm, their expertise lies in transactional and litigation cases. Over the years, they’ve been involved in over 225 Supreme Court cases.