Annual Survey
Of the Nation’s
Largest Law Firms

NEW! 2004 Survey:




The NLJ 250

Rankings: 1-50 51-100 101-150 151-200 201-250

NOTE: Please see corrections made to this page.
Rank Firm Principal city Lawyers
201 Brown Rudnick Berlack Israels Boston 194
202 Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz New York 191
203 Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren Milwaukee 190
204 Brown McCarroll Austin, Texas 190
205 Pennie & Edmonds New York 190
206 Hodgson Russ Buffalo, N.Y. 189
207 Fowler White Boggs Banker Tampa, Fla. 189
208 Calfee, Halter & Griswold Cleveland 188
209 Pitney, Hardin, Kipp & Szuch Florham Park, N.J. 187
210 Ruden, McClosky, Smith, Schuster & Russell Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 185
211 Smith, Gambrell & Russell Atlanta 184
212 Steel Hector & Davis Miami 184
213 Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs Louisville, Ky. 183
214 Warner Norcross & Judd Grand Rapids, Mich. 182
215 Roetzel & Andress Akron, Ohio 180
216 Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps San Diego 180
217 Godfrey & Kahn Milwaukee 180
218 Patterson, Belknap, Webb & Tyler New York 180
219 Leonard, Street and Deinard Minneapolis 180
220 Fredrikson & Byron Minneapolis 179
221 Miles & Stockbridge Baltimore 179
222 Loeb & Loeb Los Angeles 178
223 Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart Atlanta 178
224 Burr & Forman Birmingham, Ala. 177
225 Lane Powell Spears Lubersky Seattle 175
226 Greenebaum Doll & McDonald Louisville, Ky. 175
* 227 Shughart Thomson & Kilroy Kansas City, Mo. 175
228 Clausen Miller Chicago 174
229 Harris Beach Rochester, N.Y. 171
230 Lewis, Rice & Fingersh St. Louis 170
231 Palmer & Dodge Boston 170
232 GrayRobinson (formerly Gray, Harris & Robinson) Orlando, Fla. 170
233 Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis Philadelphia 170
234 Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle New York 170
235 Goulston & Storrs Boston 169
236 Choate, Hall & Stewart Boston 168
237 Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer Woodbridge, N.J. 168
238 Bullivant Houser Bailey Portland, Ore. 166
239 Kennedy Covington Lobdell & Hickman Charlotte, N.C. 165
240 Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto New York 164
241 Lindquist & Vennum Minneapolis 164
242 McGlinchey Stafford New Orleans 164
243 Gibbons, Del Deo, Dolan, Griffinger & Vecchione Newark, N.J. 164
244 Plunkett & Cooney Detroit 163
245 Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear Irvine, Calif. 163
246 Bass, Berry & Sims Nashville, Tenn. 163
247 Nutter McClennen & Fish Boston 162
248 Briggs and Morgan Minneapolis 162
249 Fisher & Phillips Atlanta 162
* 250 Miller & Martin Chattanooga, Tenn. 161

ERRATA

The following changes were made to the NLJ 250 list after it was published in the newspaper:

The National Law Journal surveyed about 300 law firms this year to determine which firms would make its annual list of the 250 largest law firms in America. In doing so, we failed to survey two firms that should have been on the list.

Kansas City, Mo.-based Shughart Thomson & Kilroy has 175 attorneys. The firm, which has 91 shareholders and a total of seven offices, is now ranked No. 227.

Chattanooga, Tenn.-based Miller & Martin has 161 attorneys in its three offices. The firm, with its 103 full-time equivalent partners, is now No. 250.

Because of these additions, Dallas-based Hughes & Luce and Nashville-based Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, formerly ranked No. 249 and No. 250, have dropped off the list. Although Hughes & Luce also has 161 attorneys, Miller & Martin has a larger number of partners (see our “Methodology” for an explanation of how we handle ties). All firms ranked between 227 and 250 were adjusted accordingly.

In addition, because of the method used by New York’s Dewey Ballantine to count attorneys at its firm, misleading information was published about the firm in the NLJ 250 list.

The survey covered the period from Oct. 1, 2002, to Sept. 30, 2003. In years past, the firm had always included the full number of incoming fall associates in its total number of lawyers because the incoming group started work in both September and October.

This year, the firm originally did not include the incoming associates because the entire group began work in October. This omission gave the misleading impression that the firm’s total number of attorneys had declined by 49, from 571 to 522. In fact, when this year’s class of 60 associates is included, the firm’s total number of attorneys is 582.

As a result of this correction, Dewey Ballantine moves upon the list from No. 68 to 57 and the firms ranked 57-68 have been adjusted accordingly.
(The National Law Journal, November 2003)