In many ways, last year was a painful one for Irell & Manella. In January 2015 John Hueston, who chaired the firm’s business trial and crisis management practice, stunned the partnership by setting up his own shop, Hueston Hennigan, and taking one-sixth of the firm with him: five partners and 25 associates. The following May, partner Christopher Vanderlaan died of complications from cancer at age 50, dealing an emotional blow to the small partnership. The firm ended last year with revenue down 19 percent, at $200 million; profits per partner came in at a healthy $3.2 million, but had slipped 12 percent.
And yet, even with these setbacks, Irell sits atop our A-List for the first time, rising from its 18th-place showing last year. The A-List recognizes excellent, well-rounded firms based on our surveys of firm financials, pro bono, diversity and quality of life metrics.
