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Surveys & Rankings ›

The 2021 Am Law 100

The American Lawyer's annual ranking of the 100 highest-grossing law firms in the country.

 
  • April 20, 2021 | news

    Against All Odds, The Am Law 100 Were Stunningly Successful in 2020

    By Dan Packel

    Against a backdrop of economic anxiety and uncertainty, the country's largest firms set records for the post-Great Recession era.

  • April 20, 2021 | news

    The 2021 Am Law 100: Ranked by Gross Revenue

    By ALM Staff

    For the fourth year in a row, Kirkland & Ellis holds the top spot in the revenue rankings, with $4.8 billion.

  • April 20, 2021 | news

    Latham's Second Chance: A New Crisis Let the Firm Rewrite Its Infamous Response to the Last One

    By Andrew Maloney

    In 2009, Latham & Watkins laid off 12% of associates and 250 staff members in response to the global financial crisis. In 2020, it avoided cuts—and had one of the best years in Big Law.

  • April 20, 2021 | news

    The Much-Maligned Nonequity Tier Keeps Growing. Is That Such a Bad Thing?

    By Dylan Jackson

    Experts and observers have long raised red flags about a growing, and perhaps bloated, nonequity tier. But as firms notch record success in the pandemic and the nonequity tier keeps growing, have those fears been overblown?

  • April 20, 2021 | news

    The 2021 Am Law 100: Ranked by Revenue Per Lawyer

    By ALM Staff

    Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz grew nearly 10% and remains well ahead of the rest of the competition.

  • April 20, 2021 | news

    With Millions in Real Estate Savings on the Table, the Am Law 100 Are Ready to Slim Down

    By Patrick Smith

    Eyeing millions in savings, many firms are ready to reduce their post-pandemic footprint. Elites may keep it as a differentiator. Everything is on the table.

  • April 20, 2021 | news

    The 2021 Am Law 100: Ranked by Profits Per Equity Partner

    By ALM Staff

    Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz holds onto the top spot in the PEP rankings, but is now joined by two other firms north of $6 million.

  • April 20, 2021 | news

    Resilient Firms Outperformed After 2008. Their Success Offers a Roadmap for 2021.

    By Jae Um

    A dozen years of data since the Great Recession shows resilient law firms rose above the competition over the past decade. In the fraught present moment, history holds lessons for the latest competitive reset.

  • April 20, 2021 | news

    Position Isn't Destiny: Big Law's Rising Stars Show Growth Can Come From Anywhere

    By Jae Um

    An analysis of 12 years of data since the Great Recessions reveals that outperforming firms can emerge from any region of the country—and any region of the rankings.

  • April 20, 2021 | news

    The 2021 Am Law 100: At a Glance

    By ALM Staff

    Financial information about the entire Am Law 100, from A to Z.

  • April 20, 2021 | news

    The Super (Conflicted) Rich: For the Industry's Elite, a Wildly Successful Year Came at a Cost

    By Ben Seal

    For some leaders on this year's Super Rich list, it's difficult to talk about their firm's success without considering the disparities the past year has exposed.

  • April 20, 2021 | news

    The 2021 Am Law 100: By the Numbers

    By Roberto Jimenez

    A closer look at the numbers that mattered most for the Am Law 100—in visual form.

  • April 20, 2021 | news

    Partners in Charge: How Clients' Need for Expert Counsel Fueled an RPL Spike

    By Lizzy McLellan

    Revenue per lawyer set post-Great Recession records as pricey partners fielded clients' urgent questions. If firms want to build on that growth instead of losing ground, discipline is key.

  • April 20, 2021 | news

    The 2021 Am Law 100: Ranked by Compensation—All Partners

    By ALM Staff

    Single-tier firms sit atop the list, paced by Wachtell at $7.5 million.

  • April 20, 2021 | news

    Profits Surged at Am Law 100 Firms in 2020. Can They Keep It Up in 2021?

    By Brenda Sapino Jeffreys

    In 2020, 92 of the Am Law 100 improved profits per equity partner. A repeat performance could be difficult to pull off.

  • April 20, 2021 | news

    The 2021 Am Law 100: Ranked by Profits Per Lawyer

    By ALM Staff

    With more than twice its nearest competitor, Wachtell leads the list.

  • April 20, 2021 | news

    The Am Law 100's Top Performers Have Been Driving Demand for Years

    By Gina Passarella Cipriani

    As The American Lawyer editor in chief Gina Passarella writes, the foundation for success in 2020 was laid over the past decade.

  • April 20, 2021 | news

    The Am Law 100 Methodology: How We Make the List

    By Ben Seal

    From equity partners to profits per lawyer, this is how we define every element of our law firm financial reporting—and how we do it.

  •  
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About the Survey

As the pandemic took hold last spring, the legal industry faced a series of daunting challenges and proceeded with caution into the unknown. Now, more than a year into the pandemic, it's clear that the country’s largest law firms excelled in the face of an unprecedented crisis, growing revenue 6.6%, revenue per lawyer 4.8% and profits per equity partner 13.4%.

But those numbers don't tell the complete story of how firms found success in 2020—or what they will need to do if they want a repeat performance in 2021. In this year's Am Law 100 report, we analyze all the numbers while closely examining the status of the nonequity partnership tier, the future of law firm real estate, Latham & Watkins' response to the crisis, the traits that helped resilient firms outperform the competition after the last recession and will guide them through this one—and much more.


 

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