When persistent funding shortfalls forced Big Apple Circus to declare bankruptcy last year, Debevoise & Plimpton was on hand to guide the nonprofit through its Chapter 11 filing. In February 2017, Debevoise lawyers oversaw the sale of the circus’s trademarks and other assets to an affiliate of merchant bank Compass Partners, in time for the relaunch of the circus and many of its community programs in New York next fall.

Hours worked in 2016: 1,611

Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel