Leaders of several Washington, D.C.-based litigation boutiques said they had a solid year in business in 2023, buoyed by strong demand for disputes work. Some even said it was one of their best financial years and that they are expecting more demand growth in 2024.

Indeed, litigation was a big driver for law firm growth in 2023, in particular among smaller and midsize firms outside Big Law. Midsize law firms saw their biggest counter-cyclical gain in litigation hours, according to a recent legal market report by Thomson Reuters and the Center on Ethics and the Legal Profession at Georgetown Law. Overall, litigation was the biggest driver of demand growth for the legal industry in 2023, expanding by a 15-year high of 3.2%, according to the report.