Legal services are a big part of the law business. There is a need for law expertise in finance, taxation, litigation, corporate affairs, disputes, patents, copyrights, antitrust, property, labor, arbitration, and administration and political issues. The most accurate, consistent, and easy to measure criteria to rank law firms remain annual revenue, the number of lawyers, and year-over-year growth.
The following is a list of the top ten law firms worldwide. Based on 2021 Global 200, a ranked list by The International Lawyer for the fiscal year 2020, all figures have been compiled
The Top 5 Lawyer Firms
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Kirkland & Ellis LLP serves a select set of corporate clients across the fields of corporate, intellectual property, litigation, and Rechtsanwalt Hattingen taxation. The U.S.-based firm had approximately 2,000 lawyers on staff, and its revenues were $4.83 billion in 2020, putting it at the top of the list. Boeing, Delta Airlines, General Motors, and Dow Chemical are among the firm’s high-profile clients.
Corporate We serve as counsel to a diverse group of companies in the United States, including Fortune 500 companies, from small businesses to publicly traded corporations. Our practice includes advising on a wide range of corporate matters, including mergers and acquisitions, complex transactions, strategic planning, public company offerings, joint ventures, technology licensing, litigation, and business restructuring. Intellectual Property Our intellectual property practice is focused on the full spectrum of intellectual property matters, including patent and trademark prosecution, licensing, enforcement, and litigation.
Tax We provide advice on all aspects of the tax law for a diverse group of clients, including U.S. and foreign public and private companies, real estate developers, and individuals. We advise clients on the full range of intellectual property issues arising in today’s business environment. Our attorneys have represented clients in all intellectual property development and litigation stages, from concept to commercialization.
- Latham & Watkins LLP
Latham & Watkins, based in Los Angeles with offices in 14 countries and 3,000 lawyers, ranks second in terms of annual revenues, with a reported $4.33 billion. We offer a wide range of services, including activism, entertainment and media, real estate, and white-collar defense.
- DLA Piper
A global law firm with lawyers in more than 40 countries, DLA Piper was formed after a merger of multiple international law firms in 2005.Its annual revenue was $3.13 billion, and it is based in London and Chicago. The firm employs nearly 4,000 lawyers throughout its offices, who specialize in areas such as education, government contracting, and insurance.
In addition to the merger, DLA Piper changed its name to reflect its international nature and the new “Piper” logo. In June 2012, DLA Piper completed a merger with Withers Worldwide, creating a firm with over 10,000 lawyers worldwide. DLA Piper is one of the top 25 largest law firms in the world by revenue. It was also recognized as the No. 1 Global Law Firm in the 2015 edition of The American Lawyer’s Annual Law Firm Ranking. The firm has had many notable accomplishments. In 2013, DLA Piper was named one of the World’s Top 100 Employers for Women. In 2014, DLA Piper was named the Most Admired Company in Life Sciences by Fortune Magazine, and the firm was ranked as the #1 Law Firm for Life Sciences by Legal 500.
- Dentons
A series of mergers have created Dentons in the last half-decade, the most recent of which was a double merger in 2020 with Cohen & Grigsby and Bingham Greenbaum Doll.Dentons ranked number four on the list with a $2.9 billion annual revenue. More than 11,000 lawyers work at the firm in over 80 countries.
