Some of these Law firms are offering free consultation with the leading patent agent. In these article we share with you on what law firms is all about ? The most popular big law firms and law firms near me.
What Law Firms Means ?
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law.
The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients (individuals or corporations) about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other matters in which legal advice and other assistance are sought.
Types Of Law Firms
Depending on your legal issue, there are a variety of law firms to choose from, generally broken down by size, type of practice, (for example, litigation, criminal defense, or transactional), location, or legal topic (like personal injury law, family law or tax law.)
While there is no one-size-fits all solution to solving legal problems, choosing the right law firm can make the difference between a successful outcome and missed opportunity.
Knowing which law firm to hire will depend on a number of factors – including your finances, geographical location, personal work preferences, and your specific legal challnge or need.
Below are list on the types of law firms according to findlaw.com
• Solo Law Firms
As the name suggests, solo law firms are run by a single lawyer. These “solo practitioners” typically handle general legal matters on a variety of topics — ranging from personal injury law to family law, but may also specialize in one particular area of law, like patent law.
There are several benefits to working with a solo law firm, especially if you have a single legal issue to resolve or if you are looking at ways to reduce costs.
Generally, solo law practices are less expensive than their larger legal counterparts, and they often have the flexibility to hire outside staff such as paralegals and legal experts – to help lower costs and/or assist with special tasks.
They can also provide more one-on-one personal attention since the attorney would be working on your case usually single-handedly.
On the other hand, solo law firms may lack extensive experience or resources – especially if the attorney is a recent law graduated who recently decided to “hand up their shingle” or has limited access to fee based legal resources and data.
• Small Law Firms
Small law firms, also referred to as “boutique” law firms, generally employ from two to ten attorneys — often allowing the lawyers an opportunity to collaborate with other lawyers on complicated or related legal matters.
Because of the close-knit circle of lawyers in small law firms, these firms often have the “feel” of solo law firms – such as having close one-on-one attention – but may also allow for representation on a broader range of legal topics.
• Large Law Firms
Large law firms, also known as “full-service” firms, can range in size from several dozens of lawyers and employees, to several thousands of employees including lawyers, paralegals, administrative staff, human resource specialists, librarians and other staff – and can exist in multiple cities, states, and even countries.
Large law firms specialize in all areas of the law and typically have big legal departments, such as corporate, employment, and real estate groups.
Additionally, large law firms are able to handle most types of legal work, including business transactions (like mergers and acquisitions), large scale litigation, and criminal defense matters (especially “white-collar crimes”.)
Moreover, the typical client of a large law firm is a company, organization, or other high-stake entity, but may also represent individuals with legal issues spanning multiple practice areas
• Litigation / Transactional Law Firms
Law firms are sometimes broken down by the type of legal services they offer. For example, a law firm might only focus on litigation, representing clients in court cases — or it can focus on transactional matters involving heavy paperwork relating to disputes over money, property, and insurance.
Lawyers typically do not cross over practice areas within a law firm, however. For instance, lawyers who are trained to represent clients in court hearing and at trials typically stay within this type of practice for the duration of their career.
Similarly, transactional attorneys who handle corporate and other drafting-intense work may never see the inside of a courtroom.
• Criminal Law Firms
Law firms specializing in criminal defense against crimes such as securities fraud, DUI and other crimes often focus on representing private clients who can afford their own criminal defense attorney (as opposed to being represented by a public defender.)
A person facing criminal charges will often hire a criminal defense lawyer to assist them in all stages of the criminal process to help reduce the serious penalties often associated with criminal charges.
Moreover, because of the nature of what’s at stake in criminal proceedings, lawyers who work within criminal defense law firms are usually very skilled and knowledgeable about the laws and procedures, and often have relationships with local attorneys and judges.
While the cost of hiring a criminal defense law firm will vary – based on the law firm’s experience, track record and location, for example – it is probably wise to speak with a variety of criminal lawyers in your area to represent you in any criminal proceedings.
What Is The Work Of A Law Firm ?
The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients (individuals or corporations) about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other matters in which legal advice and other assistance are sought.
How Do Law Firms Make Money ?
Lawyers generate income for the firm by billing clients a fixed hourly rate for their work.
Partners increase their profits by hiring more associates to generate more billable hours.
Clients choose firms based on their reputations, which partners closely guard.
What Does Law Firms Owners Do ?
The owners of a law firm are traditionally referred to as “partners,” though sometimes they are referred to as “shareholders” or members.”
They have an ownership interest in the firm and are typically the most experienced lawyers who command the highest billable rate.
Top 100 Law Firms In The World
Discover the most popular law firms near you:
• Baker McKenzie Law Firm
Baker McKenzie is a multinational law firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1949 as Baker & McKenzie, it has 77 offices in 46 countries, and over 6,000 lawyers worldwide. It is one of the largest law firms in the world by headcount and revenue.
Since 2010, Baker McKenzie has been recognized as the top law firm in the world for multinational M&As.
In 2019, Baker McKenzie achieved a record revenue of US$2.92 billion, an increase in revenue of 40% since 2010.
Baker McKenzie is a general practice law firm, covering the practice areas of Antitrust & Competition, Banking & Finance, Capital Markets, Compliance & Investigations, Data & Technology, Dispute Resolution, Employment & Compensation, Environment & Climate Change, Intellectual Property, International Commercial & Trade, Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity, Projects, Real Estate, Restructuring & Insolvency, and Tax.
• DLA Piper Law Firm
DLA Piper is a multinational law firm with offices in more than 40 countries throughout the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
In 2014, it had total revenues of US$2.48 billion and average profit per equity partner of US$1.490 million, and was the third largest law firm in the United States as measured by revenue.
DLA Piper was formed, in January 2005, by a merger between three law firms: San Diego-based Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich LLP, Baltimore-based Piper Rudnick LLP and United Kingdom-based DLA LLP.
It is composed of two partnerships, the United Kingdom-based DLA Piper International LLP and the United States-based DLA Piper LLP (US). The two partnerships share a single global board and are structured as a Swiss Verein.
• Clifford Chance Law Firm
Clifford Chance LLP is an international law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom, and a member of the “Magic Circle,” a group of the most prestigious London-based multinational law firms.
It ranks as one of top ten largest law firms in the world measured both by number of lawyers and revenue.
In 2019–20, Clifford Chance had a total revenue of £1.803 billion ($2.5 billion), the highest of any firm in the Magic Circle, and profits per equity partner of £1.69 million.
According to Acuris, as of 2020 Clifford Chance secured the most European M&A mandates, becoming the most popular adviser to top-tier private equity clients in the continent.
In the same year it was named International Law Firm of the Year at the International Financial Law Review (IFLR) Europe Awards, part of the Euromoney group.
• Latham & Watkins Law Firm
Latham & Watkins LLP is an American multinational law firm. Founded in 1934 in Los Angeles, California, Latham is the second-largest law firm in the world by revenue.
As of 2021, Latham is also one of the most profitable law firms in the world, with profits per partner exceeding US$4.5 million.
• Kirkland & Ellis Law Firm
Kirkland & Ellis LLP is an American law firm. Founded in 1909 in Chicago, Illinois, Kirkland & Ellis is the largest law firm in the world by revenue, the seventh-largest by number of attorneys, and is the first law firm in the world to reach US$4 billion in revenue.
As of 2021, Kirkland & Ellis ranks third on Am Law’s list of profits per equity partner.
While Kirkland & Ellis was historically considered a firm focused on litigation, during the 2010s, it expanded private equity and restructuring practices which, together with large-scale commercial litigation, comprise the core legal service areas of the firm.
• Davis Polk & Wardwell Law Firm
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (known as Davis Polk) is a white-shoe, international law firm headquartered in New York City with 980 attorneys worldwide and offices in Washington, D.C., Northern California, London, Paris, Madrid, Hong Kong, Beijing, Tokyo, and São Paulo.
The Law firm has consistently been recognized as a global leader in banking & financial services as well as in capital markets.
• Morgan Lewis & Bocklus Law Firm
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP is an American multinational law firm with approximately 2,200 legal professionals in 31 offices across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Mergers with other law firms stimulated global growth and led to a ranking of eighth on American Lawyer’s 2018 top 100 firms by gross revenue list.
It is also the largest law firm chaired by a woman, and represents “three-quarters of the Fortune 100 companies.”
The firm served as tax Counsel to former US President Donald Trump, and the Trump Organization, from 2005 to 2021.
Morgan Lewis is known for high-profile pro bono representations and for filing a historic amicus brief in the US Supreme Court in 2015 on behalf of 379 companies, stating a business case for legalizing same-sex marriage across the country..
• Hogan Lowell’s Law Firm
Hogan Lovells is an American-British law firm co-headquartered in London and Washington, D.C. It was formed on May 1, 2010 by the merger of the American law firm of Hogan & Hartson and the British law firm Lovells.
Hogan Lovells employs about 2,400 lawyers across 40 offices in the United States, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
• Denton’s Law Firm
Dentons is a multinational law firm. Dentons was the world’s 5th-largest law firm by revenue, with $2.9B gross revenue in fiscal year 2019.
The firm is called Dentons in all languages other than Chinese, in which it is called 大成 (Dacheng).
As of 2020, Dentons operates in 77 countries, has 190 offices. The firm has no headquarters, although the firm’s senior leadership are primarily based in Beijing, London and Washington D.C. Dentons is structured as a Swiss Verein called Salans FMC SNR Denton Group, which does not itself provide legal services.
The verein encapsulates multiple co-operating legal entities, namely Dentons Canada LLP, Dentons Europe LLP, Dentons UK and Middle East LLP, Dentons US LLP, amongst others.
• Allen And Overy Law Firm
Allen & Overy LLP (informally A&O) is an international law firm. It is a member of the UK’s Magic Circle of leading law firms.
In 2019, Allen & Overy advised on more transactional deals than any other law firm in the world and was one of two firms to have surpassed the US$1 trillion mark in terms of deal value, totalling US$1.16 trillion. As of 2019, Allen & Overy is the world’s 10th largest law firm by revenue.
• Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz Law Firm
Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is a law firm that operates out of a single office in New York City.
The firm is known for corporate law, regularly handling large and complex transactions.
On both a profit per lawyer, and profit per equity partner basis, it is the most profitable law firm in the world.
• Cravath, Swaine & Moore Law Firm
Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP (known as Cravath) is an American white-shoe law firm with its headquarters in New York City, and an additional office in London.
The firm, one of the most prestigious law firms in the United States, is known for its complex and high profile litigation and mergers & acquisitions work.
Cravath has been consistently ranked as the #1 most prestigious law firm in the United States in the “Vault 100”, an annual, national ranking of U.S. law firm prestige based on assessment by lawyers at peer firms.
• Sullivan & Cromwell Law Firm
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP is an American multinational law firm headquartered in New York City. Known as a white-shoe firm, Sullivan & Cromwell is recognized as a leader in business law, and is known for its impact on international affairs, such as the financing of the Panama Canal.
The firm handles high profile work such as complex mergers and acquisitions, securities litigation, and white-collar defense and government investigations.
It is one of the most profitable law firms in the world, with 2020 profits per partner exceeding $5 million.
• Simpson Thacher & Bartlett Law Firm
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is a white-shoe, international law firm headquartered in New York City with over 1,000 attorneys in 10 offices worldwide.
The firm is among the most profitable in the world and specializes in corporate practices, with a focus on mergers and acquisitions, as well as litigation.
• Sidley Austin Law Firm
Sidley Austin LLP, is an international law firm, employing approximately 2,000 lawyers in 20 offices worldwide.
The firm’s headquarters is at One South Dearborn in Chicago’s Loop. The firm specializes in a variety of areas in both litigation and corporate practices.
• Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson Law Firm
Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP (known as Fried Frank), is an international law firm headquartered in New York City. The firm also has offices in Washington, D.C., London, and Frankfurt and has more than 500 attorneys worldwide.
The firm is regarded as a modern white-shoe law firm and leads on many complex financial and litigious matters.
• Debevoise & Plimpton Law Firm
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP (often shortened to Debevoise) is an international law firm headquartered in New York City.
Founded in 1931 by Harvard Law School alumnus Eli Whitney Debevoise and Oxford-trained William Stevenson, the firm was originally named Debevoise, Plimpton & McLean. Debevoise specializes in private equity, M&A, insurance and financial services transactions, private funds, complex litigation, investigations, and international arbitration.
In 2021, the firm assisted the Democratic Party in the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump.
• Willkie Farr & Gallagher Law Firm
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, commonly known as Willkie, is a white-shoe, international law firm headquartered in New York City.
Founded in 1888, the firm specializes in corporate practice and employs over 1000 lawyers in 13 offices across six countries. U.S. Supreme Court Justices Felix Frankfurter and Charles Evans Hughes began their careers at the firm, as did former Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork, and former New York Governor Mario Cuomo after leaving office.
Willkie was ranked among the top ten in The American Lawyer’s “The 2021 A-List” ranking of elite law firms. The law firm’s profits per equity partner were $3.52 million in 2020.
• Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale And Dorr Law Firm
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP (known as WilmerHale) is an American law firm with offices in the United States, Europe and Asia.
It is co-headquartered in Washington, D.C. and Boston. It was formed in 2004 through the merger of the Boston-based firm Hale and Dorr and the Washington-based firm Wilmer Cutler & Pickering, and employs more than 1,000 attorneys worldwide.
WilmerHale ranked second in the United States in The American Lawyer’s list of top law firms.
Notable alumni include former FBI Director Robert Mueller, Special Counsel to the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election; Seth Waxman, former Solicitor General of the United States; Ken Salazar, former United States senator from Colorado and United States Secretary of the Interior; and Jamie Gorelick, former United States Deputy Attorney General.
• Weil, Gotshal & Manges Law Firm
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP is an American international law firm with over 1,000 attorneys, headquartered in New York City.
With a gross annual revenue in excess of $1.1 billion, it is among the world’s largest law firms according to The American Lawyer’s AmLaw 100 survey.
• Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer Law Firm
Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, operating as Arnold & Porter, is an American multinational law firm.
A white-shoe firm, Arnold & Porter is among the most prestigious and largest law firms in the world, by both revenue and by its number of lawyers.
• Shearman & Sterling Law Firm
Shearman & Sterling LLP is a multinational law firm headquartered in New York City, United States.
The firm’s lawyers come from some 80 countries, speak more than 60 languages and practice US, English, EU, French, Spanish, German, Hong Kong, OHADA and Saudi law, as well as Dubai International Financial Centre law and Abu Dhabi Global Market law. Nearly one-half of the firm’s lawyers practice outside the United States.
• Orrick Law Firm
Orrick is an international law firm founded in San Francisco, California. The firm advises on transactions, litigation and regulatory matters for venture-backed companies, public companies, E&I funds, financial institutions and governments.
• Ropes And Gray
Ropes & Gray LLP is a global law firm with 11 offices located in the United States, Asia and Europe.
The firm has more than 1,400 lawyers and professionals worldwide, and its clients include corporations and financial institutions, government agencies, universities, and health care organizations.
It was founded in 1865 in Boston, Massachusetts by John Codman Ropes and John Chipman Gray.
• Greenberg Traurig Law Firm
Greenberg Traurig is an international law firm founded in Miami, Florida, United States in 1967 by Larry J. Hoffman, Mel Greenberg and Robert H. Traurig. For the past three years, it has ranked #14 in the AM Law 100 by gross revenue, and in the top 20 of the Global 200.
• Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld Law Firm
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, headquartered in Washington, D.C., is an international law firm and the largest lobbying firm in the United States by revenue.
With more than 900 attorneys, the firm has offices in Dallas, Washington, D.C., San Antonio, Houston, Irvine, Fort Worth, New York, Moscow, Philadelphia, London, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Frankfurt, Geneva and Hartford.
Akin Gump is widely considered to be among the most profitable and prestigious firms in the nation and has been consistently ranked as among the top law firms in the United States by The American Lawyer.
The firm is known for its influence on Capitol Hill and its representation of high-profile clients.
With regard to compensation, Akin Gump is ranked by associates as one of the top 10 highest-paying law firms in the country.
