The New Chambers Rankings: Open Thread
Okay, they're not really "new"; they were issued last month, which is when we started getting blast emails from law firms touting their strong showings. But as TaxProf Blog recently reminded us, the influential Chambers USA rankings, of law firms and individual attorneys, are now available.
If you're not familiar with them, the Chambers rankings are explained well in this New York Observer piece, from 2005, by Anna Schneider-Mayerson:
In a market choked with legal directories consisting solely of the dry vitae and coordinates of the top practitioners, the [Chambers USA guide], a real doorstop at nearly 1,500 pages, has a colorful Zagat-style take on the field. It not only ranks the top dogs in each field of law, pitting them against each other in neat little blue charts, it also assesses the lawyers who make it onto its lists, complete with coddling commentary from clients and peers.... It's perfect for lawyers: rational and ordered, yet gossipy in its own guarded and libel-checked way. And taken as a whole, it's becoming the field guide par excellence to Manhattan's legal set.
If you have any thoughts on this year's rankings -- who was justly praised, who got shafted, who's overrated, who received amusing / snarky comments from reviewers -- feel free to share, in this open thread.
Chambers USA law firm and lawyer rankings [official website]
Law Firm Corporate Tax Rankings [TaxProf Blog]
I'll See You in Chambers! Lawyers Ga-Ga for Guide [New York Observer]
(35) 
Mayer Brown did well this year.
Mayer > Gibson, Sidley, Wilmer in appellate?
Recount!
I work in a "Band 1" practice. Sweet.
Or to put it in ATL terms, my firm is a "B" and your firm is a "BBB"
Skadden tax rocks.
Why are the Chambers rankings so obsessed with "Transportation"? There must be a dozen different Transportation subcategories.
Additionally, why are there so many categories for international trade?
@2:55, nice try, but to really "put it in ATL terms," you also need to refer to your BBB competition with an appropriately pithy insult.
To form such an insult, simply combine one word from Group 1 with one word from Group 2:
Group 1 = ass, douche, f***
Group 2 = bag, clown, hat, tard
Thus, for example, "your firm is BBB, you worthless douchetard."
I'm sure others can suggest additional words for Groups 1 and 2, and ATL can perhaps publish them in a separate post for easy reference.
As a DC litigator, the biggest surprise to me is that Goodwin Procter has the 2nd most lawyers ranked for litigation behind Williams and Connolly and the same number as Wilmer and Hogan combined.
Don't know much about Goodwin Procter (except that it is made up of the former Shea & Gardner firm) but I can't believe they are really in the upper tier of DC litigation firms.
Any other Chambers employees out there?
Nice. Every practice group at my first is a Band 1 practice.
Nice. Every practice group at my firm is a Band 1 practice.
Yeah, MB outranking Gibson, Sidley, and Wilmer in appellate is a clear mistake. Those three should share Band 1 and MB should be in Band 2. Esp. since those who rank appellate exclusively don't put MB in the same class as those three.
3:29,
Interesting observation. I've always been VERY impressed by Goodwin (in Boston ... don't have experience with their DC attorneys). Generally, I think it's very underrated (by its peers, not necessarily this ranking).
Yeah, MB outranking Gibson, Sidley, and Wilmer in appellate is a clear mistake. Those three should share Band 1 and MB should be in Band 2. Esp. since those who rank appellate exclusively don't put MB in the same class as those three.
Band 1, bitches!
Band 1 and identified... how you like them apples?
Re MB. Ever hear of Andrew Frey?
This is completely off market. Any inhouse tax counsel will tell you, D&T's GSG (Global Solutions Group) should clearly be Band 1, along with E&Y TAS Group. And what about KPMG's StrateCon group? They don't call us Big4 for no reason.
Re: Mayer Brown and appellate work, they have a much deeper bench than the others.
The other firms have individual stars: Gibson (Olson / Estrada), Sidley (Phillips), Wilmer (Waxman). But MB has probably a dozen lawyers with great SCOTUS and appellate experience.
american lawyer a-list is also out
Just throwing my hat in on the Goodwin praise. Hadn't ever dealt with them until recently (was "who the hell are they?" at first), but was very impressed. Solid group of people I worked with there (though some a$$holes), though I have no idea if this carries over to the firm generally.
so awesome. maybe now my kids will stop hating me for never being around when i tell them my practice made band 1!
Making the Band ... 1
Why are half the students at Columbia Law "Harlan Fiske Stone" Scholars? How many of those does the Law School hand out each year?
Harlan Fiske is handed out each year, so you only need to be in the top 25-33% one of your three years. This way everyone (almost) can look good. Pure genious on Columbia's part.
Indeed, 100% pure genious.
One time at BBBand Camp I prayed to the gods ...please let me be Cravath material .... please
3:37---Where do you work? None of the V6 can claim all Band 1 practices. So does your firm just do something so specialized that there is no reasonable competition? Bullshit.
ha - the fiske scheme is clever, but HLS giving cum laude to top 75% or so (back in the day) was GENYUS!!!
The "Who's Who Legal" rankings are also out (by country, state, practice area).
http://www.whoswholegal.com/awards/
Which firms are in Band 1 for bonuses???
Re: Andrew Frey @ MB
He has been seriously pwned twice in the past month:
http://www.ca7.uscourts.gov/tmp/EU19F2NG.pdf
http://www.ca2.uscourts.gov:8080/isysnative/RDpcT3BpbnNcT1BOXDA0LTU5NzItYmtfb3BuMi5wZGY=/04-5972-bk_opn2.pdf
Does the particular band really matter? I thought that if your firm made any band at all, it was an accomplishment worth something.
9:51 - Band 1 for bonuses = Wachtel, Kirkland
Could you tell anything about Davis Polk & Wardwell & White & Case, I cant choose betweent them.
(social, office,associate environment, ect...)