The American Lawyer Global 100 is out. It’s the list that ranks law firms around the world by gross revenue.
And this year, there’s a new name at the top. Baker & McKenzie leapfrogged a number of firms to become the top-grossing law firm in the world (based on 2009 revenue numbers). Baker narrowly edged out Skadden for this honor.
Of course, Skadden people shouldn’t be ashamed of their second-place finish. Baker & McKenzie is huge: it leads the Am Law list of most lawyers by more than a thousand over its nearest rival, Clifford Chance. Skadden ranks #9 on the “most lawyers” list, with an attorney headcount that is almost doubled by Baker & McKenzie. Skadden gets to #2 in the revenue rankings by having a much higher revenue-per-lawyer figure.
AI Is Reshaping Legal Practice—But Tools Aren’t The Real Differentiator.
Explore the mindset, cultural shifts, and training strategies that define the AI‑savvy lawyer, revealing why human judgment, standardized competence, and integrated learning—not technology alone—will shape the future of the profession.
Let’s take a look at the top ten in terms of revenue, and drool over these billion-dollar businesses…
According to Am Law, here are the top ten grossing law firms:
1) Baker & McKenzie
2) Skadden
3) Clifford Chance
4) Linklaters
5) Latham & Watkins
6) Freshfields
7) Allen & Overy
8) Jones Day
9) Kirkland & Ellis
10) Sidley Austin
AI Built for Litigation. Verified by Design.
Grounded in authoritative content and verified at every step, Protégé is the only legal AI tool that delivers work you can trust—without exception.
The full list is available here.
The biggest gainers on this year’s list (in terms of rank, not absolute dollar amount) are Wachtell (#51, up from #67 in 2009); Covington & Burling (#52, up from #66 in 2009); and Bryan Cave (#57, up from #70 in 2009).
The biggest losers: Slaughter & May (#48, down from #36 in 2009); McDermott (#33, down from #23 in 2009); and DLA Piper (#24, down from #17 in 2009). (Lovells also dropped ten spots, but since it has now merged with Hogan & Hartson, we’re not sure of the relevance of that stat.)
Considering that the last firm on the Global 100, Dorsey & Whitney, grossed $342 million, I’m thinking that even the firms that dropped down in the rankings are still doing pretty okay.
The Global 100 2010: Sound as a Pound [American Lawyer]
List of Top Firms Has ‘an American Accent’; Baker & McKenzie Is No. 1 [ABA Journal]
And the Largest Law Firm in the World is . . . [WSJ Law Blog]