Annual 'Best Companies to Work For' List Includes Four Law Firms

Every year, Fortune produces a list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For, and every year a handful of law firms make the list. And every year I wonder why some law firms made the list, while others did not, and whether Fortune actually has any idea about what they’re talking about.

We cover this list every year (click here for our posts in 2010, 2009, 2008, and 2007). Last year, six firms made the list. But this year only four law firms are among the top 100 companies.

Again, I can’t figure out what the two firms that dropped did wrong. But let’s congratulate the four firms that did stay on the list.

So, which firms made the cut?

The four law firms on this year’s list are (links go to Fortune’s write-up for each firm):

* Alston & Bird: ranked #13, up from #30 last year.
* Bingham McCutchen: ranked #28, down from #12 last year.
* Baker Donelson: ranked #50, up from #77 last year.
* Perkins Coie: ranked #55, up from #75 last year.

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The two firms that dropped off are Arnold & Porter and Orrick.

In addition to the top companies list, Fortune compiles a bunch of other lists that look at salary and other factors. But there was one list that no law firm cracked, as noted by the ABA Journal:

None of the law firms made Fortune’s lists for best work-life balance, lowest rates for on-site child care, or top percentage of telecommuters.

Thoughts? Is there any law firm that really deserves to be recognized as one of the best companies to work for, but is consistently overlooked?

100 Best Companies to Work For [Fortune]
Four Law Firms Make Fortune’s List of 100 Best Places to Work [ABA Journal]

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