The Best Midsize And Boutique Law Firms To Work For

When it comes to a law firm workplace, bigger isn't always better.

ranking prize ribbon rankA few years ago, if you left Biglaw for a midsize or boutique firm, you had to expect a pay cut. It might not have been a huge pay cut, maybe $10K or $20K below the standard Biglaw scale — but given the opportunities offered by smaller firms, including more responsibility, greater client contact, and (maybe) better work-life balance, many lawyers viewed the trade-off as worth it.

But as people who have been following our coverage of the 2016 salary increase have surely noticed, going to a smaller firm no longer requires taking a smaller paycheck. In fact, a number of midsize and boutique firms pay the same as — or even more than than — their Biglaw competitors. Not surprisingly, a growing number of talented law students and young lawyers are choosing to start their careers at smaller firms, bypassing the few years in Biglaw that traditionally represented the dues that had to be paid before an elite boutique.

As we’ve discussed in these pages, however, there’s wide variation in the world of smaller firms — arguably wider than in Biglaw. Some small firms are killing it, and others are getting killed. Some small firms are successful, and others are suckcessful. Some small firms are great places to work, and others are not.

How can you find the midsize and boutique firms where you’d actually want to work? There is, of course, a new Vault ranking for that:

Vault has released its ranking of the 20 Best Midsize Law Firms to Work For and Nutter, McClennen & Fish tops the list again, after taking the top spot in our inaugural ranking last year. Nutter earned the ranking through high ratings in Vault’s numerous Quality of Life categories, including ranking as the top firm in Overall Satisfaction and Firm Culture. Desmarais ranks as the top midsize firm for Compensation while Susman Godfrey is No. 1 in Substantive Work, and Bookoff McAndrews is the best for Diversity.

Although they’re not Biglaw firms, these names should all be familiar to Above the Law readers. Nutter McClennen has a strong track record on associate satisfaction, having previously topped Am Law’s survey of midlevel associates. Susman Godfrey, the uber-prestigious litigation boutique, recently raised pay to the new Cravath scale, and IP litigation powerhouse Desmarais continued its tradition of paying above the Cravath scale. Bookoff McAndrews, another new, high-powered IP firm, appears in ATL’s pages for taking top talent from competitors.

Here are all of Vault’s top 10 midsize and boutique firms:

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1. Nutter, McClennen & Fish
2. Desmarais
3. McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff
4. Kelly Hart & Hallman
5. Wolf, Greenfield & Sacks
6. Bookoff McAndrews (tie)
6. Susman Godfrey (tie)
8. Greenberg Glusker Fields Claman & Machtinger
9. Hueston Hennigan
10. Reminger

You may recall the #9 firm, Hueston Hennigan, for how it was the very first firm to match the new Cravath scale. Hueston Hennigan moved within a few hours of Cravath, before any Biglaw behemoth (and before Irell & Manella, the firm from which it sprung).

For the full top 20 list, surf over to the complete Vault rankings. Other notable names on the list include Farella Braun + Martel and MoloLamken. And for an even larger list of options, check out Vault’s Top 150 Under 150 list.

Congratulations to Vault’s 20 Best Midsize Law Firms to Work For and the Top 150 Under 150. When it comes to a law firm workplace, bigger isn’t always better.


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David Lat is the founder and managing editor of Above the Law and the author of Supreme Ambitions: A Novel. You can connect with David on Twitter (@DavidLat), LinkedIn, and Facebook, and you can reach him by email at dlat@abovethelaw.com.