Biglaw

The Global 100: Fractured Futures At The Richest Law Firms In The World (2017)

Uncertain times may be ahead of us given their financial performance.

Here are the top 10 firms of the 2017 Global 100, ranked by profits per equity partner:

  1. Wachtell Lipton: $5,800,000
  2. Quinn Emanuel: $5,015,000
  3. Paul Weiss: $4,380,000
  4. Cravath: $4,195,000
  5. Kirkland & Ellis: $4,100,000
  6. Sullivan & Cromwell: $4,050,000
  7. Davis Polk: $3,775,000
  8. Simpson Thacher: $3,505,000
  9. Cleary Gottlieb: $3,320,000
  10. Gibson Dunn: $3,275,000

This list is quite similar to last year’s (and the year before that), with Wachtell, Quinn, Paul Weiss, SullCrom, and K&E all remaining in the same spots. Slaughter & May was the lone U.K. firm to crack the top 10 last year, but this time around, it’s ranked at #12 — and it’s the highest-ranked non-U.S. firm on the list. This year, the top 10 is as American as apple pie.

Finally, here are the top 10 of the 2017 Global 100 when ranked by headcount:

  1. Dentons: 7,445
  2. Yingke: 6,278
  3. Baker McKenzie: 4,719
  4. DLA Piper: 3,616
  5. Norton Rose Fulbright: 3,505
  6. CMS Legal Services: 2,719
  7. Hogan Lovells: 2,609
  8. Jones Day: 2,523
  9. Clifford Chance: 2,466
  10. King Wood & Mallesons: 2,397

It’s interesting to take a look at the differences in headcount from this year’s ranking to last year’s. For example, Baker McKenzie is down by a whopping 1,326 lawyers; DLA Piper is down by 140 lawyers; Norton Rose is up by 133 lawyers; Jones Day is down by 39 lawyers; and Clifford Chance is down by 46 lawyers. What in the world is going on at some of these firms?

These are just a few highlights from the American Lawyer’s Global 100. You can check out additional commentary and complete charts via this portal page, and we welcome your insights and observations via email or text (646-820-8477).

For Global Law Firms, Is This as Good as It Gets? [American Lawyer]
Global 100: Firms Ranked by Most Revenue [American Lawyer]
The Global 100: Firms Ranked by Highest Profits Per Equity Partner [American Lawyer]
The Global 100: Firms Ranked by Head Count [American Lawyer]


Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky has been an editor at Above the Law since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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