Midsize Firms / Regional Firms

Vault Rankings: The Best Midsize And Boutique Law Firms To Work For (2019)

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

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The case used to be that 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 2018 summer 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 — 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 moving on to work at an elite boutique.

But how can you find the midsize and boutique firms where you’d actually want to work — and where you’d be paid handsomely? There’s a Vault ranking for that:

Vault has released its ranking of the 20 Best Midsize Law Firms to Work For and Lightfoot, Franklin & White tops the list again after, besting two-time champion Nutter, McClennen & Fish last year. Lightfoot earned the ranking through high ratings in Vault’s numerous Midsize Quality of Life categories, including ranking as the top firm in Satisfaction, Firm Culture, and Quality of Work. Nutter does earn the No. 1 spot in Vault’s new midsize Pro Bono ranking, while Susman Godfrey tops the new ranking for Selectivity. Desmarais ranks highest in Compensation for the third straight year, Bookoff McAndrews repeats as the No. 1 firm for Diversity, and Nelson Hardiman is the new top firm for Hours.

Without further ado, here are the Top 10 Best Midsize Law Firms to Work For:

1.      Lightfoot, Franklin & White

2.      Nelson Hardiman

3.      Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson

4.      Bookoff McAndrews

5.      Susman Godfrey

6.      Wilkinson Walsh + Eskovitz

7.      Cades Schutte

8.      Nutter, McClennen & Fish

9.      Hueston Hennigan

10.  Wolf, Greenfield & Sacks

Although they’re not Biglaw firms, these names should all be familiar to Above the Law readers, as many of them have already raised salaries to compete with their midsize and boutique brethren. For the full top 20 list, head on over to the complete Vault rankings. For a larger list of options, check out Vault’s Top 150 Under 150 list.

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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.

Best Midsize Law Firms to Work For [Vault]

Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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