Biglaw firms are continuing to make money hand over fist, and that’s largely made possible by their annual rate increases. But which firms have the highest rates of all? We’re about to find out.
As detailed on BTI Consulting Group’s Mad Clientist blog, a little over half of corporate clients say the high rates are worth it for the work they’re receiving in return. But just how high are we talking?
The high rates paid to outside counsel are in the following ranges:
- The highest of the high flyers at $2,100 to $2,620 per hour
- Higher flyers ranging from $1,465 to $1,860
- High flyers ranging from $1,170 to $1,285
We found plenty of rates in the $800–$900 plus range — but the rates above serve as the big demarcation points. There may be a superstition around the $1,000 mark as we found almost no rates at this mark — it always jumped to $1100.
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Without further ado, these are the 32 firms (in alphabetical order) that took in the highest rates in 2024:
- Baker Botts
- Baker McKenzie
- Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
- Cooley
- Cravath
- DLA Piper
- Dentons
- Greenberg Traurig
- Hogan Lovells
- Holland & Knight
- Jones Day
- Kasowitz Benson & Torres
- Kilpatrick Townsend
- Kirkland & Ellis
- Latham & Watkins
- Littler
- Mayer Brown
- Morrison Foerster
- McDermott Will & Emery
- O’Melveny & Myers
- Paul Hastings
- Paul, Weiss
- Perkins Coie
- Pillsbury
- Quinn Emanuel
- Sidley Austin
- Skadden
- Williams & Connelly
- Winston
- Sullivan & Cromwell
- Weil
- White & Case
Will Biglaw firms increase rates again in 2025? Almost assuredly! Just keep in mind that clients’ expectations are going to climb almost as high as those hourly rates have.
The 32 Firms with the Highest Rates [Mad Clientist / BTI Consulting Group]
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Staci 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 X/Twitter and Threads or connect with her on LinkedIn.