Law is a big service-based business. Business, finance, taxes, litigation, corporate affairs, conflicts, patents, copyrights, antitrust, property, labor, arbitration, as well as administrative, political and social matters require experience in law. While there are other criteria for ranking law firms, such as revenue per partner or attorney, number of attorneys, or year-over-year percentage growth, annual revenue remains the most accurate, consistent, and easy to track.
Here is a list of the top ten law firms in the world. All figures are based on the Global 200 2023, ranking carried out by Law.com
Dentons
Dentons is the product of a series of mergers over the last half decade; the most recent was a double merger in 2020 with Cohen & Grigsby and Bingham Greenebaum Doll.15
Dentons ranked fifth on the list, according to Law.com. The firm has more than 12,000 people working in more than 80 countries.
Sidley Austin
Founded in 1866, Sidley, as it is more commonly known, is headquartered in Chicago. In 2020, the firm reported revenue of $2.92 billion and more than 1,800 attorneys in more than 23 offices worldwide.1920
The firm focuses on corporate finance, employment, regulatory and government affairs, and tax law.
Gibson Dunn
Founded in 1872, Gibson Dunn is headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in 20 other countries. Its staff includes approximately 1,800 lawyers.28
Gibson Dunn. “Global Capacities with Local Execution.”
According to the company’s website, primary sectors include financial institutions, healthcare, private equity, and transportation.29 Its reported revenue was $2.73 billion.
DLA Piper
One of the biggest global law firms with lawyers in more than 40 countries, DLA Piper came into existence after a mega-merger of multiple international law firms in 2005.9
Headquartered in London and Chicago, this firm came in third with annual revenues of $3.69 billion. It employs more than 4,200 lawyers throughout its offices, with practice areas in sectors such as education, government contracting, insurance, and technology.
White & Case
Founded in 1901 and headquartered in Tampa, White & Case employs more than 2,600 attorneys in 47 additional locations worldwide.2223 Its reported revenue in 2020 was $2.83 billion, making it the eighth highest on the list .
Baker McKenzie
Founded in 1949 and headquartered in Chicago, Baker McKenzie employs more than 6,500 attorneys working in offices in 70 different countries.13
Her reported income was $3.3 billion, making her the fourth highest on the list.
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Kirkland & Ellis LLP presta servicios a un conjunto especializado de clientes corporativos en los campos corporativo, fiscal, de litigios, de propiedad intelectual y de reestructuración. Con más de 3.400 personas a bordo, los ingresos de la empresa con sede en EE. UU. aumentaron a 6.510 millones de dólares en 2022, colocándola en la cima de la lista.3
La empresa tiene varios clientes de alto perfil, incluidos Boeing, Delta Airlines, General Motors y Dow Chemical.
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
Morgan Lewis employs 2,200 attorneys and was founded in 1873.25 The firm reported $2.75 billion in revenue, placing it in ninth place.26 The firm is headquartered in Philadelphia and has a total of 33 offices worldwide.
Latham & Watkins LLP
Headquartered in Los Angeles, with offices in 14 additional countries and more than 3,600 lawyers on board,67 Latham & Watkins ranks second in terms of annual revenue, with reported revenues of $5.32 billion.8
The firm has a wide range of services, from activism to entertainment and media, to real estate and administrative defense.
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
Skadden, as the firm is commonly known, was founded in 1948. Headquartered in New York, Skadden has 22 offices worldwide with a staff of more than 1,600 attorneys and more than 50 practice areas.1718
Its reported annual income was $3.02 billion. The firm advises companies, financial institutions and government agencies around the world.