Law Firm Rankings

This ranking is based on the subjective view of associates within a firm of their own firm. The ranking is from most prestigious to least prestigious.

Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner and Harter, Secrest & Emery tied for the top honor of the Most Prestigious Law Firm. The top 10% of firms scored at 86.7 or better out of 100. The bottom 10% scored 70.1 and below.

The calculations are based on survey responses of 5,600 Midlevel associates (3rd, 4th & 5th year). Only firms with 10 or more survey responses are shown. The data comes from The American Lawyer's 2005 Midlevel Associates Survey. Please visit that site (free registration required) to see complete survey results for each law firm. Response rates as low as 9% are considered statistically significant. Many journalistic polls survey a far smaller percentage of the group to be measured.

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Rank	Law Firm	Main Office	Participating Offices	Total Midlevels	Respondents	Response Rate	Score (0-100)
1	Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner	Washington, DC	Atlanta; Cambridge, MA; Reston, VA; Washington, DC	51	18	35%	93.6
1	Harter, Secrest & Emery	Rochester, NY	Albany; Buffalo; Rochester, NY	14	13	93%	93.6
3	Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz	New York	New York	35	14	40%	90.2
3	Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher	Los Angeles	Dallas; Denver; Irvine, CA; London; Los Angeles; Munich; New York; Palo Alto; San Francisco; Washington, DC	198	105	53%	89.9
3	Fish & Richardson	National	Boston; Dallas; Minneapolis; New York; Redwood City, CA; San Diego; Washington, DC	65	15	23%	89.7
3	Lewis and Roca	Phoenix	Albuquerque; Las Vegas; Phoenix; Tucson	25	23	92%	89.5
7	Jenner & Block	Chicago	Chicago	81	13	16%	89.4
7	Young Conaway	Wilmington	Wilmington	14	11	79%	89.3
9	Debevoise & Plimpton	New York	New York	133	20	15%	88.2
9	Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom	New York	Boston; Chicago; Los Angeles; New York; Washington, DC; Wilmington	316	79	25%	88.2
9	Davis Polk & Wardwell	New York	Frankfurt; Hong Kong; New York; Paris	144	13	9%	87.9
9	Latham & Watkins	National	Chicago; Costa Mesa, CA; Frankfurt; Hamburg; London; Los Angeles; Menlo Park, CA; New York; Newark; Paris; Reston, VA; San Diego; San Francisco; Singapore; Washington, DC;	443	133	30%	87.6
13	Covington & Burling	Washington, DC	New York; San Francisco; Washington, DC	111	40	36%	87.3
13	Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr	Washington, DC	Baltimore; Boston; New York; Washington, DC	240	60	25%	87.1
13	Kirkland & Ellis	Chicago	Chicago; London; Los Angeles; Munich; New York; San Francisco; Washington, DC	280	115	41%	87.0
13	Snell & Wilmer	Phoenix	Denver; Irvine, CA; Las Vegas; Phoenix; Salt Lake City; Tucson	71	39	55%	87.0
13	Simpson Thacher & Bartlett	New York	London; Los Angeles; New York; Palo Alto	225	54	24%	86.9
13	Davis Wright Tremaine	Seattle	Bellevue, WA; Los Angeles; Portland, OR; San Francisco; Seattle; Washington, DC	46	12	26%	86.7
13	Sullivan & Cromwell	New York	Frankfurt; Hong Kong; London; Los Angeles; Melbourne; New York; Palo Alto; Paris; Sydney	161	71	44%	86.7
20	Morrison & Foerster	San Francisco	Denver; Irvine, CA; Los Angeles; McLean, VA; New York; Palo Alto; San Diego; San Francisco; Tokyo; Walnut Creek, CA; Washington, DC	182	104	57%	86.4
20	Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton	New York	Moscow; New York; Paris; Rome; Washington, DC	188	47	25%	86.2
20	Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison	New York	New York	124	47	38%	86.1
20	Shook, Hardy & Bacon	Kansas City, MO	Geneva; Kansas City, MO; Miami; Washington, DC	78	14	18%	86.1
20	Weil, Gotshal & Manges	New York	Austin, TX; Boston; Dallas; Houston; Miami; New York; Redwood Shores, CA; Washington, DC	197	71	36%	85.5
25	Cravath, Swaine & Moore	New York	London; New York	106	35	33%	85.3
25	Miles & Stockbridge	Baltimore	Baltimore; Easton, MD; Rockville, MD	28	16	57%	85.1
25	Ropes & Gray	Boston	Boston; New York; San Francisco; Washington, DC	176	58	33%	85.1
25	Lindquist & Vennum	Minneapolis	Denver; Minneapolis	15	10	67%	85.0
25	Harris Beach	Rochester, NY	Buffalo; Ithaca, NY; New York; Rochester, NY	22	12	55%	84.8
25	Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe	San Francisco	Irvine, CA; Los Angeles; Menlo Park, CA; New York; Portland, OR; Sacramento; San Francisco; Seattle; Washington, DC	79	44	56%	84.7
25	Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps	San Diego	San Diego	27	14	52%	84.6
32	Sidley Austin Brown & Wood	National	Chicago; Los Angeles; New York; Washington, DC	255	97	38%	84.2
32	Vinson & Elkins	Houston	Austin, TX; Dallas; Houston; New York; Washington, DC	133	65	49%	84.1
32	Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi	Minneapolis	Atlanta; Boston; Los Angeles; Minneapolis; Washington, DC	32	19	59%	83.9
32	Carlton Fields	Tampa	Atlanta; Miami; Orlando; St. Petersburg; Tampa; West Palm Beach, FL	27	17	63%	83.7
32	Dykema Gossett	Detroit	Ann Arbor, MI; Bloomfield Hills, MI; Chicago; Detroit; Lansing, MI	26	16	62%	83.5
37	Baker Botts	Houston	Austin, TX; Dallas; Houston; London; New York; Washington, DC	130	39	30%	83.1
37	Holland & Hart	Denver	Billings, MT; Boise; Boulder; Cheyenne, WY; Denver; Salt Lake City; Santa Fe	41	18	44%	83.1
37	Jones Day	National	Atlanta; Chicago; Cleveland; Columbus; Dallas; Houston; Los Angeles; Menlo Park, CA; New York; Pittsburgh; San Diego; San Francisco; Washington, DC	307	83	27%	82.9
37	Patterson, Belknap, Webb & Tyler	New York	New York	47	29	62%	82.8
37	Fulbright & Jaworski	Houston	Austin, TX; Dallas; Houston; Los Angeles; New York; San Antonio; Washington, DC	123	64	52%	82.7
37	McKenna Long & Aldridge	National	Atlanta; Denver; Los Angeles; Washington, DC	40	28	70%	82.7
37	Saul Ewing	Philadelphia	Baltimore; Chesterbrook, PA; Harrisburg, PA; Philadelphia; Princeton; Wilmington	28	23	82%	82.6
37	Winston & Strawn	Chicago	Chicago; Los Angeles; New York; San Francisco; Washington, DC	124	31	25%	82.6
37	Hogan & Hartson	Washington, DC	Baltimore; Brussels; Colorado Springs; Denver; London; Los Angeles; McLean, VA; Miami; New York; Washington, DC	188	49	26%	82.5
46	White & Case	International	Los Angeles; Miami; New York; San Francisco; Washington, DC	161	87	54%	82.3
46	Dickstein Shapiro Morin & Oshinsky	Washington, DC	Los Angeles; New York; Washington, DC	45	28	62%	82.1
46	Kilpatrick Stockton	Atlanta	Atlanta	40	24	60%	82.1
46	Bryan Cave	National	Chicago; Kansas City, MO; Phoenix; Santa Monica; St. Louis; Washington, DC	119	38	32%	81.6
46	Greenberg Traurig	National	Albany; Atlanta; Chicago; Denver; Florham Park, NJ; Fort Lauderdale; Los Angeles; McLean, VA; Miami; New York; Orlando; Philadelphia; Phoenix; West Palm Beach, FL; Wilmington	154	37	24%	81.6
46	Andrews Kurth	Houston	Dallas; Houston	55	11	20%	81.5
46	Perkins Coie	Seattle	Chicago; Los Angeles; Menlo Park, CA; Phoenix; Portland, OR; San Francisco; Seattle	100	18	18%	81.5
53	Hunton & Williams	Richmond	Atlanta; Charlotte, NC; Dallas; Knoxville; McLean, VA; Miami; New York; Norfolk, VA; Raleigh; Richmond; Washington, DC	135	50	37%	81.3
53	Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw	National	Chicago; Houston; Los Angeles; New York; Washington, DC	161	90	56%	81.2
53	Pepper Hamilton	Philadelphia	Berwyn, PA; Detroit; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Princeton; Wilmington	72	44	61%	80.8
53	Manatt, Phelps & Phillips	Los Angeles	Los Angeles; New York; Palo Alto	42	27	64%	80.6
57	Heller Ehrman White & McAuliffe	San Francisco	Los Angeles; Madison, WI; Menlo Park, CA; New York; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; Washington, DC	122	62	51%	80.4
57	Sutherland Asbill & Brennan	Washington, DC	Atlanta; New York; Washington, DC	58	32	55%	80.4
57	O'Melveny & Myers	Los Angeles	Beijing; Century City, CA; Los Angeles; Menlo Park, CA; New York; Newport Beach, CA; San Francisco; Shanghai; Washington, DC	206	109	53%	80.3
57	Faegre & Benson	Minneapolis	Boulder; Denver; Minneapolis	62	24	39%	80.2
57	Alston & Bird	Atlanta	Atlanta; Charlotte, NC; New York; Raleigh; Washington, DC	122	66	54%	80.0
57	Buchanan Ingersoll	Pittsburgh	Buffalo; Harrisburg, PA; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Princeton; Washington, DC; Wilmington	33	17	52%	80.0
63	Nutter McClennen & Fish	Boston	Boston	16	12	75%	79.3
63	Quarles & Brady	Milwaukee	Milwaukee; Naples, FL; Phoenix; Tucson	62	26	42%	79.3
63	Strasburger & Price	Dallas	Austin, TX; Dallas; Frisco, TX; Houston	20	10	50%	79.3
63	Kenyon & Kenyon	New York	New York; Washington, DC	46	24	52%	79.1
63	Loeb & Loeb	Los Angeles	Los Angeles; New York	22	14	64%	79.0
63	Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal	Chicago	Chicago; Kansas City, MO; Los Angeles; New York; San Francisco; St. Louis; Washington, DC	97	28	29%	78.9
63	Baker & Hostetler	Cleveland	Cincinnati; Cleveland; Columbus; Denver; Houston; New York; Orlando; Washington, DC	104	52	50%	78.7
63	Goodwin Procter	Boston	Boston; New York; Washington, DC	123	37	30%	78.7
63	Goulston & Storrs	Boston	Boston	16	11	69%	78.6
63	Patton Boggs	Washington, DC	Dallas; Washington, DC	59	13	22%	78.5
63	Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati	Palo Alto	Austin, TX; Palo Alto; Reston, VA; Salt Lake City; San Francisco; Seattle	138	29	21%	78.5
75	Allen & Overy	International	Hong Kong; London; New York; Tokyo	38	19	50%	78.4
75	Chapman and Cutler	Chicago	Chicago; Salt Lake City; San Francisco	27	25	93%	78.4
75	Arnold & Porter	Washington, DC	Los Angeles; McLean, VA; New York; Washington, DC	126	29	23%	78.3
75	Cooley Godward	Palo Alto	Broomfield, CO; Palo Alto; Reston, VA; San Diego; San Francisco	83	40	48%	78.3
75	Howrey	Washington, DC	Chicago; Houston; Irvine, CA; Los Angeles; Menlo Park, CA; San Francisco; Washington, DC	79	30	38%	78.2
75	Troutman Sanders	Atlanta	Atlanta; New York; Richmond; Washington, DC	93	25	27%	78.1
75	Wiley Rein & Fielding	Washington, DC	McLean, VA; Washington, DC	30	16	53%	78.1
75	Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker	National	Atlanta; Costa Mesa, CA; Los Angeles; New York; San Diego; San Francisco; Stamford, CT; Washington, DC	154	139	90%	77.7
75	Baker & McKenzie	International	Calgary, Alberta; Chicago; Dallas; Houston; New York; San Diego; San Francisco; Toronto, Ontario; Washington, DC	92	36	39%	77.5
75	Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll	Philadelphia	Philadelphia	45	15	33%	77.5
75	Day, Berry & Howard	Hartford	Boston; Greenwich, CT; Hartford; Stamford, CT	30	16	53%	77.5
75	Preston Gates & Ellis	Seattle	Irvine, CA; Portland, OR; San Francisco; Seattle; Taipei; Washington, DC	47	19	40%	77.5
75	Stoel Rives	Portland, OR	Boise; Portland, OR; Salt Lake City; San Francisco; Seattle	46	18	39%	77.5
88	Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads	Philadelphia	Cherry Hill, NJ; Philadelphia	21	19	90%	77.3
88	Steptoe & Johnson	Washington, DC	Phoenix; Washington, DC	56	30	54%	77.3
88	Clifford Chance	International	New York; Washington, DC	61	37	61%	77.2
88	Thompson Hine	Cleveland	Cincinnati; Cleveland; Columbus; Dayton	64	18	28%	77.2
88	DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary	National	Baltimore; Boston; Chicago; Dallas; New York; Palo Alto; Philadelphia; Raleigh; San Diego; San Francisco; Washington, DC	220	44	20%	77.1
88	Venable	Washington, DC	Baltimore; Vienna, VA	59	32	54%	77.1
88	Wolf, Block, Schorr and Solis-Cohen	Philadelphia	Cherry Hill, NJ; New York; Norristown, PA; Philadelphia; Roseland, NJ	33	32	97%	77.1
88	Schiff Hardin	Chicago	Chicago	28	11	39%	77.0
88	Shearman & Sterling	New York	Beijing; Hong Kong; London; Menlo Park, CA; New York; Paris; San Francisco; Toronto, Ontario; Washington, DC	185	61	33%	77.0
88	Holme Roberts & Owen	Denver	Colorado Springs; Denver; Salt Lake City	22	10	45%	76.9
88	McDermott, Will & Emery	National	Boston; Chicago; Irvine, CA; Los Angeles; Miami; New York; Palo Alto; Washington, DC	149	91	61%	76.9
88	Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy	New York	Los Angeles; New York; Washington, DC	91	32	35%	76.9
88	Bingham McCutchen	National	Boston; Costa Mesa, CA; Hartford; Los Angeles; New York; Palo Alto; San Francisco; Walnut Creek, CA; Washington, DC	167	72	43%	76.6
88	Dewey Ballantine	New York	East Palo Alto; Houston; Los Angeles; New York; Washington, DC	89	34	38%	76.6
88	Kaye Scholer	New York	Chicago; Los Angeles; New York; Washington, DC	79	31	39%	76.6
88	Bracewell & Giuliani	Houston	Austin, TX; Dallas; Houston; San Antonio; Washington, DC	48	13	27%	76.5
88	King & Spalding	Atlanta	Atlanta; Houston; New York; Washington, DC	147	75	51%	76.5
105	LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae	National	Boston; Chicago; Hartford; Houston; Jacksonville; Los Angeles; New York; Pittsburgh; San Francisco; Washington, DC	83	39	47%	76.4
105	Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton	Los Angeles	Century City, CA; Costa Mesa, CA; Del Mar Heights, CA; Los Angeles; New York; San Diego; San Francisco; Washington, DC	77	30	39%	76.4
105	Lowenstein Sandler	Roseland, NJ	Roseland, NJ	31	23	74%	76.1
105	Morgan, Lewis & Bockius	National	Chicago; Dallas; Los Angeles; Miami; New York; Palo Alto; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Princeton; San Francisco; Washington, DC	235	122	52%	76.1
105	Porter Wright Morris & Arthur	Columbus	Cleveland; Columbus; Dayton	31	19	61%	76.1
105	Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld	National	Austin, TX; Dallas; Houston; Los Angeles; New York; Philadelphia; San Antonio; Washington, DC	127	98	77%	76.0
105	Willkie Farr & Gallagher	New York	New York; Washington, DC	94	31	33%	75.9
105	Cozen O'Connor	Philadelphia	Philadelphia	23	15	65%	75.8
105	Foley Hoag	Boston	Boston	36	19	53%	75.8
105	Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman	San Francisco	Century City, CA; Los Angeles; McLean, VA; New York; Palo Alto; Sacramento; San Diego; San Francisco; Washington, DC	140	56	40%	75.8
105	Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon	Chicago	Chicago	27	20	74%	75.8
105	Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson	New York	New York; Washington, DC	112	38	34%	75.6
117	Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto	New York	Costa Mesa, CA; New York	33	19	58%	75.4
117	Katten Muchin Zavis Rosenman	Chicago	Chicago; Los Angeles; New York; Washington, DC	105	69	66%	75.4
117	Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold	San Francisco	Chicago; Dallas; Irvine, CA; Los Angeles; New York; Newark; San Francisco	45	18	40%	75.4
117	Seyfarth Shaw	National	Atlanta; Boston; Chicago; Houston; Los Angeles; New York; Sacramento; San Francisco; Washington, DC	111	30	27%	75.4
117	Dechert	National	Boston; Hartford; New York; Newport Beach, CA; Palo Alto; Philadelphia; Princeton; San Francisco; Washington, DC	144	85	59%	75.2
117	Haynes and Boone	Dallas	Austin, TX; Dallas; Fort Worth; Houston; Richardson, TX; San Antonio; Washington, DC	59	33	56%	75.1
117	Nixon Peabody	National	Boston; Garden City, NY; Manchester, NH; New York; Rochester, NY; San Francisco; Washington, DC	77	20	26%	74.6
117	Vedder, Price, Kaufman & Kammholz	Chicago	Chicago; New York	28	15	54%	74.5
125	Arnall Golden Gregory	Atlanta	Atlanta	17	15	88%	74.1
125	Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease	Columbus	Alexandria, VA; Cincinnati; Cleveland; Columbus	36	19	53%	74.1
125	Jenkens & Gilchrist	Dallas	Austin, TX; Chicago; Dallas; Houston; Pasadena	35	12	34%	74.0
125	Hughes Hubbard & Reed	New York	Jersey City; Los Angeles; Miami; New York; Paris; Washington, DC	51	29	57%	73.9
125	Edwards & Angell	Providence	Boston; Fort Lauderdale; Hartford; New York; Providence; Short Hills, NJ; Stamford, CT; West Palm Beach, FL; Wilmington	38	19	50%	73.7
125	Schulte Roth & Zabel	New York	New York	69	22	32%	73.7
131	Thelen Reid & Priest	San Francisco	Los Angeles; New York; San Francisco; San Jose; Washington, DC	44	20	45%	73.3
131	McKee Nelson	Washington, DC	New York; Washington, DC	25	11	44%	72.9
133	Reed Smith	Pittsburgh	Century City, CA; Falls Church, VA; London; Los Angeles; Midlands, England; Munich; New York; Newark; Oakland; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Princeton; Richmond; San Francisco; Washington, DC	137	67	49%	72.4
133	Dorsey & Whitney	Minneapolis	Anchorage; Denver; Minneapolis; New York; Salt Lake City; San Francisco; Seattle; Washington, DC	120	18	15%	72.3
133	Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice	Winston-Salem	Atlanta; Charlotte, NC; Greenville, SC; Raleigh; Washington, DC; Winston-Salem	49	24	49%	72.2
133	Chadbourne & Parke	New York	New York; Washington, DC	48	14	29%	72.0
133	Foley & Lardner	Milwaukee	Boston; Chicago; Detroit; Jacksonville; Los Angeles; Madison, WI; Milwaukee; Orlando; Palo Alto; San Diego; San Francisco; Tallahassee; Tampa; Washington, DC	125	65	52%	72.0
133	Cahill Gordon & Reindel	New York	New York	53	17	32%	71.8
133	Barnes & Thornburg	Indianapolis	Chicago; Elkhart, IN; Fort Wayne, IN; Indianapolis; South Bend, IN	48	14	29%	71.7
133	Drinker Biddle & Reath	Philadelphia	Berwyn, PA; Florham Park, NJ; New York; Philadelphia; Princeton; San Francisco; Washington, DC	76	39	51%	71.6
133	Thacher Proffitt & Wood	New York	New York	47	29	62%	71.5
142	Blank Rome	Philadelphia	Cherry Hill, NJ; New York; Philadelphia; Washington, DC	55	18	33%	71.3
142	Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft	New York	Charlotte, NC; London; New York; Washington, DC	89	33	37%	70.9
142	Duane Morris	Philadelphia	Atlanta; Boston; Miami; New York; Newark; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Princeton; San Diego; Washington, DC; Westchester, NY; Wilmington	57	38	67%	70.6
145	Carter Ledyard & Milburn	New York	New York	23	13	57%	70.1
145	Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham	National	Boston; Dallas; Harrisburg, PA; London; Los Angeles; Miami; New York; Newark; Pittsburgh; San Francisco; Washington, DC	151	104	69%	69.9
145	Kronish Lieb Weiner & Hellman	New York	New York	170	17	10%	69.8
148	Bell, Boyd & Lloyd	Chicago	Chicago	30	17	57%	69.0
148	Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel	New York	New York	55	12	22%	68.8
148	Dow, Lohnes & Albertson	Washington, DC	Atlanta; Washington, DC	28	12	43%	68.6
148	Kelley Drye & Warren	New York	New York; Parsippany, NJ; Stamford, CT; Washington, DC	46	22	48%	68.6
148	Proskauer Rose	New York	Boston; Los Angeles; New York; Newark	111	42	38%	68.5
153	Adams and Reese	New Orleans	Baton Rouge, LA; Birmingham; Houston; Jackson, MS; New Orleans	33	12	36%	68.0
153	Arent Fox	Washington, DC	New York; Washington, DC	30	14	47%	67.8
155	Powell Goldstein	Atlanta	Atlanta; Washington, DC	36	15	42%	67.0
155	Gardner Carton & Douglas	Chicago	Chicago; Milwaukee; Washington, DC	37	10	27%	66.6
157	Lord, Bissell & Brook	Chicago	Atlanta; Chicago; Los Angeles; New York	31	16	52%	66.2
157	Fenwick & West	Mountain View, CA	Mountain View, CA; San Francisco	50	12	24%	66.1
159	Brown Raysman Millstein Felder & Steiner	New York	New York	31	23	74%	62.0
159	Ross, Dixon & Bell	Washington, DC	Chicago; Irvine, CA; San Diego; Washington, DC	21	16	76%	61.6
161	Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle	New York	New York; Stamford, CT	17	14	82%	59.8