2006 Law Firm Rankings

Methodology

See the 2007 Best Hours 40.

This is a ranking of the shortest hours worked by midlevel associates. Associates at the #1 firm, Chapman and Cutler, averaged 49 hours worked (39.1 billed) per week. Associates at #161, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, worked on average 71.1 (and billed 62.5) hours per week.

There are 168 total hours in a week. Sleeping 8 hours a night, leaves you with 112 waking hours. Working 71.1 hours amounts to 63.5% of waking hours. (49 hours would be 43.8%.)

Pay includes both the salary and bonus. The following figures are based on Midlevel associates (3rd, 4th & 5th year). 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.

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1-30 | 31-60 | 61-90 | 91-120 | 120-160

Rank	Law Firm	Main Office	Participating Offices	Total Midlevels	Respondents	Response Rate	Hours Worked	Hours Billed	Salary + Bonus	Hourly Rate
33	Lewis and Roca	Phoenix	Albuquerque; Las Vegas; Phoenix; Tucson	25	23	92%	53.9	39.8	$110,686	$41.07
33	Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps	San Diego	San Diego	27	14	52%	53.9	43.3	$170,036	$63.09
33	Steptoe & Johnson	Washington, DC	Phoenix; Washington, DC	56	30	54%	53.9	43.9	$150,961	$56.02
33	Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon	Chicago	Chicago	27	20	74%	53.9	41.8	$148,971	$55.28
33	Wiley Rein & Fielding	Washington, DC	McLean, VA; Washington, DC	30	16	53%	53.9	44.3	$166,019	$61.60
38	Baker & Hostetler	Cleveland	Cincinnati; Cleveland; Columbus; Denver; Houston; New York; Orlando; Washington, DC	104	52	50%	54	42.1	$134,289	$49.74
38	Miles & Stockbridge	Baltimore	Baltimore; Easton, MD; Rockville, MD	28	16	57%	54	42.3	$128,836	$47.72
38	Cozen O'Connor	Philadelphia	Philadelphia	23	15	65%	54.1	42.6	$119,212	$44.07
38	Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner	Washington, DC	Atlanta; Cambridge, MA; Reston, VA; Washington, DC	51	18	35%	54.2	44.6	$186,843	$68.95
38	Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy	New York	Los Angeles; New York; Washington, DC	91	32	35%	54.2	42.8	$202,928	$74.88
38	Nutter McClennen & Fish	Boston	Boston	16	12	75%	54.2	41.9	$165,947	$61.24
44	Preston Gates & Ellis	Seattle	Irvine, CA; Portland, OR; San Francisco; Seattle; Taipei; Washington, DC	47	19	40%	54.3	41.2	$122,101	$44.97
44	Kilpatrick Stockton	Atlanta	Atlanta	40	24	60%	54.4	42.8	$119,223	$43.83
44	Seyfarth Shaw	National	Atlanta; Boston; Chicago; Houston; Los Angeles; New York; Sacramento; San Francisco; Washington, DC	111	30	27%	54.4	43.8	$140,501	$51.65
47	Gardner Carton & Douglas	Chicago	Chicago; Milwaukee; Washington, DC	37	10	27%	54.5	41.7	$163,693	$60.07
47	Kronish Lieb Weiner & Hellman	New York	New York	170	17	10%	54.5	43.3	$176,465	$64.76
47	Baker Botts	Houston	Austin, TX; Dallas; Houston; London; New York; Washington, DC	130	39	30%	54.6	44.9	$147,485	$54.02
47	Kaye Scholer	New York	Chicago; Los Angeles; New York; Washington, DC	79	31	39%	54.6	43.5	$186,219	$68.21
47	Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice	Winston-Salem	Atlanta; Charlotte, NC; Greenville, SC; Raleigh; Washington, DC; Winston-Salem	49	24	49%	54.6	40.7	$119,565	$43.80
52	Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle	New York	New York; Stamford, CT	17	14	82%	54.8	46	$162,240	$59.21
52	Drinker Biddle & Reath	Philadelphia	Berwyn, PA; Florham Park, NJ; New York; Philadelphia; Princeton; San Francisco; Washington, DC	76	39	51%	54.8	42.5	$140,867	$51.41
52	Fenwick & West	Mountain View, CA	Mountain View, CA; San Francisco	50	12	24%	54.8	44.4	$186,682	$68.13
52	Fish & Richardson	National	Boston; Dallas; Minneapolis; New York; Redwood City, CA; San Diego; Washington, DC	65	15	23%	54.8	44.4	$184,500	$67.34
56	Carlton Fields	Tampa	Atlanta; Miami; Orlando; St. Petersburg; Tampa; West Palm Beach, FL	27	17	63%	54.9	41.6	$106,556	$38.82
56	Fulbright & Jaworski	Houston	Austin, TX; Dallas; Houston; Los Angeles; New York; San Antonio; Washington, DC	123	64	52%	54.9	44.6	$151,569	$55.22
56	Andrews Kurth	Houston	Dallas; Houston	55	11	20%	55	42.5	$145,682	$52.98
56	Dorsey & Whitney	Minneapolis	Anchorage; Denver; Minneapolis; New York; Salt Lake City; San Francisco; Seattle; Washington, DC	120	18	15%	55	41.1	$137,079	$49.85
56	Venable	Washington, DC	Baltimore; Vienna, VA	59	32	54%	55	43.2	$142,393	$51.78