The American Lawyer has released the 2013 edition of its AmLaw 100 survey.
An annual institution, the report analyzes the 2012 financial year and ranks United States-based law firms by overall revenue, number of attorneys, profits per partner, and various other measures.
I confess: I love the AmLaw 100.
Yes, I’m aware of its flaws and the debate surrounding its continuing relevance – the unhealthy focus on partner profitability, the short termism, the ability of Dewey & LeBoeuf (and no doubt others) to mis-report.
And it was a good move for K&L Gates chair Peter Kalis, a well-known AmLaw 100 skeptic, to publish his law firm’s full financials in a move designed to encourage greater transparency.
But I do enjoy reading the results and poring through the analysis.
For those of us who work in the legal sector, it remains an indispensable benchmark and snapshot of the market’s comings and goings.
So what are the main stories this year:
- DLA Piper is now the largest grossing firm, after several years in which Baker & McKenzie and Skadden held the top spots
- McKenna Long & Aldridge saw the biggest annual jump in revenue, moving up 23.4 percent
- The vereins are taking over – DLA (number 1) and Baker & McKenzie (number 2) both use the structure
- New entrants to the AmLaw 100 include Bracewell & Guiliani, Faegre Baker Daniels, Fragomen, and Ogletree Deakins
The main gross revenue list is here, alongside the usual range of related features and analysis.
(Pictured: the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, the founding of city of K&L Gates legacy firm Kirkpatrick & Lockhart)
Leave a Reply