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Best Law Firms by Practice Area

These firms were voted strongest in each practice area by associates working in that area at peer firms. Vault's 2024 Rankings are derived from Vault's Annual Associate Survey conducted between January 2023 through March 2023.
Survey Methodology

Each year, Vault ranks law firms in a variety of practice areas based on the perceptions of associates practicing in those areas. Associates were asked to vote for up to three firms they consider strongest in their practice areas and were not permitted to vote for their own firms. For example, associates who identified themselves as corporate attorneys were allowed only to vote in corporate-related categories (securities, financial services, etc.). Our rankings list the top firms in each area, as well as the total percentage of votes cast in favor of each ranked firm.

Vault ranked the following practice areas this year: Antitrust; Appellate Litigation; Banking & Financial Services; Bankruptcy/Restructuring; Clean Tech/Renewable Energy; Emerging Companies/VC; Energy, Oil, & Gas; Environmental Law; General Commercial Litigation; General Corporate Practice; Health Care; Intellectual Property; International; Labor & Employment; Litigation Specialty; M&A; Media, Entertainment, & Sports; Privacy & Data Security; Private Equity; Products Liability; Project Finance; Real Estate; Securities; Securities Litigation; Tax; and White Collar Defense & Internal Investigations.

Vault's 2024 Rankings are derived from Vault's Annual Associate Survey conducted between January 2023 through March 2023.

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Each year Vault invites eligible law firms to participate in our annual Law Survey. Please contact us if you’re interested in having your firm considered for inclusion.

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2024 Best Law Firms for Appellate Litigation

#1
% of Votes 27.34
2023 Rank 2

Williams & Connolly LLP

Williams & Connolly continues to hold its own against firms ten times its size by following a basic mantra: Keep it simple. The firm’s roughly 340 attorneys focus almost exclusively on litigation from a single office in DC, positioning...

Overview Associate Reviews Why Work Here Summer Program
#2
% of Votes 25.11
2023 Rank 1

Gibson Dunn

With more than 1,800 attorneys across 10 countries, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher is a force. Among the top firms in the country, Gibson Dunn is well known for its litigation and trial work—especially its bustling Appellate Litigation and...

Overview Associate Reviews Why Work Here Summer Program
#3
% of Votes 18.19
2023 Rank 4

Jones Day

A heavy hitter with a hand in most major areas of law and an internationally recognized prowess in litigation, Jones Day boasts 40 offices in 16 countries, spread over five continents. The firm’s booming practices include antitrust, appellate...

Overview Associate Reviews Why Work Here Q&As Summer Program
#4
% of Votes 14.42
2023 Rank 3

Kirkland & Ellis

Kirkland & Ellis, one of the world’s most elite law firms, is known for its corporate, intellectual property, litigation, M&A, private equity, and restructuring work. With more than 3,500 lawyers, the firm is regularly recognized as one...

Overview Associate Reviews Why Work Here Q&As Summer Program
#5
% of Votes 13.45
2023 Rank 7

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP

For almost 150 years, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison—and its predecessor firms—has been a mainstay in the New York City legal market, initially as a general commercial practice. The firm began expanding its litigation practice in...

Overview Associate Reviews Why Work Here Q&As Summer Program
#6
% of Votes 12.45
2023 Rank 5

WilmerHale

With 1,000 lawyers across the U.S., Asia, and Europe, WilmerHale is a litigation powerhouse, known especially for its work in IP, securities, and appellate litigation, as well as its life sciences and technology experience. The firm counsels in...

Overview Associate Reviews Why Work Here Summer Program
#7
% of Votes 12.18
2023 Rank 8

Covington & Burling

This “brain trust” law firm is known for quietly (and smartly) going about its business—that business being antitrust, litigation, white collar defense & investigations, corporate, IP, export controls, data privacy and cybersecurity, and...

Overview Associate Reviews Why Work Here Summer Program
#8
% of Votes 11.04
2023 Rank 9

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP has been cultivating the persona of an eccentric genius—shocking the often-staid (OK, uptight) legal world with its unorthodox approach while awing them with sweeping successes in the courtroom. This...

Overview Associate Reviews Summer Program
#9
% of Votes 10.34
2023 Rank 10

Hogan Lovells

Hogan Lovells is a global megafirm with more than 45 offices in the United States, Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The firm boasts more than 2,800 lawyers, making it one of the largest firms around. The Making of a...

Overview Associate Reviews Why Work Here Summer Program
#10
% of Votes 10.12
2023 Rank 6

Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP

Munger, Tolles & Olson is a SoCal elite, with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. The firm is best known for its litigation chops, and through its highly selective recruiting process, draws in a high number of...

Overview Associate Reviews Summer Program