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Vault Law 100

Vault’s ranking of the most prestigious law firms in the country based on the assessments of lawyers at peer firms. This year more than 19,000 associates rated the reputations of firms other than their own.
Survey Methodology

How does Vault come up with its list of the Top 100 law firms? The first step is to compile a list of the most renowned law firms across the country by reviewing the feedback we have received in previous surveys, poring over legal publications, speaking with lawyers, legal recruiters, and law firm personnel, and reviewing other published rankings. We then asked these top firms to distribute an online survey to their associates. This year, more than 19,000 attorneys returned anonymous surveys to Vault. Associates from all over the country and the world responded. We heard from lawyers in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Houston, Dallas, DC, Miami, London, Cleveland, Seattle, Orlando, Paris, Phoenix, Atlanta and many other domestic and international locations. The online survey asked attorneys to score each of the law firms on a scale of 1 to 10 based on how prestigious they perceive the firm to be. Associates were instructed to only rate those firms with which they were familiar and were not permitted to rate their own firm. Vault then tallied the scores and now presents the results in our Top 100 ranking.

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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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2019 Vault Law 100

#1
SCORE 8.976
2018 Rank 1

Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP

With two centuries under its belt, Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP is one of the nation’s preeminent law firms. Cravath has settled on a lean-and-mean approach to world dominance with three strategically placed offices in New York, London, and...

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#2
SCORE 8.654
2018 Rank 2

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz

Each year, a significant chunk of the world’s deals—major mergers and acquisitions, antitrust and shareholder litigation, big-name restructurings, and multibillion-dollar real estate ventures—are cranked through the well-oiled machine that is...

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#3
SCORE 8.569
2018 Rank 3

Skadden

Skadden is one of the most profitable and well-known law firms in the world. It was the first law firm to exceed $1 billion in annual revenue, now the industry brass ring. Renowned for its M&A prowess, the firm is an all-star across practice...

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#4
SCORE 8.258
2018 Rank 4

Sullivan & Cromwell LLP

A BigLaw powerhouse, Sullivan & Cromwell has created a blueprint for legal success: It has grown internationally and in response to the increasing cross-border M&A, restructuring, and finance transactional demands of the biggest...

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#5
SCORE 7.938
2018 Rank 7

Latham & Watkins

Latham is one of the world’s largest law firms. With more than 3,000 attorneys in 30 offices around the world, Latham practices in all the major jurisdictions in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, and regularly represents...

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#6
SCORE 7.916
2018 Rank 5

Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP

Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP boasts one of the nation’s best and most comprehensive corporate departments, with impressive teams in capital markets, M&A, executive compensation, finance, financial institutions, restructuring, tax, and tech...

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#7
SCORE 7.849
2018 Rank 6

Simpson Thacher

A Wall Street institution, Simpson Thacher houses elite teams in M&A, banking, capital markets, private equity, and litigation. With more than 1,000 lawyers across 11 global offices, Simpson Thacher has long held its spot among the top law...

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#8
SCORE 7.847
2018 Rank 8

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...

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#9
SCORE 7.585
2018 Rank 9

Gibson Dunn

With more than 1,900 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...

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#10
SCORE 7.489
2018 Rank 11

Paul, Weiss

For almost 150 years, Paul, Weiss has been a leader in the legal industry and a mainstay in the New York City legal market. Today, the firm has more than 1,000 lawyers working across 10 global offices, and is known for representing some of the...

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