The Best Law Firms in New York

For many lawyers, practicing law in New York is the ultimate goal—the most prestigious firms in the world call it home. During Vault's Annual Associate Survey, we asked associates who work in the Big Apple to rate the reputations of peer firms within NYC. Keep reading to find out the most prestigious law firms in New York.

There's no doubt that Wachtell is the king of the New York City legal industry, and its repeated reign at No. 1 is proof. With its one and only location in the Big Apple, the firm has certainly shown it can "make it anywhere."

Here's a glimpse at some of the firm's latest news:

The firm represented T-Mobile and Deutsche Telekom in the $146 billion combination of T-Mobile and Sprint; Broadcom in its $147 billion proposal to acquire Qualcomm; Thomson Reuters Corporation in its strategic partnership with Blackstone for Thomson Reuters Financial and Risk (F&R) business valued at $20 billion; and Salesforce in its $6.5 billion acquisition of MuleSoft.

Click to read Wachtell's full profile.

Holding steady at No. 2 since 2013 is Cravath. From its Eighth Avenue perch, Cravath has led the legal world both through its top-notch practices and forward-thinking decisions on associate compensation and training.

Here's a glimpse at some of the firm's recent news:

Cravath is a key player in one of the largest technology-related legal wars of the past year, representing Qualcomm Incorporated as both plaintiff and defendant in numerous high-stakes disputes and investigations around the world relating to the company's patent licensing and modem chipset businesses, including suits filed by the FTC and Apple and multidistrict consumer class action litigation.

Click to read Cravath's full profile.

Completing the NYC trifecta is Sullivan & Cromwell, staying strong at its No. 3 spot. Through the firm's generalist approach, attorneys work across groups and earn the firm top rankings in everything from Securities Litigation to M&A to Project Finance.

Here's a glimpse at some of the firm's recent news:

Front-page deals provide a front-row seat to being the best lawyer you can possibly be. Few recent deals have made a bigger splash than Amazon buying Whole Foods, which could change "the future of shopping," says The Atlantic. S&C associates worked side by side partners on the deal, advising Amazon as the tech giant develops its first physical retail presence. Other big deals S&C handled last year include the transaction that bought George Clooney's tequila company, Casamigos, and AT&T's $108.7 billion acquisition of Time Warner.

Click to read Sullivan & Cromwell's full profile.

Back at No. 4 is Davis Polk, which was founded in NYC more than 165 years ago. It picked the right place to call home considering finance is part of the firm's DNA. The firm tops Vault's rankings in Banking & Financial Services as well as Securities/Capital Markets.

Here is a glimpse at some of the firm's recent news:

In April 2018, Davis Polk advised the financial advisers to Spotify on the company's groundbreaking direct listing on the NYSE.

Click here to read the firm's full profile.

No New York firm ranking would be complete without Skadden. The go-to firm for M&A, Skadden is also known for restructuring, corporate finance, tax, intellectual property, real estate, and white-collar defense as well as its commercial, securities, and products liability litigation groups. 

Here's a glimpse at some of the firm's recent news:

In the Financial Times' 2017 North America "Innovative Lawyers" report, three Skadden matters-involving work for Sun Edison, Yahoo! and Social Capital Hedosophia Holdings-were recognized among the year's most innovative deals. Skadden has had substantially more matters ranked in the FT report, since its 2010 inception, than any other firm.

Click to read Skadden's full profile.

With its headquarters in New York, Simpson Thacher has claimed the No. 6 once again. The firm boasts a broad range of corporate and financial institution clients and houses elite teams in M&A, banking, capital markets, private funds, and litigation.

Here is a glimpse at some of the firm's latest news:

Simpson is advising a Blackstone-led consortium in its $20 billion partnership agreement with Thomson Reuters for Thomson Reuters' Financial & Risk (F&R), a deal at the intersection of the financial institutions and technology industries. The F&R Business' Eikon terminals compete directly with Bloomberg's terminals in providing news, data, and financial analytics to traders, bankers, and investors. This announced acquisition represents Blackstone's biggest buyout in a decade.

Read Simpson's full firm profile here.

Jumping from last year's spot at No. 8 to this year's ranking of No. 7 is Paul, Weiss. The firm is restructuring master and a litigation force, particularly in white collar defense and securities litigation. It also boasts a formidable corporate practice, with top-notch M&A group and private equity practices.

Here's a glimpse at some of the firm's recent news:

Traditional radio broadcasters have fallen on hard times since the emergence of Internet-based music services. In November, one of the country's largest, Cumulus Media, tapped Paul, Weiss to help it reorganize its business, which comprises radio stations in 90 markets, including venerable news/talk station KABC and classic rock mainstay KLOS in Los Angeles; iconic rock stations KFOG and KSAN in San Francisco; and one of the nation's oldest stations, WABC, in New York. In May, Cumulus secured approval of a financial restructuring plan that will trim more than a billion dollars in Cumulus' debt-and keep the music playing.

Click here to read Paul, Weiss' full firm profile.

With only two locations in the U.S., Cleary Gottlieb is a shining star of the New York legal world. The firm is No. 1 for Antitrust and is also known for its corporate, litigation, sovereign government, and international work.

Here's a glimpse at some of the firm's recent news:

Cleary Gottlieb is acting as antitrust counsel to T-Mobile US and Deutsche Telekom in connection with T-Mobile US's merger with Sprint Corporation. The combined company, which will be named T-Mobile and led by T-Mobile US CEO John Legere, will have an enterprise value of approximately $146 billion. The transaction was announced on April 29, 2018 and is expected to close following the fulfillment of regulatory and other closing requirements.

Click to read Cleary Gottlieb's full firm profile.

Debevoise is the No. 9 New York firm once again. The firm's core franchise practices include strategic and private equity, M&A, insurance, and financial services transactions, fund formation, complex litigation, white collar/investigations, and international arbitration.

Here's a glimpse at the firm's recent news:

Debevoise's Corporate Department works with global organizations on their most significant matters, including advising Discovery Communications, Inc. on its $14.6 billion acquisition of Scripps Networks Interactive, a transaction that brought together two powerhouses in the entertainment and media space. Debevoise also advised shopping mall giant Westfield in their $24.7 billion sale to Unibail-Rodamco, Europe's premier commercial property company. The deal represents the largest real estate sector transaction since 2013. Additionally, the firm advised International Paper, a leading global producer of renewable fiber-based paper products, on the combination of its North America Consumer Packaging business with Graphic Packaging Holding Company.

Click here to read the full firm profile.

Rounding out the top 10 is Weil, which was founded in New York in 1931 and has been located in New York's iconic General Motors Building since the building opened in 1968. The firm has one of the most respected restructuring departments in the world as well as stellar M&A, private equity, and litigation practices.

Here's a glimpse at the firm's recent news:

Weil's Banking & Finance practice provides "one-stop shopping" on highly complex financings, offering true international deal execution. The group was particularly busy in December 2017, advising on the financing aspects of two of the most high profile deals of the year: (1) advising Barclays, Goldman Sachs, and another major financial institution in providing $49 billion of financing commitments to CVS Health to finance its acquisition of Aetna and (2) advising Goldman Sachs in providing a bridge loan commitment of up to $9 billion in connection with Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc.'s plan to spin off to 21st Century Fox shareholders a portfolio of its news, sports, and broadcast businesses to create a new "Fox." For these achievements, along with others, the group was featured in Law360's "Sealing the Deal" column.

Click to read Weil's full firm profile.

Additional top firms in the Big Apple include:

#11 Kirkland & Ellis LLP

#12 Latham & Watkins LLP

#13 Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP

#14 Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP

#15 Boies Schiller Flexner LLP

#16 White & Case LLP

#17 Sidley Austin LLP

#18 Ropes & Gray LLP

#19 Proskauer Rose LLP

#20 Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP

To see the full 2019 Best Law Firms in New York, click here.