Vault Law's Top 150 Under 150 List

Not all standout law firms have 1,000+ lawyers. Vault Law’s Top 150 Under 150 list shines a spotlight on America’s best law firms with 150 attorneys or fewer. This annually curated list highlights boutique and midsize firms that excel in prestige, associate experience, and career development—with big impact despite smaller size.

What Is the Top 150 Under 150 List?

Vault compiles the Top 150 Under 150 to recognize high-performing firms stepping outside BigLaw size norms. These are firms with 150 or fewer lawyers, selected not by sheer headcount, but by reputation, culture, and client-facing results. The goal: give visibility to firms known for their excellence in litigation, IP, corporate work, and more—despite limited scale.

How Firms Are Selected

The list is editorially curated—not survey-driven like the Vault Law 100. Vault’s research team draws on associate survey data, legal news coverage, trade publications, peer recognition, and interviews with attorneys at and outside the firm. That combination ensures firm selection reflects both reputation and lived associate experience, with attention to professional growth, client service, and workplace quality.

Why It Matters to Jobseekers

Visibility beyond size: Being under 150 lawyers doesn’t mean being overlooked. The list signals that these firms deliver “big firm outcomes, small firm culture.”

Career acceleration: Many of the featured firms—like Selendy Gay, Susman Godfrey, ZwillGen, and Bookoff McAndrews—provide early trial experience, rapid responsibility, and substantive work that rival larger competitors.

Balanced culture: These firms often rank highly in associate satisfaction, training, and work-life measures—even if they don’t participate in large-scale surveys.

Sample Firms and Distinctions

Bookoff McAndrews PLLC (Washington, D.C.) was named the #3 Best Midsize Law Firm to Work For, excelling across quality-of-life rankings in Vault Law’s 2025 Annual Associate Survey.

Selendy Gay PLLC, a litigation boutique in New York, is praised for high-stakes matters alongside a collegial, mentorship-rich environment.

ZwillGen PLLC, a boutique focused on data, privacy, and emerging tech, has been included in the list for several consecutive years and is frequently recognized in Practice Area prestige rankings for Privacy & Data Security as well.

How Jobseekers Can Use the List

Expand your search: If you’re at OCI or considering lateral moves, use the Top 150 Under 150 to find firms with strong training and early responsibility—even if you’re focused on BigLaw.

Dig deeper with firm profiles: Each listed firm links to Vault profiles—covering firm culture, practice strengths, diversity stats, and summer program info.

Spot emerging market players: Vault adds new firms each year(such as BraunHagey & Borden, Croke Fairchild Duarte + Beres, and Elsberg Baker Maruri), often tracking growing firms that outpace size limitations.

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Vault Law’s Top 150 Under 150 list highlights high-caliber firms that deliver substantive experience, strong career cultivation, and reputation without scale. Whether you’re a student weighing summer programs or a lateral candidate looking for a firm with culture and impact, the list broadens your field. Visit the list in Vault’s rankings for a curated look at firms that earn distinction through excellence—not headcount.