Choate, Hall & Stewart

Since 1899, Choate Hall & Stewart has been a Boston firm. Although smaller than its national competitors in terms of the number of attorneys, Choate has remained competitive without compromising its collaborative, one-office culture.

Keeping It Local

Choate is a legal force in Massachusetts. The firm is among the top 10 firms in Vault’s Best Law Firms in Boston ranking. In an era of megafirm expansion, Choate has rebuffed the advances of larger firms looking to merge and has held off takeovers to stay in Boston. The firm says its strategy of maintaining a legal team under one roof allows it to "deliver seamless client service" unmatched by firms with a dozen offices around the United States. The firm's client list—which includes national entities such as BioNTech, Wells Fargo, Summit Partners, Foundation Medicine, Takeda, and HPE—provides the proof that Choate’s strategy has worked.

Focus, Focus, Focus

Choate stands apart from other major firms by focusing on a few practices. Rather than stretching itself too thin, the firm specializes in five main areas: complex litigation and investigations; finance and restructuring; life sciences and technology; middle-market private equity/M&A; and wealth management. Choate partners and practice areas can be found in various rankings. Thirty-four percent of the firm’s partners are nationally and internationally ranked by Chambers USA for Life Sciences, and Best Lawyers awarded “Lawyer of the Year” to its attorneys for Bankruptcy Litigation, Securities Regulation, and Closely Held Companies & Family Business Law. The firm is top ranked for middle market M&A by The Legal 500 and is a “highly recommended” by Benchmark Litigation. Additionally, the firm’s patent practitioners are regularly recognized as IP stars in Managing IP and IAM Patent 1000.

Not Afraid to Commit

Choate doesn’t shy away from commitment to its attorneys. The Choate Shared Compact outlines the firm’s “people mission,” including its dedication to provide cutting-edge opportunities and useful training. The Shared Compact defines partners’ commitment to associates as well as associates’ commitment to partners. A vital part of the Shared Compact is the focus on associate feedback. The firm encourages real-time guidance and each quarter honors an attorney who provides stellar input as a Feedback All-Star. After associates requested a process by which to approach more-senior attorneys, the firm implemented Feedback Wednesdays , a scheduled event where associates can get together to give and receive feedback.

• Top 20 in Revenue Per Lawyer “most reliable measure of a firm’s financial health”—The American Lawyer
• Best Place to Work for LGBTQIA+ Equality, Corporate Equality Index for LGBTQ+ Equality—Human Rights Campaign
•  Top Tier Law Firm (40 Attorneys and 10 Practice Areas Ranked), 2024—Legal 500
•  Top Ranked Law Firm (34 Attorneys and 17 Practice Areas Ranked), 2024—Chambers USA
•  Client Service All-Star Award (2011-2023)—BTI Consulting