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Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP

At a Glance

Uppers

“Amazing array of substantive opportunities for young attorneys.”

“The substantive work, collegiality, level of responsibility, and flexibility.”

“Challenging, interesting work that often poses real risks to our clients.”

Downers

“Dealing with opposing counsel and juggling assignments in different matters while continuing to perform at a high level.”

“Our low leverage and smaller size (relative to most BigLaw firms) mean that … bottlenecks can easily form around particularly busy associates.”

“The lack of billable credit for diversity work and other firm development work.”

About Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP

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

Cali Firm with Cornhusker Friends

Munger Tolles was founded in 1962 by seven partners, including Charles Munger and Edwin Leroy Tolles. Munger departed after three years, but this proved to work in the firm’s interests. A close friend of investor Warren Buffett, Munger became the Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, which in turn became a long-time Munger Tolles client. 

Tolles passed away in 2008, leaving Ronald L. Olson as the last name partner still in active practice at the firm. Olson, who joined in 1968, is also connected to Berkshire Hathaway (he’s a director in the company) and served as Founding Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Southern California Public Radio. For many years, The Los Angeles Daily Journal (which happened to be owned by Charles Munger) has named Olson one of California’s most influential lawyers, acknowledging his work for clients such as Yahoo!, the J. Paul Getty Trust, Shell Oil, Michael Ovitz, and the late Paramount chair Brad Grey.

Winning on Pacific Time

Proving that the West Coast can be the best coast, Munger Tolles made headlines in 2008 when The American Lawyer placed it atop the magazine’s A-List. It was the first time the honor had gone to a firm outside New York but not the last: Munger Tolles has placed No. 1 on The Am Law A-List ten total times, most recently in 2024. Today, Munger Tolles attorneys work in nine general practice areas with numerous subspecialities, and their strength in criminal investigations and defense, as well as appellate work, is growing. Niche practices include bankruptcy. The firm’s clients include some of California’s largest companies in entertainment, energy, and retail, national corporations; large universities; leading Wall Street banks; foreign government agencies; and international corporations.

Own It

Munger Tolles is atypical in that it promotes an “ownership mentality” in its associates. In adherence to this culture, partners all weigh in on the pay of their fellow partners, and all attorneys have input into the recruiting process, review the firm’s financial books, and participate in all important firm decisions. A highly selective firm in terms of both hiring and its acceptance of cases, Munger Tolles has historically rewarded those who make it through the hiring gauntlet with an accelerated path to partner: The average associate can be considered for partnership between their sixth and ninth year at the firm. Although the firm keeps its roster lean, it prides itself on the diversity of talent within its doors, and clients who hire Munger Tolles may find themselves with lawyers who hold graduate degrees in history, literature, medicine, economics, or physics.

News & Awards

NOTABLE CASES
  • Secured a landmark ruling for Grayscale Investments, sponsor of the world’s largest bitcoin investment fund, in Grayscale Investments LLC v. SEC, when the D.C. Circuit vacated an SEC order denying Grayscale’s bid to launch the first spot bitcoin exchange-traded products (ETPs) in the U.S. As a result of the ruling, the SEC approved the first listing and trading of several spot bitcoin ETPs in January 2024.
  • Represented PG&E in a historic settlement with six Northern California counties impacted by the 2019 Kincade Fire and 2021 Dixie Fire.
  • Secured a pivotal appellate victory when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review a challenge to race-neutral admissions policies intended to diversify the student body at Thomas Jefferson High School in Fairfax County, Virginia. The case, Coalition For TJ v. Fairfax County School Board, confirmed the legality of race-neutral measures intended in part to increase racial diversity in schools.
  • Secured a historic preliminary injunction, pausing the enforcement of Los Angeles County’s cash bail schedule and eliminating cash bail for individuals arrested on most low-level, non-violent offenses.
AWARDS & ACCOLADES
  • No.1 on the A-List, 2023, for a record ninth time – The American Lawyer
  • Top Ten on the 2023 Diversity Scorecard – The American Lawyer
  • Three California Lawyer of the Year Awards, 2023 – Daily Journal
  • Mansfield Rule 6.0 Certification Plus, 2023 – Diversity Lab
  • Best Places to Work For LGBTQ+ Equality, 2023 - Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index
Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP

350 South Grand Ave.
50th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90071
Phone: (213) 683-9100

Firm Stats

Chair: Brad Brian
Hiring Attorneys: Wesley Burrell, Bryan Heckenlively, and Laura Smolowe
Managing Partners: Hailyn Chen and Malcolm Heinicke
Total No. Attorneys (2024):
150 - 250
No. of Partners Named 2024:
2

Base Salary

Base Salary (2024) 1st year: $225,000
2nd year: $235,000
3rd year: $260,000
4th year: $310,000
5th year: $365,000
6th year: $390,000
7th year: $420,000
8th year: $435,000
Summer Associate: $4,135 /week

Employment Contact

Kara Sommers
Director of Legal Recruiting
(213) 452-5595
Kara.Sommers@mto.com

No. of U.S. Offices: 3

No. of International Offices: 0

Major Office Locations

Los Angeles, CA (HQ)
San Francisco, CA
Washington, DC

Major Departments

Appellate
Antirust
Copyright & Trademark
Corporate
Financial Restructuring
Labor & Employment
Mass Torts & Crisis Litigation
Patent
Privacy & Data Security
Professional Liability
Regulatory
Securities
Trade Secret & Employee Mobility
White Collar & Investigations
*See firm website for complete list of practice areas and industries.