In our continuing effort to help firms understand how they stack up against their competitors, Law360 Pulse presents our inaugural Prestige Leaders.
Last month, we published our Social Impact Leaders ranking, which looked at how firms are doing good in the world through pro bono work and diversity and inclusion metrics. Now, we're taking a look at some of the more traditional metrics of law firm success: firm financials and reputation.
We're doing this with data from our Law360 Pulse surveys — collected directly from the firms we're ranking and attorneys at those firms — and from across our parent company, LexisNexis, which has been gathering data on the law and the legal industry for decades.
Next month, we'll kick off the new year with our most comprehensive ranking to date, combining results from Social Impact and Prestige Leaders with assessments of firms' work in the transactional and litigation spaces to give you, our readers, a fully rounded picture of what makes a successful law firm.
Check out our analysis and interactive graphics to see how firms compare.
These Firms Are The Law360 Pulse Prestige Leaders
By Craig Savitzky and Jacqueline Bell | Graphic by Rachel Reimer | December 13, 2021
A reputation for prestige in the legal realm attracts top legal talent and the high-profile, high-paying clients who seek out premier counsel. Here are Law360 Pulse's first Prestige Leaders — the 100 firms the industry recognizes for their prominence, power and distinction.
Prestige Leaders: A Look At Our New Law Firm Ranking
By Kerry Benn | December 13, 2021
Join Law360 Pulse as we embark on our brand new project examining what makes law firms successful, turning this time to our prestige leaders — award-winning firms whose reputations precede them, thanks to their profitability, popularity among summer associates and visibility in legal news.
Law360 Pulse Prestige Leaders Methodology
By Craig Savitzky, Jonathan Hayter and Rachel Reimer | December 13, 2021
Read more about our methodology for calculating the 2021 Law360 Pulse Prestige Leaders.
Prestige Leaders: Sizing Up Firms By Revenue
By Jacqueline Bell | Graphics by Ben Jay | December 13, 2021
The legal industry puts a premium on financial success. While money isn't everything, a firm's revenue provides a window into the firm's work, financial resources and business trajectory. Our inaugural list of top firms by gross revenue highlights the law firms who are breaking the bank.
When It Comes To Revenue, Size Matters
By Jacqueline Bell | Graphics by Ben Jay | December 13, 2021
See how firms compare on revenue, global headcount, and profits per partner in our interactive chart.
For Firms And Attorneys, Prestige Is A Double-Edged Sword
By Aebra Coe | December 13, 2021
Law firms used to take for granted the sacrifices attorneys were willing to make to please clients and imbue the firm with prestige, but as the talent war picks up and attorney expectations of working conditions shift, many firms are redefining what prestige means to them and how they achieve it.
Prestige Draws Young Attys, But Keeping Them Takes Work
By Rachel Rippetoe | December 14, 2021
While name recognition still benefits BigLaw in the recruiting process, even the most revered of those firms may have to work a little harder to appear lucrative to junior lawyers, and even more so to partners, who are placing a greater emphasis on diversity, mental health and work-life balance.
In Profits Per Partner, These Firms Reign Supreme
By Kevin Penton | December 14, 2021
Experts may quibble over whether it's the best measure of a law firm's financial health, but no one questions its prestige: In the land of legal industry metrics, profits per partner is king.
BigLaw's Big Guns Of Revenue Keep Growing
By Anna Sanders | December 15, 2021
The widening revenue gap between a handful of legal titans that pull in billions each year and other law firms will only continue to grow, experts say, resulting in a market consolidation that will likely give them a competitive advantage even over their BigLaw peers.
How Some Midsize Firms Outperform On Profits Per Partner
By Emma Cueto | December 15, 2021
A number of midsize firms outshone their peers on profits per partner, ranking alongside the industry's giants to become Law360 Pulse's first Prestige Leaders. Law360 Pulse spoke with the managing partners of these firms about the keys to their success.
How Your Law Firm's Brand Can Convey Prestige
Edited by Nataleeya Boss and Betty Vine | December 13, 2021
In order to be perceived as prestigious by clients and potential recruits, law firms should take their branding efforts beyond designing visual identities and address six key imperatives to differentiate themselves — from identifying intangible core strengths to delivering on promises at every interaction, says Howard Breindel at DeSantis Breindel.
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