How General Counsel Rank the Best National Law Firms...
from July/August 2007
They rank the national law firms and sound off about their jobs, their board relationships, and their own legal worries.
Company general counsel have the power—the hire power. They’re the ones who choose outside law firms to represent their companies in shareholder suits, mergers and acquisitions, and a whole range of other legal issues. Corporate Board Member and FTI Consulting surveyed 235 GC to learn which firms they would most want on their side in national matters. Eighteen of their picks, shown in the table at right, also appear in the national Top 20 chosen by directors, though often in different positions. The two from the national list that didn’t rank among the GC’s top picks are O’Melveny & Myers and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, supplanted by Sidley Austin and Morgan Lewis & Bockius. Three firms in last year’s General Counsel Top 20—Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, Hogan & Hartson, and O’Melveny & Myers—were replaced in this year’s by Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr, Baker Botts, and Covington & Burling.
The 2007 General Counsel Rankings:
| The Top 20 Firms |
2007 Directors' Ranking |
| 1. SKADDEN ARPS SLATE MEAGHER & FLOM (last year's rank: 1) |
1
|
| 2. WACHTELL LIPTON ROSEN & KATZ (2) |
3
|
| 3. CRAVATH SWAINE & MOORE (3) |
2
|
| 4. DAVIS POLK & WARDWELL (8) |
5
|
| 5. SULLIVAN & CROMWELL (6) |
4
|
| 6. LATHAM & WATKINS (5) |
7
|
| 7. GIBSON DUNN & CRUTCHER (7) |
9
|
| 8. SIMPSON THACHER & BARTLETT (10) |
16
|
| 9. JONES DAY (4) |
6
|
| (TIE) SIDLEY AUSTIN (12, TIED) |
-
|
| 11. KIRKLAND & ELLIS (11) |
11
|
| 12. SHEARMAN & STERLING (12, TIED) |
13
|
| (TIE) WILMER CUTLER PICKERING HALE & DORR (-) |
20
|
| 14. WEIL GOTSHAL & MANGES (9) |
10
|
| 15. BAKER & MCKENZIE (17, TIED) |
8
|
| 16. BAKER BOTTS (-) |
17
|
| 17. AKIN GUMP STRAUSS HAUER & FELD (20) |
14
|
| (TIE) COVINGTON & BURLING (-) |
19
|
| (TIE) MORGAN LEWIS & BOCKIUS (17, TIED) |
-
|
| 20. FULBRIGHT & JAWORSKI (14, TIED) |
12
|
