Which are the top paying law firms of 2024. Which law firms make the most money? Which firms pay the most? and what is the highest paying law field?
All of the law firms below are paying their lawyers an exceptional rate with commercial law firms making the most money out of all, especially those specialising in Mergers & Acquisitions.
The leading law firms offer comparable high compensation packages; however, there are differences. While financial remuneration is not the sole factor, it certainly holds significance. Additionally, it is crucial to examine regional disparities: certain firms maintain uniform salary structures across all their US offices, whereas others implement varying compensation rates depending on the market.
The top 5 UK law firms are referred to as 'The Magic Circle' - and include: Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, Freshfields, Linklaters, and Slaughter and May. Competition is high and the trainee intake is generally around 100 per year at each firm.
US firms offer far higher pay than the Magic Circle. Kirkland & Ellis pay newly qualified lawyers an annual salary of $225,000. The top 5 US law firms by revenue are; Kirkland & Ellis, Latham & Watkins, DLA Piper, Baker McKenzie and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.
The Top Paying Law Firms of 2024. Here are the top law firms and the salary they offer.
| Firm | 1st year salary | 2nd year salary |
| Adam Leitman Bailey | Undisclosed | Undisclosed |
| Akin | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| A&O Shearman | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Alston & Bird | $225,000 | Undisclosed |
| Arnold & Porter | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Ashurst | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Axinn | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Baker Botts | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Bracewell | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Brown Rudnick | $215,000 | $225,000 |
| Cadwalader | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Cahill | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Choate | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Cleary Gottlieb | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Clifford Chance | $225,000 | $225,000 |
| Cooley | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Covington & Burling | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Cozen O'Connor | $170,000-$205,000 | Undisclosed |
| Cravath | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Davis Polk & Wardwell | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Debevoise & Plimpton | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Dechert | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| DLA Piper | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Duane Morris | $190,000-$210,000 | Undisclosed |
| Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath | $160,000-$225,000 | Undisclosed |
| Finnegan | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Fish & Richardson | $225,000 | Undisclosed |
| Foley & Lardner | $225,000 | Undisclosed |
| Foley Hoag | $215,000 | $225,000 |
| Fox Rothschild | $140,000-$190,000 | Undisclosed |
| Freshfields | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Fried, Frank | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Gibson, Dunn | $225,000 | Undisclosed |
| Goodwin | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Goulston & Storrs | $215,000 | Undisclosed |
| Greenberg Glusker | Undisclosed | Undisclosed |
| Greenberg Traurig | Undisclosed | Undisclosed |
| Gunderson | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Haynes and Boone | Undisclosed | Undiclosed |
| Herbert Smith Freehills | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Hogan Lovells US | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Holland & Knight | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Holwell Shuster | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Hunton Andrews Kurth | $225,000 | Undisclosed |
| Irell & Manella | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Jackson Walker | $225,000 | Undisclosed |
| Jenner & Block | $225,000 | Undisclosed |
| Jones Day | $225,000 | Undisclosed |
| K&L Gates | $200,000 | Undisclosed |
| Kasowitz | $215,000 | $225,000 |
| Katten | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| King & Spalding | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Kirkland & Ellis | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Kramer Levin | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Latham & Watkins | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Linklaters | $225,000 | $225,000 |
| Mayer Brown | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| McDermott | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Milbank | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Mintz | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Morgan, Lewis & Bockius | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Morrison & Foerster | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Munger, Tolles & Olson | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Nelson Mullins | Undisclosed | Undisclosed |
| Norton Rose Fulbright | $190,000-$225,000 | Undisclosed |
| O'Melveny | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Orrick | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Patterson Belknap | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Paul Hastings | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Paul, Weiss | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Perkins Coie | $155,000-$225,000 | $160,000-$235,000 |
| Pillsbury | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Polsinelli | $210,000-$225,000 | Undisclosed |
| Proskauer Rose | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Reed Smith | Undisclosed | Undisclosed |
| Richards, Layton & Finger | $190,000 | Undisclosed |
| Ropes & Gray | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Schulte Roth & Zabel | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Seward & Kissel | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Seyfarth Shaw | $210,000 | $220,000 |
| Sheppard, Mullin | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Sidley Austin | $225,000 | $225,000 |
| Simpson Thacher | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Skadden | $215,000 | Undisclosed |
| Sterne, Kessler | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Sullivan & Cromwell | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Vedder Price | $225,000 | $230,000-$235,000 |
| Venable | $205,000 | $215,000 |
| Vinson & Elkins | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Weil | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| White & Case | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Wiley Rein | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Willkie Farr | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| WilmerHale | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Wilson Sonsini | $225,000 | $235,000 |
| Winston & Strawn | $225,000 | $235,000 |
This chart is based on Chamber-Associate’s 2024 salary survey.
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