Best Law Firms in the World 2022: Top 11 - Bscholarly (2023)

The 11 largest law firms in the world:The legal profession is one of the largest professions in the world with millions of lawyers in every country across the world. While the legal profession is a livelihood, a law firm is the tool to achieve this goal, as lawyers work in a law firm and exercise their legal and analytical skills in relation to the challenge of their clients. Therefore, it is difficult for a lawyer to live without a law firm, just as doctors cannot live without hospitals. That's why every lawyer wants to own or work with a top-notch law firm and this article highlights the top 10 law firms in the world.

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What is a law firm?

A law firm is a business entity or workplace established or owned by attorneys to engage in legal practices and provide legal services to individuals, governments and corporations.

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Law firm types

A. Solokanzlei:RespectivelySearchLaw, an individual law firm is a law firm owned by a single attorney. This attorney is responsible for the firm's business and all specialties. For example, an individual practice is that I graduate and become a lawyer instead of working with another lawyer; I am setting up my own law firm or law firm. This law firm I founded is a single law firm, as I am solely responsible for all activities in the firm.

A solo law firm is very good because it is cheaper to run and you have the flexibility to work with or hire lawyers or other staff. However, an independent law firm lacks extensive experience and resources, which can hinder the legal investigation and outcomes of your case or legal issue.

B. Small Law Firm:A small law firm is a cut above sole proprietorships, employing anywhere from 2 to 12 lawyers. Small law firms tend to offer a very specific legal service, have more experience and offer lawyers the opportunity to work together in the firm.

C. Large Law Firm:A large law firm is generally referred to as a full-service law firm, as it offers all types of legal services and has the size and capacity to employ anywhere from 30 to 1,000 attorneys or even more. There is a large law firm in several states or cities. For example, in Nigeria, large law firms like Banwo & Ighodalo, Aluko & Oyebode, Templars and others exist in several states and are incredibly large and structured.

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The 11 best and biggest international law firms in the world

While there are millions of law firms around the world, and very good ones, simplifying the list to just 10 other law firms worthy of mention does not do it justice. However, while some companies are very good, others have stood out globally, setting the legal pace not only in their country but in the world as well. Some of these law firms are:

1. Latham & Watkins LLC:Latham & Watkins Limited Liability Partnership is an American law firm founded in 1934 in Los Angeles, California. It is currently one of the largest law firms in the world with its global platform of offices in the main financial, commercial and regulatory centers of the world such as China, Hong Kong, Belgium, Singapore, France, Paris, Italy, Germany, but to mention a couple

The firm has more than 3,000 associates and attorneys who provide strategic and innovative legal solutions to clients' complex business and legal challenges. Latham continues to be a leading practice in real estate, finance, corporate, the environment, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, and intellectual property. Just this month, April 2021, Latham and Watkins LLP was recognized as the top Global Mergers and Acquisitions Lawyer of the Year, among many other awards, as Intellectual Property Transactions Firm of the Year 2021.

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2. Kirland & Ellis LLC:Kirland & Ellis is one of the most successful law firms in the world. Today it has more than 100 years of practical experience, employs more than 2,900 lawyers, has more than 15 offices around the world and is ranked the best law firm in the world based on the revenue it has generated in recent years.

Kirland & Ellis provides clients in the private equity, mergers and acquisitions, complex corporate transactions, litigation, dispute resolution and arbitration, intellectual property and restructuring practice areas with exceptional legal services, including corporate advisory and crisis resources for guide customers out of the turmoil of companies with financial problems. . Some of their high profile clients are: Nike, Boeing, Facebook, KKR, Intel, Oaktree, Capital, Blackstone Group, IBM, to name a few.

3) SKADDEN, ARPS, SCHIEFER, MEAGHER & FLOM LLP:Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flop LLP, commonly known as Skadden or Skadden arps, is an international law firm founded in 1948 by Marshall Skadden, John Slate and Les Arps. Since then, the firm has become one of the best law firms in the world.

Skadden continues to be one of the most profitable law firms in the world and has world-class expertise in specialties such as restructuring, capital markets, tax, intellectual property, real estate, trading, securities, product liability, litigation, and mergers and acquisitions. In 2020, Skadden was named Law Firm of the Year for M&A, Litigation and Security Disputes.

4. Sullivan & Cromwell LP (S & C):Sullivan & Cromwell is an international law firm founded in 1870 and headquartered in New York. The firm provides clients worldwide with the highest quality legal advice and representation and, in its more than 130 years of existence, has consistently guided the development of many of the world's leading companies.

With more than 13 offices worldwide, S&C is proud to have handled some of the world's largest settlements and litigation and has over $1 billion in annual sales.

5. TO Piper:DLA PIPER is a multinational law firm with offices in over 40 countries in the Americas, Asia, the Pacific, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

In 2005, DLA PIPER became one of the largest law firms in the world by merging 3 law firms: Gray Cray Ware & Freidenrich LLP, Piper Rudnick LLP, DLA LLP, generating massive annual revenues of over $3 billion.

DLA Piper is one of the few law firms committed to providing pro bono services with a focus on children's rights, access to justice, the rule of law and support for asylum seekers, refugees and stateless persons. Its dedication to providing legal services in the required area, as well as pro bono services, resulted in DLA PIPER being recognized as International Law Firm of the Year at the Russia Venture Capital Awards for the fifth consecutive year. Among other things, it was voted the best law firm in France.

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6. Teeth:Dentos is a multinational law firm with decentralized headquarters and is currently one of the largest law firms in the world with more than 11,000 lawyers and 189 offices operating in 77 countries around the world.

Dentos is also the fourth best law firm in terms of turnover and has been consistently in the top 10 law firms for years.

7. White and Autumn:White and Case is an international law firm, founded in 1901, uniquely positioned to help clients around the world solve their most complex legal challenges, wherever they are located.

White & Case LLP is known for its expertise in handling international and cross-border cases and transactions, track record and extensive experience in global mergers and acquisitions, finance, arbitration, financial restructuring, insolvency and, most importantly, its summer program. ; Specifically, being the number one law firm in the world for summer programs, it is a virtual internship for millions of law students around the world.

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8. Sidley Austin LLP: Sidley Austin LLP, formerly known as Sidley Austin Brown & Wood LLP, is a general practice established in 1966 and currently formed as a result of the merger of its two predecessors in 2001.

Sidley is comprised of a diverse group of legal professionals from a variety of cultures who are committed to teamwork, collaboration and excellent client service. Sidley has built a strong reputation for successfully representing clients in transactional disputes and complex regulatory litigation across a range of practice areas and has a long list of notable clients in sectors such as banking, energy, healthcare, insurance, life sciences and technology.

Currently, Sidley Austin has more than 1,900 attorneys in more than 20 countries around the world and generates an impressive revenue of $2.34 billion.

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9. Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLC:This is one of the leading law firms in the United States of America, founded in 1819 and witness to more than two centuries in this process. Cravath's primary areas of practice are corporate services, litigation, banking and finance, tax, executive compensation and trust and probate.

Cravath is one of the world's leading law firms in these areas, with approximately more than 1/3 of its clients located outside the United States.

10. Davis Polk & WardWell LLP:Davis Polk is an international law firm founded in 1849. Over its more than 171-year history, it has been ranked among the best law firms in the world. Davis Polk specializes in areas such as capital markets, corporate law and mergers and acquisitions, litigation, tax, financial services regulation, investment management and banking.

It is a leading banking and financial law firm, handling a significant number of the most complex securities disputes worldwide and was named Banking and Finance Law Firm of the Year in 2019.

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11. Cleary Gottlieb:Established in 1946, Cleary Gottlieb is arguably one of the largest international law firms in the world today (headquartered at One Liberty Plaza in New York City). It was founded by Henry Jacob (one of America's greatest legal luminaries of all time).

The company has received numerous international and local awards over the years. Some of them are: Antitrust Firm of the Year (2019), International Legal Firm of the Year, #1 International Firm in Latin America and many more. The company is worth $1.214 billion (according to a 2017 report). New employees receive an annual salary of approximately $215,000. This shows the size of the company.

Cleary Gottlieb currently has offices worldwide (50 countries) with over 1,200 attorneys worldwide. He has also represented many big companies and is therefore among the best in the world.