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By: Serach Nissim
New York’s largest law firms, ranked by their number of current lawyers employed, grew modestly compared to last year. The annual list of the largest law firms in NY was compiled again by Crain’s NY, and shows that these firms grew on average 4 percent in 2024. The annual compilation lists the 50 biggest law firms in the Empire state area, ranking them based on how many lawyers work at the firms. In total, these 50 companies employ roughly 20,700 lawyers in 2024.
Per the Crain’s list, the Number 1 largest firm in 2024 is again Kirkland & Ellis, with more than 1,000 local lawyers, and having increased the size of its firm 12 percent over last year. Kirkland & Ellis, founded in 1909 by Robert R. McCormick, is the biggest law firm in the world by revenue and the seventh-largest in the world by number of attorneys. It was also the first law firm in the world to reach $7 billion in annual revenue, per Wikipedia.
The firm boasts a total of 3,514 attorneys around the world, spread across 21 cities, with over 1,000 of the lawyers situated in NY, including at the NY headquarters at 601 Lexington Ave, between 53rd and 54th Street. “We invest in the brightest legal talent and build dynamic teams that operate at the pinnacle of their respective areas. And we believe in empowering our lawyers, encouraging entrepreneurialism, operating ethically and with integrity, and collaborating to bring our best to every engagement”, says the firm’s website overview.
Per the Crain’s list, the No. 2 largest ranking was bestowed on Paul Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. The firm now has 930 lawyers in the NY vicinity, having grown an impressive 20% since 2023. The firm, established in 1875, saw the greatest increase in local lawyers for the year. The firm has a particularly enticing ownership hierarchy, maintaining an all-equity partnership with 178 partners. The firm’s NY headquarters is at 1285 Avenue of Americas, between 51st and 52nd street, with additional offices in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Los Angeles, Wilmington, Delaware, Toronto, London, Tokyo, Beijing, and Hong Kong.
The next largest growth for the large NY law firms was attributed to Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. The firm saw a nearly 19 percent growth in the number of lawyers it employs. In 2024, the firm ranks No. 5 largest in the NY area, with 735 local lawyers.
The firm on the list noted for seeing the biggest plunge in NY lawyers in 2024 was Ropes and Gray. The firm experience more than a 12 percent decline in its number of lawyers, dropping five spots on Crain’s list to No. 15. It currently has under 500 lawyers in the region. The firm was founded in Boston in 1865. Besides for its NY office at 1211 Avenue of the Americas, it has 14 other offices worldwide, with roughly 1,500 lawyers in total.
Some of the other oversized law firms to make it on NY’s largest list included: Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and Affiliates; Latham & Watkins LLP; Debevoise & Plimpton LLP; Sullivan & Cromwell; and Fried, Frank.
