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Overview

Introduction

One of the New York elites, Debevoise is a leader in the private equity and M&A spaces and is also a go-to firm for white collar matters. The firm has a reputation for being intellectual and respectful and provides ample support to its associates—from extensive mentoring to career coaching. Associates wanting extensive pro bono opportunities will find Debevoise a great place to land, as helping underserved communities has been an area of focus since the firm’s founding in 1931.

Firm Stats


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Total No. Attorneys (2023)

750 - 1K

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No. of Partners Named (2022)

6

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Featured Rankings

Vault Law 100
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No. of 1st Year Associates Hired (2022)

119


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No. of Summer Associates (2023)

131 total (127 2Ls; 4 1Ls)


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Base Salary

1st year: $215,000
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Vault Verdict

Working at a high-caliber firm like Debevoise means you have landed with the New York elite—but snobbishness is not tolerated at the firm. Rather the firm has a reputation among associates for “Debevoise nice,” where professionalism and kindness are expected from the top down. The firm’s culture is collegial and supportive, with extensive training offered at all levels, and mentorship is taken seriously. Associates appreciate that the firm is social without being overbearing with events and expectations. Debevoise is one of the last true lock-step firms, with no billable hour requirement and market compensation and bonuses. This allows associates to focus on the quality of work and encourages participation in pro bono matters. Night and weekend work are rare, and time away from th...

Firm's Response

Who We Are: Debevoise is ranked among the best law firms globally because of our unwavering focus on our people. Our goal is to bring the best, most diverse talent to our firm, where we work to build and sustain an inclusive community—one in which all our lawyers can grow, thrive, and work as a single team...

About the Firm

Debevoise & Plimpton ranks as one of New York’s most powerful law firms, representing high-profile clients in transactions and disputes in established and emerging markets around the world. The firm’s core franchise practices include strategic and private equity, M&A, insurance, financial services transactions, fund formation, complex litigation, white collar/investigations, and international arbitration. 

Good Genes

Eli Whitney Debevoise—a direct descendent of the inventor of the cotton gin—and William E. Stevenson founded their firm in New York in 1931. Debevoise wasn’t the only one with an interesting background; Stevenson was a gold medalist on the 1,600-meter relay team in the 1924 Olympics. Francis T.P. Plimpton, whose name graced the masthead starting in 193...

Associate Reviews

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  • “Debevoise is extremely collegial. Collaboration and respect are the basis of everyday interaction among colleagues and with supervisors. Socialization is encouraged and fostered. The new office space was designed so that people in the same groups are close to each other, so that in-person work interaction is more common and fluid. Good work and personal relationships exist, people routinely have lunch together in the cafeteria, and meet after hours.”
  • “Firm has sufficient social engagements, but most importantly respects the time of all of its attorneys, whether junior or senior. Lawyers are respectful of staff, and staff is incredibly warm and welcoming.”
  • “Debevoise niceness is a real thing. Socializing varies by group—my practice area has regular but optional get-togethers every few weeks, while other groups have events less often.”
  • “The firm has a collegial environment. People understand that everyone is juggling a number of different assignments, and communication about your work capacity is appreciated. Moreover, weekends, late nights, and holidays are respected. That is not to say that there is never work to do outside of normal business hours, but if you're staying up late or working over the weekend, it is because there is important and time-sensitive work to be done. Most of the time, people avoid giving work over weekends/holidays.”

Why Work Here


Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a premier law firm with market-leading practices, a global perspective and strong New York roots. Our clients look to us to bring a distinctively high degree of quality, intensity and creativity to resolve legal challenges effectively and cost efficiently.

Deep partner commitment, industry experience and a strategic approach enable us to bring clear commercial judgment to every matter. We draw on the strength of our culture and structure to deliver the best of our firm to every client through true collaboration.

Approximately 800 lawyers work in ten offices across three continents, within integrated global practices, serving clients around the world. Our lawyers prioritize developing a deep understanding of the business of our clients. We then pursue each matter with both intensity and creativity to achieve optimal results.

We are committed to serving our clients through excellence in lawyering. We receive numerous accolades and awards recognizing this commitment and the firm’s market prominence worldwide.

Debevoise is also recognized as one of the leading firms for diversity. We believe that a diverse workforce, where all of our colleagues feel respected, builds a stronger firm, and benefits clients and the wider community.

The firm’s culture fosters a collaborative approach across disciplines and regions, and, as a result, clients benefit from the dedication, cohesiveness and superior quality that we bring to all of our work worldwide.

Diversity at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

"One of the greatest strengths of Debevoise & Plimpton is our community. This has been true throughout the history of the firm. In recent years, we have built upon that strong foundation with specific community-building initiatives and firm-wide events. • This past year we instituted a new Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Council, a 40+ lawyer group that works with our D&I Leadership Team to encourage dialogue on important issues affecting diversity and inclusion at Debevoise. We have also revamped our associate liaison..."

Getting Hired Here

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  • “The firm values candidates who are welcoming, kind, friendly, and have a clear grasp of common sense. I think that the firm goes to certain schools on a regular basis, but there is a diverse array of law schools represented.”
  • “Firm is looking for smart people that are looking to work hard and challenge themselves, and that are kind, thoughtful, and fun to be around. Good, kind people are a primary focus for the firm, but they have to have the brainpower to keep up.”
  • “Firm's hiring process is very efficient. Heard back promptly after sending my application. Had interviews with seven partners individually, which showed that they are genuinely interested in getting to know you. Unlike some other firms, I think that Debevoise is a firm that cares about people's personality, and wants to make sure that you have the team spirit before onboarding.”
  • “Debevoise is interested in smart, hard-working individuals, regardless of law school. I often find that we look for more of a personality fit (who would you want to be working in a war room at 2 a.m. with), as opposed to focusing more on pedigree.”

Perks & Benefits


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