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Best Law Firms by Practice Area

These firms were voted strongest in each practice area by associates working in that area at peer firms. Vault's 2021 Rankings are derived from Vault's Annual Associate Survey conducted between late January 2020 through early April 2020.
Survey Methodology

Each year, Vault ranks law firms in a variety of practice areas based on the perceptions of associates practicing in those areas. Associates were asked to vote for up to three firms they consider strongest in their practice areas and were not permitted to vote for their own firms. For example, associates who identified themselves as corporate attorneys were allowed only to vote in corporate-related categories (securities, financial services, etc.). Our rankings list the top firms in each area, as well as the total percentage of votes cast in favor of each ranked firm.

Vault ranked the following practice areas this year: Antitrust; Appellate Litigation; Banking & Financial Services; Bankruptcy/Restructuring; Clean Tech/Renewable Energy; Emerging Companies/VC; Energy, Oil, & Gas; Environmental Law; General Commercial Litigation; General Corporate Practice; Health Care; Intellectual Property; Intellectual Property Boutiques; International; Labor & Employment; Litigation Boutiques; M&A; Media, Entertainment, & Sports; Privacy & Data Security; Private Equity; Products Liability; Project Finance; Real Estate; Securities; Securities Litigation; Tax; and White Collar Defense & Internal Investigations.

Vault's 2021 Rankings are derived from Vault's Annual Associate Survey conducted between late January 2020 through early April 2020.

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Each year Vault invites eligible law firms to participate in our annual Law Survey. Please contact us if you’re interested in having your firm considered for inclusion.

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2021 Best Law Firms for White Collar Defense & Internal Investigations

#1
% of Votes 21.33
2020 Rank 1

Williams & Connolly LLP

Williams & Connolly continues to hold its own against firms 10 times its size by following a basic mantra: Keep it simple. The firm’s roughly 300 attorneys focus almost exclusively on litigation from a single office in DC, positioning...

Overview Associate Reviews Why Work Here Summer Program
#2
% of Votes 17.91
2020 Rank 5

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates

Skadden is one of the most profitable and well-known law firms in the world. It was the first law firm to report $1 billion in annual revenue—now an industry brass ring. While the firm may be best known for its M&A prowess, it is an all-star...

Overview Associate Reviews Why Work Here Q&As Summer Program
#3
% of Votes 16.93
2020 Rank 3

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP

For decades, Paul, Weiss has valiantly defended the coffers and reputations of some of the world’s largest financial institutions and companies. Though perhaps best recognized for its courtroom dazzle, the firm’s prolific corporate and...

Overview Associate Reviews Why Work Here Summer Program
#4
% of Votes 15.88
2020 Rank 3

Covington & Burling LLP

This “brain trust” law firm is known for quietly (and smartly) going about its business—that business being antitrust, litigation, white collar defense & investigations, corporate, IP, export controls, data privacy and cybersecurity, and...

Overview Associate Reviews Why Work Here Summer Program
#5
% of Votes 15.22
2020 Rank 2

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP

With more than 1,355 attorneys across 10 countries, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher is a force. Among the top firms in the country, Gibson Dunn is well known for its litigation and trial work—especially its bustling appellate litigation and...

Overview Associate Reviews Why Work Here Q&As Summer Program
#6
% of Votes 12.27
2020 Rank 6

WilmerHale

With 1,000 lawyers across the U.S., Asia, and Europe, WilmerHale is a litigation powerhouse, known especially for its work in IP, securities, and appellate litigation, as well as its life sciences and technology experience. The firm counsels in...

Overview Associate Reviews Why Work Here Summer Program
#7
% of Votes 10.96
2020 Rank 7

Sullivan & Cromwell LLP

A BigLaw powerhouse, Sullivan & Cromwell has followed—if not created—the blueprint for legal success: It has grown internationally and in response to the increasing cross-border M&A, restructuring, and finance transactional demands of...

Overview Associate Reviews Why Work Here Q&As Summer Program
#8
% of Votes 9.65
2020 Rank 8

Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP

With two centuries under its belt, Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP is one of the nation’s preeminent law firms. Cravath has settled on a lean-and-mean approach to world dominance with two strategically placed offices in New York and London. ...

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#9
% of Votes 8.99
2020 Rank 10

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP has been cultivating the persona of an eccentric genius—shocking the often-staid (OK, uptight) legal world with its unorthodox approach while awing them with sweeping successes in the courtroom. This...

Overview Associate Reviews Summer Program
#10
% of Votes 8.92
2020 Rank 9

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

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...

Overview Associate Reviews Summer Program
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