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Top BigLaw Firms for Corporate / M&A

Running diligence, keeping the checklist, drafting ancillary documents and disclosure schedules, and turning comments on the purchase agreement as the deal moves toward signing and closing. Chambers USA 2026 ranks 53 firms in our directory nationwide for corporate and M&A, 8 of them in Band 1. Pick a city for the local tables.

Ranked nationwide
53
Cities with 3+ ranked firms
39

Corporate / M&A by city

Ranked nationwide, Chambers USA 2026

  1. 1.Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 1 (The Elite) · Corporate/M&A
  2. 2.Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & KatzFirst-year base $230,000Band 1 (The Elite) · Corporate/M&A
  3. 3.Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 1 (The Elite) · Corporate/M&A
  4. 4.Latham & Watkins LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 1 (The Elite) · Corporate/M&A
  5. 5.Sullivan & Cromwell LLPFirst-year base $235,000+Band 1 (The Elite) · Corporate/M&A
  6. 6.Kirkland & Ellis LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 1 (The Elite) · Corporate/M&A
  7. 7.Davis Polk & Wardwell LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 1 (The Elite) · Corporate/M&A
  8. 8.Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 1 (The Elite) · Corporate/M&A
  9. 9.Debevoise & Plimpton LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 2 (The Elite) · Corporate/M&A
  10. 10.Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 3 (The Elite) · Corporate/M&A
  11. 11.Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 3 (The Elite) · Corporate/M&A
  12. 12.Freshfields US LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 3 (The Elite) · Corporate/M&A
  13. 13.Sidley Austin LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 4 (The Elite) · Corporate/M&A
  14. 14.White & Case LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 4 (The Elite) · Corporate/M&A
  15. 15.Ropes & Gray LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 4 (The Elite) · Corporate/M&A
  16. 16.Morrison & Foerster LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 4 (The Elite) · Corporate/M&A
  17. 17.Hogan Lovells CadwaladerFirst-year base $225,000+Band 4 (The Elite) · Corporate/M&A
  18. 18.Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 4 (The Elite) · Corporate/M&A
  19. 19.A&O Shearman LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 4 (The Elite) · Corporate/M&A
  20. 20.Paul Hastings LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 5 (The Elite) · Corporate/M&A
  21. 21.Cooley LLPFirst-year base $255,000+Band 5 (The Elite) · Corporate/M&A
  22. 22.Jones DayFirst-year base $240,000Band 5 (The Elite) · Corporate/M&A
  23. 23.Goodwin Procter LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 5 (The Elite) · Corporate/M&A
  24. 24.Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 5 (The Elite) · Corporate/M&A
  25. 25.Vinson & Elkins LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 5 (The Elite) · Corporate/M&A
  26. 26.Baker Botts L.L.P.First-year base $225,000Band 5 (The Elite) · Corporate/M&A
  27. 27.Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C.First-year base $225,000Band 1 (Highly Regarded) · Corporate/M&A
  28. 28.Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 1 (Highly Regarded) · Corporate/M&A
  29. 29.DLA Piper LLP (US)First-year base $225,000+Band 1 (Highly Regarded) · Corporate/M&A
  30. 30.Baker McKenzie LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 1 (Highly Regarded) · Corporate/M&A
  31. 31.Covington & Burling LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 2 (Highly Regarded) · Corporate/M&A
  32. 32.McDermott Will & Schulte LLPBand 2 (Highly Regarded) · Corporate/M&A
  33. 33.Dechert LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 2 (Highly Regarded) · Corporate/M&A
  34. 34.Fenwick & West LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 2 (Highly Regarded) · Corporate/M&A
  35. 35.Proskauer Rose LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 3 (Highly Regarded) · Corporate/M&A
  36. 36.Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 3 (Highly Regarded) · Corporate/M&A
  37. 37.Greenberg Traurig, LLPFirst-year base Varies by officeBand 3 (Highly Regarded) · Corporate/M&A
  38. 38.King & Spalding LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 4 (Highly Regarded) · Corporate/M&A
  39. 39.Clifford Chance US LLPFirst-year base $255,000+Band 4 (Highly Regarded) · Corporate/M&A
  40. 40.Mayer Brown LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 4 (Highly Regarded) · Corporate/M&A
  41. 41.Holland & Knight LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 4 (Highly Regarded) · Corporate/M&A
  42. 42.K&L Gates LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 4 (Highly Regarded) · Corporate/M&A
  43. 43.Linklaters LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 4 (Highly Regarded) · Corporate/M&A
  44. 44.Reed Smith LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 4 (Highly Regarded) · Corporate/M&A
  45. 45.Baker & Hostetler LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 4 (Highly Regarded) · Corporate/M&A
  46. 46.McGuireWoods LLPFirst-year base $215,000Band 4 (Highly Regarded) · Corporate/M&A
  47. 47.Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 4 (Highly Regarded) · Corporate/M&A
  48. 48.Ashurst Perkins Coie LLPFirst-year base $255,000+Band 5 (Highly Regarded) · Corporate/M&A
  49. 49.Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 5 (Highly Regarded) · Corporate/M&A
  50. 50.Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 5 (Highly Regarded) · Corporate/M&A
  51. 51.Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 5 (Highly Regarded) · Corporate/M&A
  52. 52.Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.First-year base $225,000+Band 5 (Highly Regarded) · Corporate/M&A
  53. 53.Dorsey & Whitney LLPFirst-year base $190,000Band 5 (Highly Regarded) · Corporate/M&A

Is corporate and M&A a fit?

Who tends to thrive

  • People who like momentum and many moving parts
  • Organized communicators who enjoy being the person who knows where everything stands
  • Anyone curious about how businesses are valued and bought

What a 1L can do this year

  • Take Corporations or Business Associations as early as your school allows
  • Read deal coverage (merger announcements, the Wall Street Journal deals section) for a few weeks to see if it pulls you in
  • Join the business law or transactional society and try a contract drafting or negotiation competition
Not sure this practice fits? Take the quiz Filter the directory by corporate and M&A

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