Top BigLaw Firms for Corporate / M&A in Chicago
Every firm in our directory with a Chicago office that Chambers USA 2026 ranks for corporate and M&A in Illinois, strongest band first. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP leads with Band 1, one of 4 firms in Band 1.
- Ranked firms
- 23
- Band 1 firms
- 4
- Median first-year base
- $225,000
23 ranked firms for corporate and M&A in Chicago
| # | Firm | Chambers 2026 | First-year base | 2L summer applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP Vault #3 |
| $225,000 | Opened Nov 2 |
| 2 | Latham & Watkins LLP Vault #4 |
| $225,000 | Opened Nov 1Deadline Jan 29, 2027 |
| 3 | Kirkland & Ellis LLP Vault #6 |
| $225,000 | Opened Nov 1 |
| 4 | Sidley Austin LLP Vault #11 |
| $225,000+ | Opened Nov 1 |
| 5 | Ropes & Gray LLP Vault #20 |
| $225,000 | Opened Nov 1 |
| 6 | Paul Hastings LLP Vault #21 |
| $225,000 | Opened Oct 15 |
| 7 | Winston Taylor LLP Vault #39 |
| $225,000+ | Open nowDeadline Mar 1, 2027 |
| 8 | Mayer Brown LLP Vault #44 |
| $225,000 | Opened Nov 2 |
| 9 | Baker McKenzie LLP Vault #45 |
| $225,000+ | Opened Nov 1Deadline Mar 1, 2027 |
| 10 | McDermott Will & Schulte LLP Vault #46 |
| Not reported | Opened Nov 2 |
| 11 | DLA Piper LLP (US) Vault #42 |
| $225,000+ | Open now |
| 12 | Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP Vault #78 |
| $235,000+ | Expected late fall 2026 |
| 13 | Ashurst Perkins Coie LLP Vault #24 |
| $255,000+ | Not announced (last cycle Jan 5, 2026) |
| 14 | Jones Day Vault #26 |
| $240,000 | Open now |
| 15 | Reed Smith LLP Vault #59 |
| $225,000 | Jan 4, 2027 |
| 16 | White & Case LLP Vault #18 |
| $225,000+ | Opened Nov 1 |
| 17 | Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP Vault #35 |
| $225,000 | Opened Nov 1 |
| 18 | Jenner & Block LLP Vault #43 |
| $225,000+ | Open now |
| 19 | Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP Vault #66 |
| $225,000 | Opened Nov 1 |
| 20 | McGuireWoods LLP Vault #68 |
| $215,000 | Not announced |
| 21 | Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP Vault #97 |
| $215,000 | Open now |
| 22 | Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP Vault #98 |
| $225,000 | Not announced |
| 23 | Vedder Price |
| $225,000 | See the Job Board |
Chambers bands from Chambers USA 2026, Illinois tables; Band 1 is the strongest, and a “Highly Regarded” band sits below every “Elite” band. Pay is each firm’s first-year base; summer dates come from each firm’s own page via the BigLaw Job Board. How rankings work
Corporate / M&A in other cities
- Corporate / M&A in New York49 firms
- Corporate / M&A in Houston29 firms
- Corporate / M&A in Dallas26 firms
- Corporate / M&A in Silicon Valley23 firms
- Corporate / M&A in San Francisco22 firms
- Corporate / M&A in Austin18 firms
- Corporate / M&A in Washington, DC15 firms
- Corporate / M&A in Atlanta14 firms
- Corporate / M&A in Boston13 firms
- Corporate / M&A in Philadelphia12 firms
- Corporate / M&A in Los Angeles10 firms
- Corporate / M&A in Miami10 firms
Other practices in Chicago
- Commercial Litigation26 firms
- Intellectual Property (General / Trademark)24 firms
- Labor & Employment23 firms
- Restructuring / Bankruptcy23 firms
- White Collar Defense23 firms
- Real Estate19 firms
- Banking & Finance17 firms
- Insurance / Reinsurance16 firms
- Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation14 firms
- Environmental13 firms
- Healthcare13 firms
- Antitrust10 firms