Top BigLaw Firms for Corporate / M&A in Los Angeles
Every firm in our directory with a Los Angeles office that Chambers USA 2026 ranks for corporate and M&A in California: Los Angeles & Surrounds, strongest band first. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP leads with Band 1 (The Elite), one of 2 firms in Band 1.
- Ranked firms
- 10
- Band 1 firms
- 2
- Median first-year base
- $225,000
10 ranked firms for corporate and M&A in Los Angeles
| # | 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 | Sullivan & Cromwell LLP Vault #5 |
| $235,000+ | Opened Nov 1Deadline Mar 5, 2027 |
| 4 | Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP Vault #8 |
| $225,000 | Opened Nov 2Deadline Feb 5, 2027 |
| 5 | Sidley Austin LLP Vault #11 |
| $225,000+ | Opened Nov 1 |
| 6 | Paul Hastings LLP Vault #21 |
| $225,000 | Opened Oct 15 |
| 7 | Cooley LLP Vault #22 |
| $255,000+ | Opened Oct 31Deadline Jan 29, 2027 |
| 8 | Baker McKenzie LLP Vault #45 |
| $225,000+ | Opened Nov 1Deadline Mar 1, 2027 |
| 9 | Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP Vault #60 |
| $225,000+ | Dec 1, 2026 |
| 10 | Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP Vault #66 |
| $225,000 | Opened Nov 1 |
Chambers bands from Chambers USA 2026, California: Los Angeles & Surrounds 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 Chicago23 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 Miami10 firms
Other practices in Los Angeles
- Labor & Employment38 firms
- Commercial Litigation33 firms
- Intellectual Property (Patent)31 firms
- Entertainment / Media / Sports22 firms
- Insurance / Reinsurance22 firms
- Real Estate22 firms
- Banking & Finance21 firms
- Healthcare19 firms
- Technology Transactions19 firms
- White Collar Defense19 firms
- Environmental17 firms
- Restructuring / Bankruptcy17 firms