Top BigLaw Firms for Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in Chicago
Every firm in our directory with a Chicago office that Chambers USA 2026 ranks for employee benefits and executive compensation in Illinois, strongest band first. Sidley Austin LLP leads with Band 1, one of 4 firms in Band 1.
- Ranked firms
- 14
- Band 1 firms
- 4
- Median first-year base
- $225,000
14 ranked firms for employee benefits and executive compensation in Chicago
| # | Firm | Chambers 2026 | First-year base | 2L summer applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sidley Austin LLP Vault #11 |
| $225,000+ | Opened Nov 1 |
| 2 | Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP Vault #37 |
| $225,000 | Opened Nov 2 |
| 3 | Winston Taylor LLP Vault #39 |
| $225,000+ | Open nowDeadline Mar 1, 2027 |
| 4 | Mayer Brown LLP Vault #44 |
| $225,000 | Opened Nov 2 |
| 5 | Kirkland & Ellis LLP Vault #6 |
| $225,000 | Opened Nov 1 |
| 6 | Baker McKenzie LLP Vault #45 |
| $225,000+ | Opened Nov 1Deadline Mar 1, 2027 |
| 7 | McDermott Will & Schulte LLP Vault #46 |
| Not reported | Opened Nov 2 |
| 8 | Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP Vault #85 |
| $225,000 | Not announced |
| 9 | Seyfarth Shaw LLP Vault #89 |
| $225,000+ | Not announced |
| 10 | Vedder Price |
| $225,000 | See the Job Board |
| 11 | Michael Best & Friedrich |
| $225,000 | Not announced |
| 12 | Latham & Watkins LLP Vault #4 |
| $225,000 | Opened Nov 1Deadline Jan 29, 2027 |
| 13 | DLA Piper LLP (US) Vault #42 |
| $225,000+ | Open now |
| 14 | Jenner & Block LLP Vault #43 |
| $225,000+ | Open now |
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
Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in other cities
- Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in New York23 firms
- Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in Washington, DC17 firms
- Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in Silicon Valley13 firms
- Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in San Francisco12 firms
- Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in Houston7 firms
- Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in Dallas7 firms
- Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in Philadelphia7 firms
- Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in Boston7 firms
- Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in Atlanta7 firms
- Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in Los Angeles6 firms
- Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in Pittsburgh6 firms
- Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in Cleveland5 firms
Other practices in Chicago
- Commercial Litigation26 firms
- Intellectual Property (General / Trademark)24 firms
- Corporate / M&A23 firms
- Labor & Employment23 firms
- Restructuring / Bankruptcy23 firms
- White Collar Defense23 firms
- Real Estate19 firms
- Banking & Finance17 firms
- Insurance / Reinsurance16 firms
- Environmental13 firms
- Healthcare13 firms
- Antitrust10 firms