Top BigLaw Firms for Labor & Employment in San Diego
Every firm in our directory with a San Diego office that Chambers USA 2026 ranks for labor and employment in California, strongest band first. Paul Hastings LLP leads with Band 1 (The Elite).
- Ranked firms
- 20
- Band 1 firms
- 1
- Median first-year base
- $225,000
20 ranked firms for labor and employment in San Diego
| # | Firm | Chambers 2026 | First-year base | 2L summer applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul Hastings LLP Vault #21 |
| $225,000 | Opened Oct 15 |
| 2 | Jones Day Vault #26 |
| $240,000 | Open now |
| 3 | Sidley Austin LLP Vault #11 |
| $225,000+ | Opened Nov 1 |
| 4 | DLA Piper LLP (US) Vault #42 |
| $225,000+ | Open now |
| 5 | McDermott Will & Schulte LLP Vault #46 |
| Not reported | Opened Nov 2 |
| 6 | Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP Vault #66 |
| $225,000 | Opened Nov 1 |
| 7 | Ashurst Perkins Coie LLP Vault #24 |
| $255,000+ | Not announced (last cycle Jan 5, 2026) |
| 8 | Morrison & Foerster LLP Vault #27 |
| $225,000+ | Opened Oct 1Deadline Feb 28, 2027 |
| 9 | Greenberg Traurig, LLP Vault #55 |
| Varies by office | Dec 1, 2026 |
| 10 | Manatt, Phelps & Phillips |
| $225,000 | See the Job Board |
| 11 | Dentons US LLP Vault #62 |
| $225,000+ | Expected early 2027 |
| 12 | Duane Morris LLP Vault #94 |
| $220,000 | Dec 15, 2026 |
| 13 | Jackson Lewis P.C. |
| Not reported | Not announced |
| 14 | Littler Mendelson P.C. Vault #100 |
| $225,000 | Not announced |
| 15 | Quarles & Brady |
| $225,000 | See the Job Board |
| 16 | Cooley LLP Vault #22 |
| $255,000+ | Opened Oct 31Deadline Jan 29, 2027 |
| 17 | Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. Vault #77 |
| $225,000+ | Opened Oct 1Deadline Dec 11, 2026 |
| 18 | Cozen O'Connor P.C. Vault #88 |
| $180,000 - $215,000 | Expected January 2027 |
| 19 | Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. |
| Not reported | Not announced |
| 20 | Barnes & Thornburg LLP |
| $105,000-$180,000 | Not announced |
Chambers bands from Chambers USA 2026, California 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
Labor & Employment in other cities
- Labor & Employment in Los Angeles38 firms
- Labor & Employment in San Francisco36 firms
- Labor & Employment in Chicago23 firms
- Labor & Employment in New York21 firms
- Labor & Employment in Silicon Valley20 firms
- Labor & Employment in Houston18 firms
- Labor & Employment in Dallas18 firms
- Labor & Employment in Orange County16 firms
- Labor & Employment in Washington, DC15 firms
- Labor & Employment in Atlanta15 firms
- Labor & Employment in Austin14 firms
- Labor & Employment in Philadelphia13 firms
Other practices in San Diego
- Intellectual Property (Patent)18 firms
- Insurance / Reinsurance11 firms
- Real Estate11 firms
- Commercial Litigation10 firms
- Tax10 firms
- Banking & Finance8 firms
- Entertainment / Media / Sports8 firms
- Healthcare8 firms
- Restructuring / Bankruptcy8 firms
- Technology Transactions8 firms
- Environmental7 firms
- Antitrust6 firms