Skip to main content

Top BigLaw Firms for Life Sciences / FDA

FDA regulatory counseling, life sciences transactions such as licensing and collaborations, and support on product and compliance issues. Chambers USA 2026 ranks 34 firms in our directory nationwide for life sciences and FDA, 5 of them in Band 1. Pick a city for the local tables.

Ranked nationwide
34
Cities with 3+ ranked firms
1

Life Sciences / FDA by city

Ranked nationwide, Chambers USA 2026

  1. 1.Latham & Watkins LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 1 · Life Sciences
  2. 2.Covington & Burling LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 1 · Life Sciences
  3. 3.Cooley LLPFirst-year base $255,000+Band 1 · Life Sciences
  4. 4.Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 1 · Life Sciences
  5. 5.Goodwin Procter LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 1 · Life Sciences
  6. 6.Sidley Austin LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 2 · Life Sciences
  7. 7.Ropes & Gray LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 2 · Life Sciences
  8. 8.Morrison & Foerster LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 2 · Life Sciences
  9. 9.Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C.First-year base $225,000Band 2 · Life Sciences
  10. 10.Kirkland & Ellis LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 3 · Life Sciences
  11. 11.Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 3 · Life Sciences
  12. 12.Hogan Lovells CadwaladerFirst-year base $225,000+Band 3 · Life Sciences
  13. 13.Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 3 · Life Sciences
  14. 14.Fenwick & West LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 3 · Life Sciences
  15. 15.Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLPFirst-year base $235,000Band 4 · Life Sciences
  16. 16.Jones DayFirst-year base $240,000Band 4 · Life Sciences
  17. 17.Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 4 · Life Sciences
  18. 18.DLA Piper LLP (US)First-year base $225,000+Band 4 · Life Sciences
  19. 19.McDermott Will & Schulte LLPBand 4 · Life Sciences
  20. 20.Dechert LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 4 · Life Sciences
  21. 21.Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.First-year base $225,000+Band 4 · Life Sciences
  22. 22.Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 5 · Life Sciences
  23. 23.Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 5 · Life Sciences
  24. 24.Sullivan & Cromwell LLPFirst-year base $235,000+Band 5 · Life Sciences
  25. 25.Davis Polk & Wardwell LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 5 · Life Sciences
  26. 26.Williams & Connolly LLPFirst-year base $260,000Band 5 · Life Sciences
  27. 27.White & Case LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 5 · Life Sciences
  28. 28.Paul Hastings LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 5 · Life Sciences
  29. 29.Baker McKenzie LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 5 · Life Sciences
  30. 30.Freshfields US LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 5 · Life Sciences
  31. 31.Baker Botts L.L.P.First-year base $225,000Band 5 · Life Sciences
  32. 32.Greenberg Traurig, LLPFirst-year base Varies by officeBand 5 · Life Sciences
  33. 33.Venable LLPFirst-year base $215,000Band 5 · Life Sciences
  34. 34.Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 5 · Life Sciences

Is life sciences and FDA a fit?

Who tends to thrive

  • Students with biology, chemistry or health backgrounds
  • People who like science-driven business problems
  • Those who enjoy regulatory strategy

What a 1L can do this year

  • Take Food and Drug Law if offered
  • Follow FDA approval and biotech deal news
  • Ask how science backgrounds are used in the group
Not sure this practice fits? Take the quiz Filter the directory by life sciences and FDA

Other practices