News
Law Office Management
Aug. 2, 2008
The 2008 California 50
For full article with corrected chart download the pdf on the right sidebar.
By the staff of California Lawyer
The names on our list of California?s largest law firms haven?t varied much from year to year, but the rankings do change. Both Latham & Watkins and Morrison & Foerster have occupied either the number 1 or number 2 spot for the past six years. And before that, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati topped the list with 715 California lawyers during the heyday of the dot-com boom.
Today Latham tops our California 50 list with 751 attorneys, followed by MoFo with 558. And Wilson Sonsini comes in at number 4 with 490 attorneys.
This year many firms moved up the list, including Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, which jumped from number 22 to number 17 as a result of its merger with San Francisco?based Steefel, Levitt & Weiss, as well as from growth in its real estate practice. A few firms moved down the list, such as Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner, which dropped from number 20 to 29 after its March layoff of associates.
With the economy softening, layoffs at firms are likely to continue, which portends even more shifts in rankings when we compile next year?s California 50.
For full article with corrected charts download the pdf on the right sidebar.
<table width="500" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="border: 1px solid #FF0000;">
<tr>
<td colspan="5" bgcolor="FF0000" class="subhead"><span class="subhead_white">2008 California 50</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFCC" class="caption">1</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFCC" class="caption">Latham & Watkins </td>
<td valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFCC" class="caption"> </td>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFCC" class="caption">26</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFCC" class="caption">Littler Mendelson</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffff99">
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">2</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">Morrison & Foerster</td>
<td valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption"> </td>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">27</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">Irell & Manella</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">3</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">O’Melveny & Myers</td>
<td valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption"> </td>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">28</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffff99">
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">4</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati</td>
<td valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption"> </td>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">29</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">5</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith</td>
<td valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption"> </td>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">29</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner </td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffff99">
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">6</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">be Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton </td>
<td valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption"> </td>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">31</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">Munger, Tolles & Olson</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">7</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe</td>
<td valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption"> </td>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">32</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">Best Best & Krieger </td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffff99">
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">8</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher</td>
<td valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption"> </td>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">33</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">Greenberg Traurig</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">9</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">DLA Piper US</td>
<td valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption"> </td>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">34</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">McDermott Will & Emery</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffff99">
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">10</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker</td>
<td valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption"> </td>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">35</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">Foley & Lardner</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">11</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">Cooley Godward Kronish</td>
<td valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption"> </td>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">36</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">Kirkland & Ellis</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffff99">
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">12</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman</td>
<td valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption"> </td>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">37</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">Seyfarth Shaw </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">13</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">Heller Ehrman</td>
<td valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption"> </td>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">38</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">Townsend and Townsend and Crew</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffff99">
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">14</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">Bingham McCutchen</td>
<td valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption"> </td>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">39</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Marmaro</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">15</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">Morgan, Lewis & Bockius </td>
<td valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption"> </td>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">40</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">Howrey </td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffff99">
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">16</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">Gordon & Rees</td>
<td valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption"> </td>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">41</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">Rutan & Tucker</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">17</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">Manatt, Phelps & Phillips </td>
<td valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption"> </td>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">42</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">Cox, Castle & Nicholson</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffff99">
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">18</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">Jones Day</td>
<td valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption"> </td>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">43</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">Baker & McKenzie</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">19</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">Fenwick & West </td>
<td valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption"> </td>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">44</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffff99">
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">20</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">Reed Smith</td>
<td valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption"> </td>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">45</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman & Robbins</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">21</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis</td>
<td valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption"> </td>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">46</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">Hanson Bridgett</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffff99">
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">22</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom</td>
<td valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption"> </td>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">47</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">Loeb & Loeb</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">23</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges</td>
<td valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption"> </td>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">48</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffff99">
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">24</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold</td>
<td valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption"> </td>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">49</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFE4C4" class="caption">Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">25</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">Sidley Austin</td>
<td valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption"> </td>
<td align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">50</td>
<td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffcc" class="caption">Buchalter Nemer</td>
</tr>
</table> <!-- The 2008 California 50 -->
#263809
Riley Guerin
Daily Journal Staff Writer
rguerin@journaltech.com
rguerin@journaltech.com
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