Few lawyers added at nation's top law firms in 2014; which firms gained and lost the most?
Corrected: The nation’s top 350 law firms increased lawyer head count by only .6 percent last year, though there was modest growth in the ranks of nonequity partners, of counsel and staff lawyers.
The top 350 law firms had a collective head count of 147,518 lawyers in 2014, an increase of just 900 lawyers over the prior year, the National Law Journal (sub. req.) reports.
The number of associates was “essentially unchanged,” dropping by only 27 lawyers, the story says. The number of equity partners increased by .4 percent, nonequity partners increased by 1.6 percent, and the category of “other” lawyers grew by 2.6 percent. “Other” lawyers include of counsel and staff attorneys, but not temporary and contract attorneys.
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius had the most significant increase in head count last year as a result of hiring hundreds of lawyers from Bingham McCutchen, including 226 partners. Morgan Lewis gained 476 lawyers total in 2014.
Dickstein Shapiro had the greatest percentage drop, losing 21 percent of its size. The law and lobbying firm had employed former U.S. House speaker Dennis Hastert, who resigned from the firm in May after his indictment for allegedly structuring bank withdrawals.
Firms with the greatest drop in head count were DLA Piper, which lost 260 lawyers, and Dentons, which lost 218 lawyers.
Story corrected on June 9 to take out erroneous statement that Dickstein Shapiro’s head count dropped by 200 lawyers.
