Skadden Tops Corporate Counsel Lists

The usual names top Corporate Counsel’s list of law firms most often used by Fortune 250 companies.

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom got the most mentions overall. Leading the lists by practice area:

--Kirkland & Ellis, in commercial law and contracts litigation.

--Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, in corporate transactions.

-- Littler Mendelson, in labor and employment litigation.

--Fish & Richardson, in intellectual property.

Rees Morrison, of legal consulting firm Hildebrandt International, said companies often turn to the law firms they know and trust. "There's no real reason to move elsewhere, and there's risk involved with moving on" to other firms, he told Corporate Counsel.

But eight companies on the Fortune 250 list are relying on in-house law departments for a substantial amount of legal work, Corporate Counsel reports in a separate article. The action saves money, attracts top talent, and keeps in-house lawyers happy.