Illinois’ largest law firms
Who’s growing, who’s not and who’s making money
By Marc Karlinsky
Chicago Lawyer’s large law firm survey highlights the biggest legal operations within the
state, providing a glimpse at how firms have
changed in size over recent years, who their leaders are and how much money they’re raking in.
As we began the survey process in January,
we relied on data from Sullivan’s Law Directory
— a division of Law Bulletin Publishing Co.,
which also publishes this magazine — to
determine which firms had the most lawyers
listed in Illinois.
That Sullivan’s data determined firms’ placement within our survey from top to bottom,
from No. 1 to 100.
But the attorney head count numbers you see
for this year are the ones provided directly by
the firms. Previous years’ numbers were taken
from past Chicago Lawyer surveys.
Lawyers in Illinois
Firm and Ranking
1 Kirkland & Ellis
28
Overall, the survey provides a snapshot of
which firms are growing, which are waning and
which have remained stable in size over the past
five years.
We’re always looking for feedback on ways
we can better highlight issues facing large firms
— or the clients that want to hire them. Please
direct questions, comments or suggestions about
the survey to [email protected].
Breakdown of Illinois Lawyers in 2016
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
590
589
607
610
621
Equity Income Assoc.
319
2 Sidley Austin
501
506
521
531
527
206
3 Mayer Brown
371
365
375
356
387
163
4 Winston & Strawn
317
307
332
344
380
5 McDermott Will & Emery
307
284
335
320
315
102
6 Jenner & Block
299
256
279
304
305
7 Katten Muchin Rosenman
243
263
269
269
274
8 Seyfarth Shaw
245
226
236
224
9 Hinshaw & Culbertson
234
227
225
9 Baker & McKenzie
241
213
229
11 Schiff Hardin
205
12 Vedder Price
195
208
201
209
13 DLA Piper
180
186
211
14 Chapman and Cutler
180
189
15 Latham & Watkins
171
161
16 Jones Day
167
17 Greenberg Traurig
Counsel Other
42
Managing partner
2015 firmwide
gross revenue
2015 firmwide
profits per
partner
Jeffrey C. Hammes
232
35
45
18 Larry A. Barden
$1,867,000,000
156
40
44
8 Rebecca Eisner
$1,257,000,000
$1,558,000
2.8%
63
68
11
26
48 Lydia R.B. Kelley
$891,597,000
$1,578,000
-0.9%
60
65
107
16
8
59 Terrence J. Truax
$464,891,012
$1,716,177
14.0%
63
62
96
12
17
219
60
57
73
4
35
236
245
64
99
62
3
9
0 Thomas L. Browne
223
212
61
55
125
11
61
43
57
11
17
27 Marci A. Eisenstein
198
NA
NA
74
7
4
117 Michael A. Nemeroff
221
216
85
0
55
4
34
178
174
171
76
29
59
5
13
152
140
156
55
NA
106
16
10
151
171
170
178
74
81
19
9
3 Tina M. Tabacchi
153
146
146
132
129
83
49
5
13
8 Paul T. Fox,
John F. Gibbons
(Co-Managing
Shareholders)
18 Reed Smith
144
145
136
130
127
28
51
48
4
13
4 Michael A. LoVallo
19 Skadden Arps Slate Meagher &
Flom
149
140
151
152
165
29
NA
104
24
17
0 Brian W. Duwe
20 Neal Gerber & Eisenberg
138
138
153
158
161
66
21
22
0
27
2 Scott J. Fisher
21 Dentons US
119
122
128
134
138
27
52
31
3
6
3 Mary Wilson
22 Locke Lord
137
161
114
112
115
49
21
36
6
27
June 2016
NA
271
1st
Yr.
Gross
revenue
change
from
2014-15
NA
6.5%
5 Gil Soffer
20 David Rowland
Michael Smith
$590,000,000
6.3%
$227,300,000
7.6%
$2,430,000,000
$1,130,000
-4.3%
$277,547,536
$980,300
14.7%
6 David Mendelsohn
$2,543,000,000
$1,570,000
2.5%
3 Timothy P. Mohan
$193,000,000
$1,321,520,000
$1,473,000
4.0%
$597,242,295
$891,188
Brad Kotler and Robin
Hulshizer (Deputy)
4 Jennifer A. Kenedy
NA
survey < Largest
Lawyers in Illinois
Firm and Ranking
2016
2015
2014
2013
Breakdown of Illinois Lawyers in 2016
2012
23 Heyl Royster Voelker & Allen
Equity Income Assoc.
1st
Yr.
Counsel Other
Managing partner
26
40
36
5
18
Timothy L. Bertschy
24 Swanson Martin & Bell
118
116
113
106
105
32
35
46
2
5
NA Timothy G. Nickels
25 SmithAmundsen
118
119
122
127
120
18
44
44
3
12
0 Larry Schechtman
26 Foley & Lardner
114
121
118
120
129
60
0
34
20
20
0 Myles D. Berman
105
104
86
72
116
116
121
31
46
19
0
17
4 Michael J. Kelly and
Michael A. Moynihan
20
48
26
3
8
113
115
126
37
13
37
4
16
51
25
24
0
6
0 Howard J. Kirschbaum
22
42
27
6
8
3 Paul Langer
26 Perkins Coie
28 Freeborn & Peters
117
124
29 Nixon Peabody
102
123
30 Drinker Biddle & Reath
103
114
31 Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum &
Nagelberg
106
104
32 Quarles & Brady
102
33 McGuireWoods
34 Segal McCambridge Singer &
Mahoney
90
35 K&L Gates
Law Firms
104
93
77
78
108
117
111
115
103
85
89
87
2015 firmwide
gross revenue
2015 firmwide
profits per
partner
NA
NA
$52,542,537
$601,422
Gross
revenue
change
from
2014-15
4.4%
$68,430,000
0 Thomas M. Fahey
$461,108,000
0 Edwin A. Getz
$409,734,430
$801,000
13.3%
7.5%
$258,670,000
$511,515
9.0%
Amy B. Manning
13
12
63
9
2
0 P. Mark Crane
103
110
120
169
36 Holland & Knight
95
100
105
109
95
26
23
34
1
12
0 Steven M. Elrod
$743,796,627
$1,248,863
8.0%
37 Polsinelli
92
94
93
77
63
24
33
25
2
6
4 Anthony Nasharr
$409,949,000
$734,000
11.4%
38 Johnson & Bell
103
105
108
109
39 Cassiday Schade
101
105
98
97
40 Arnstein & Lehr
87
91
87
146
$194,300,000
$527,000
-2.0%
$616,828,000
$802,721
-2.9%
41 Barnes & Thornburg
94
97
96
98
88
48
22
17
2
5
2 Mark E. Rust
42 Brinks Gilson & Lione
86
99
107
104
97
54
0
29
3
3
0 Jim Sobieraj
77
77
18
36
13
26
21
20
43 HeplerBroom
75
69
44 Much Shelist
70
88
79
45 Taft Stettinius & Hollister
78
77
77
46 Dykema Gossett
80
47 McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert &
Berghoff
83
47 Marshall Gerstein & Borun
49 Goldberg Kohn
80
50 Thompson Coburn
73
42
81
81
79
81
83
81
79
83
76
74
73
75
66
51 Burke Warren MacKay & Serritella
72
70
60
52 McAndrews Held & Malloy
69
76
53 Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith
54 Tressler
65
55 Chuhak & Tecson
55 Clausen Miller
63
12
4 Mitchell S. Roth
0
11
0 Anthony R. Licata
17
4
10
11 Michael C. Borders
39
22
19
3
3
0 S. Richard Carden
72
44
0
34
0
2
0 N/A
64
32
17
15
1
6
3 Todd Rowden
46
6
18
2
3
1 Robert (“Bob”) A.
Surrette
50
62
59
62
74
94
99
103
12
20
18
2
15
67
67
68
68
14
29
17
1
7
81
85
30
21
9
0
3
28
17
4
10
0
49
Executive Committee
(Mark Banovetz, James
Pinderski, Todd
Schenk)
0 Andy Tecson
Dennis D. Fitzpatrick
57 Codilis & Associates
58 Bryan Cave
59
65
64
68
65
59 Ropes & Gray
65
58
51
39
40
44
50
53
48
60 Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman &
Dicker
14
2
4 Joseph Q. McCoy
0 Asheesh Goel
June 2016
29
Largest Law Firms > survey
Lawyers in Illinois
Firm and Ranking
61 Clark Hill
2016
2015
2014
2013
Breakdown of Illinois Lawyers in 2016
2012
59
Equity Income Assoc.
1st
Yr.
Counsel Other
Managing partner
9
17
14
2
19
Ray J. Koenig, III
19
14
0
6
1 Robert Romanoff
18
2
8
Rick Michaels
12
12
0
6
2015 firmwide
gross revenue
2015 firmwide
profits per
partner
$139,815,000
Gross
revenue
change
from
2014-15
3.6%
61 Pretzel & Stouffer
63 Levenfeld Pearlstein
58
54
55
54
60
18
64 Faegre Baker Daniels
53
41
36
32
32
27
75
21
$465,902,000
$797,000
2.1%
$341,500,000
$745,000
9.1%
$68,000,000
NA
11.5%
NA
NA
64 Leydig Voit & Mayer
64 Lowis & Gellen
62
67 Cozen O’Connor
54
60
53
65
3 Tia C. Ghattas, Bruce
R. Meckler, Joseph E.
Tilson
70 Howard & Howard
63
50
45
43
8
1
5
1 Mark A. Davis
70 Franczek Radelet
52
53
51
53
53
29
8
13
0
2
0 Ronald J. Hein, Jr.
70 Simmons Hanly Conroy
53
57
62
62
57
21
0
28
0
3
1 Michael Angelides
49
51
52
46
51
51
46
45
45
26
10
12
3
3
Thomas K. Pratt
76 Duane Morris
52
48
37
38
46
12
22
13
0
5
0 David B. Yellin
76 Morgan Lewis & Bockius
47
50
62
59
62
21
25
3
1
0 Scott Schutte
76 Nyhan Bambrick Kinzie & Lowry
47
38
48
9
20
18
2
2
76 Schuyler Roche & Crisham
36
17
15
4
10
10
68 Geraci Law
68 Litchfield Cavo
70 Wiedner & McAuliffe
74 Banner & Witcoff
49
74 Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar &
Scott
William Lowry
$900,000
$13,400,000
$365,000
8.9%
NA
NA
$20,591,941
$486,007
-4.7%
$20,000,000
$650,000
16.3%
$337,024,235
$673,006
4.0%
$25,330,000
$320,000
18.3%
John George
76 Harrison Held Carroll Wall
76 Horwood Marcus & Berk
82 Bruce Farrel Dorn & Associates
83 Pierce & Associates
84 Gould & Ratner
46
44
44
43
46
18
17
10
45
45
43
10
18
10
12
20
3
0
Lyle Genin
10
14
17
1
3
Jennifer Ries-Buntain
12
17
11
1
0
1 Scott Meyers
13
5
17
1
2
0 John A. Krivicich
19
9
7
1
1
0 Timothy P. Maloney
84 Laner Muchin
46
84 Schiller DuCanto & Fleck
43
46
87 Beermann Pritikin Mirabelli
Swerdlove
42
40
88 Hall Prangle & Schoonveld
44
31
88 BatesCarey
32
30
30
2
8
7
0
11
15
1
John H. Mays
1 Joseph M. Gagliardo
Arnold B. Stein
44
88 Hennessy & Roach
88 Rakoczy Molino Mazzochi Siwik
92 Goldberg Weisman & Cairo
93 Hodges Loizzi Eisenhammer Rodick
& Kohn
93 Momkus McCluskey
35
93 Paul Hastings
93 Robbins Salomon & Patt
97 Akerman
41
27
97 Donohue Brown Mathewson &
Smyth
37
33
35
36
38
42
40
37
35
37
38
41
97 Littler Mendelson
100 Fitch Even Tabin & Flannery
30
June 2016
36