Latham & Watkins

Latham holds Band 1 rankings in Chambers USA for Environment, Private Equity, Corporate/M&A, Banking & Finance, Litigation, and Capital Markets. The firm's private equity practice regularly represents major sponsors on leveraged buyouts and portfolio company transactions, while its capital markets team leads some of the largest IPOs and debt offerings globally. Latham's environmental practice is considered the strongest in the country, and its litigation department handles a wide range of complex commercial, regulatory, and government enforcement matters. The firm was named Most Innovative Law Firm in North America by the Financial Times.

Latham uses a free-market assignment system and invests heavily in associate training through Latham & Watkins University (LWU), which provides structured programming in the first two months, followed by multi-day academies at the first, fourth, and sixth year marks. The Associates Committee, composed of equal numbers of associates and partners, manages reviews, bonuses, and promotion decisions, creating a transparent governance structure. Chambers Associate rates Latham as a Strong Performer for Associate Satisfaction. The summer class is approximately 325 associates, one of the largest in BigLaw.

Notable alumni include former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, former White House Counsel Kathryn Ruemmler, and multiple federal appellate judges. Latham's rapid growth from a regional California firm to a global giant is one of the most significant expansion stories in legal history.