Top BigLaw Firms for Corporate / M&A in Chicago
Every firm in our directory with a Chicago office that Chambers USA 2026 ranks for corporate and M&A in Illinois, strongest band first. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP leads with Band 1, one of 4 firms in Band 1.
- Ranked firms
- 21
- Band 1 firms
- 4
- Median first-year base
- $225,000
21 ranked firms for corporate and M&A in Chicago
| # | Firm | Chambers 2026 | First-year base | 2L summer applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP Vault #3 |
| $225,000+ | Nov 2, 2026 |
| 2 | Latham & Watkins LLP Vault #4 |
| $225,000+ | Nov 1, 2026Deadline Jan 29, 2027 |
| 3 | Kirkland & Ellis LLP Vault #6 |
| $225,000+ | Nov 1, 2026 |
| 4 | Sidley Austin LLP Vault #11 |
| $225,000+ | Expected early November 2026 |
| 5 | Ropes & Gray LLP Vault #20 |
| $225,000+ | Expected fall 2026 |
| 6 | Paul Hastings LLP Vault #21 |
| $225,000+ | Expected mid-December 2026 |
| 7 | Winston Taylor LLP Vault #39 |
| $225,000+ | Expected late October to early November 2026 |
| 8 | Mayer Brown LLP Vault #44 |
| $225,000+ | See the job board |
| 9 | Baker McKenzie LLP Vault #45 |
| $225,000+ | Nov 1, 2026Deadline Mar 1, 2027 |
| 10 | McDermott Will & Schulte LLP Vault #46 |
| $255,000+ | See the job board |
| 11 | DLA Piper LLP (US) Vault #42 |
| $225,000+ | Expected early January 2027 |
| 12 | Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP Vault #78 |
| $235,000+ | Expected late fall 2026 |
| 13 | Ashurst Perkins Coie LLP Vault #24 |
| $255,000+ | Expected early January 2027 |
| 14 | Jones Day Vault #26 |
| $240,000 | Not announced (last cycle Oct 27, 2025) |
| 15 | Reed Smith LLP Vault #59 |
| $225,000+ | Jan 4, 2027 |
| 16 | White & Case LLP Vault #18 |
| $225,000+ | Nov 1, 2026 |
| 17 | Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP Vault #35 |
| $225,000+ | Expected late November 2026 |
| 18 | Jenner & Block LLP Vault #43 |
| $225,000+ | Not announced (last cycle Nov 14, 2025) |
| 19 | Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP Vault #66 |
| $225,000+ | Not announced |
| 20 | McGuireWoods LLP Vault #68 |
| $215,000 | See the job board |
| 21 | Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP Vault #98 |
| $225,000 | Not announced |
Chambers bands from Chambers USA 2026, Illinois tables; Band 1 is the strongest, and a “Highly Regarded” band sits below every “Elite” band. Pay is each firm’s first-year base; summer dates come from each firm’s own page via the BigLaw job board. How rankings work
Corporate / M&A in other cities
- Corporate / M&A in New York48 firms
- Corporate / M&A in Houston30 firms
- Corporate / M&A in Dallas26 firms
- Corporate / M&A in Silicon Valley24 firms
- Corporate / M&A in San Francisco22 firms
- Corporate / M&A in Austin17 firms
- Corporate / M&A in Washington, DC15 firms
- Corporate / M&A in Atlanta14 firms
- Corporate / M&A in Philadelphia13 firms
- Corporate / M&A in Boston13 firms
- Corporate / M&A in Los Angeles10 firms
- Corporate / M&A in Miami10 firms
Other practices in Chicago
- Commercial Litigation25 firms
- Intellectual Property (General / Trademark)23 firms
- Restructuring / Bankruptcy22 firms
- White Collar Defense21 firms
- Labor & Employment20 firms
- Real Estate18 firms
- Banking & Finance16 firms
- Healthcare13 firms
- Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation13 firms
- Environmental12 firms
- Insurance / Reinsurance12 firms
- Tax10 firms