Top BigLaw Firms for Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in Chicago
Every firm in our directory with a Chicago office that Chambers USA 2026 ranks for employee benefits and executive compensation in Illinois, strongest band first. Sidley Austin LLP leads with Band 1, one of 4 firms in Band 1.
- Ranked firms
- 13
- Band 1 firms
- 4
- Median first-year base
- $225,000
13 ranked firms for employee benefits and executive compensation in Chicago
| # | Firm | Chambers 2026 | First-year base | 2L summer applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sidley Austin LLP Vault #11 |
| $225,000+ | Expected early November 2026 |
| 2 | Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP Vault #37 |
| $225,000+ | Nov 2, 2026 |
| 3 | Winston Taylor LLP Vault #39 |
| $225,000+ | Expected late October to early November 2026 |
| 4 | Mayer Brown LLP Vault #44 |
| $225,000+ | See the job board |
| 5 | Kirkland & Ellis LLP Vault #6 |
| $225,000+ | Nov 1, 2026 |
| 6 | Baker McKenzie LLP Vault #45 |
| $225,000+ | Nov 1, 2026Deadline Mar 1, 2027 |
| 7 | McDermott Will & Schulte LLP Vault #46 |
| $255,000+ | See the job board |
| 8 | Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP Vault #85 |
| $225,000 | Not announced |
| 9 | Seyfarth Shaw LLP Vault #89 |
| $225,000+ | Not announced |
| 10 | Latham & Watkins LLP Vault #4 |
| $225,000+ | Nov 1, 2026Deadline Jan 29, 2027 |
| 11 | DLA Piper LLP (US) Vault #42 |
| $225,000+ | Expected early January 2027 |
| 12 | Jenner & Block LLP Vault #43 |
| $225,000+ | Not announced (last cycle Nov 14, 2025) |
| 13 | Polsinelli PC Vault #87 |
| $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
Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in other cities
- Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in New York24 firms
- Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in Washington, DC17 firms
- Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in Silicon Valley13 firms
- Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in San Francisco12 firms
- Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in Philadelphia8 firms
- Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in Houston7 firms
- Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in Dallas7 firms
- Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in Boston6 firms
- Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in Los Angeles5 firms
- Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in Pittsburgh5 firms
- Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in Atlanta5 firms
- Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in Kansas City3 firms
Other practices in Chicago
- Commercial Litigation25 firms
- Intellectual Property (General / Trademark)23 firms
- Restructuring / Bankruptcy22 firms
- Corporate / M&A21 firms
- White Collar Defense21 firms
- Labor & Employment20 firms
- Real Estate18 firms
- Banking & Finance16 firms
- Healthcare13 firms
- Environmental12 firms
- Insurance / Reinsurance12 firms
- Tax10 firms