Top BigLaw Firms for Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in New York
Every firm in our directory with a New York office that Chambers USA 2026 ranks for employee benefits and executive compensation in New York, strongest band first. Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP leads with Band 1, one of 9 firms in Band 1.
- Ranked firms
- 24
- Band 1 firms
- 9
- Median first-year base
- $225,000
24 ranked firms for employee benefits and executive compensation in New York
| # | Firm | Chambers 2026 | First-year base | 2L summer applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP Vault #1 |
| $225,000+ | Jan 4, 2027 |
| 2 | Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz Vault #2 |
| $450,000+ | Dec 1, 2026Deadline Feb 5, 2027 |
| 3 | Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP Vault #3 |
| $225,000+ | Nov 2, 2026 |
| 4 | Latham & Watkins LLP Vault #4 |
| $225,000+ | Nov 1, 2026Deadline Jan 29, 2027 |
| 5 | Sullivan & Cromwell LLP Vault #5 |
| $235,000+ | Not announced (last cycle Nov 1, 2025) |
| 6 | Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP Vault #7 |
| $225,000+ | Opened Sep 15Deadline Mar 1, 2027 |
| 7 | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP Vault #10 |
| $225,000+ | Expected fall 2026 |
| 8 | Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP Vault #16 |
| $225,000+ | Nov 1, 2026 |
| 9 | Debevoise & Plimpton LLP Vault #23 |
| $225,000+ | Expected early November 2026 |
| 10 | Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP Vault #15 |
| $225,000+ | Not announced |
| 11 | Ropes & Gray LLP Vault #20 |
| $225,000+ | Expected fall 2026 |
| 12 | Proskauer Rose LLP Vault #33 |
| $225,000+ | See the job board |
| 13 | Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP Vault #35 |
| $225,000+ | Expected late November 2026 |
| 14 | Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP Vault #37 |
| $225,000+ | Nov 2, 2026 |
| 15 | Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP Vault #47 |
| $225,000+ | Expected mid-December 2026 |
| 16 | Kirkland & Ellis LLP Vault #6 |
| $225,000+ | Nov 1, 2026 |
| 17 | McDermott Will & Schulte LLP Vault #46 |
| $255,000+ | See the job board |
| 18 | Dechert LLP Vault #51 |
| $225,000 | Expected late October to November 2026 |
| 19 | A&O Shearman LLP Vault #56 |
| $225,000+ | See the job board |
| 20 | Seyfarth Shaw LLP Vault #89 |
| $225,000+ | Not announced |
| 21 | White & Case LLP Vault #18 |
| $225,000+ | Nov 1, 2026 |
| 22 | Hogan Lovells Cadwalader Vault #30 |
| $225,000+ | Expected early January 2027 |
| 23 | Clifford Chance US LLP Vault #41 |
| $255,000+ | Expected fall 2026 |
| 24 | Freshfields US LLP Vault #50 |
| $225,000+ | Not announced |
Chambers bands from Chambers USA 2026, New York 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 Washington, DC17 firms
- Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in Silicon Valley13 firms
- Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in Chicago13 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 New York
- Commercial Litigation55 firms
- White Collar Defense55 firms
- Restructuring / Bankruptcy49 firms
- Corporate / M&A48 firms
- Tax41 firms
- Banking & Finance34 firms
- Securities Litigation34 firms
- Intellectual Property (Patent)31 firms
- Insurance / Reinsurance28 firms
- Antitrust25 firms
- Labor & Employment20 firms
- Entertainment / Media / Sports18 firms