Top BigLaw Firms for Life Sciences / FDA
FDA regulatory counseling, life sciences transactions such as licensing and collaborations, and support on product and compliance issues. Chambers USA 2026 ranks 36 firms in our directory nationwide for life sciences and FDA, 5 of them in Band 1. Pick a city for the local tables.
- Ranked nationwide
- 36
- Cities with 3+ ranked firms
- 1
Life Sciences / FDA by city
- Life Sciences / FDA in Boston15 ranked firms
Ranked nationwide, Chambers USA 2026
- 1.Latham & Watkins LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 1 · Life Sciences
- 2.Covington & Burling LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 1 · Life Sciences
- 3.Cooley LLPFirst-year base $255,000+Band 1 · Life Sciences
- 4.Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 1 · Life Sciences
- 5.Goodwin Procter LLPFirst-year base $255,000+Band 1 · Life Sciences
- 6.Sidley Austin LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 2 · Life Sciences
- 7.Ropes & Gray LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 2 · Life Sciences
- 8.Morrison & Foerster LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 2 · Life Sciences
- 9.Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C.First-year base $225,000+Band 2 · Life Sciences
- 10.Kirkland & Ellis LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 3 · Life Sciences
- 11.Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 3 · Life Sciences
- 12.Hogan Lovells CadwaladerFirst-year base $225,000+Band 3 · Life Sciences
- 13.Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 3 · Life Sciences
- 14.Fenwick & West LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 3 · Life Sciences
- 15.Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLPFirst-year base $235,000+Band 4 · Life Sciences
- 16.Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 4 · Life Sciences
- 17.Jones DayFirst-year base $240,000Band 4 · Life Sciences
- 18.Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 4 · Life Sciences
- 19.DLA Piper LLP (US)First-year base $225,000+Band 4 · Life Sciences
- 20.McDermott Will & Schulte LLPFirst-year base $255,000+Band 4 · Life Sciences
- 21.Dechert LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 4 · Life Sciences
- 22.Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.First-year base $225,000+Band 4 · Life Sciences
- 23.Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 5 · Life Sciences
- 24.Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 5 · Life Sciences
- 25.Sullivan & Cromwell LLPFirst-year base $235,000+Band 5 · Life Sciences
- 26.Davis Polk & Wardwell LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 5 · Life Sciences
- 27.Williams & Connolly LLPFirst-year base $260,000Band 5 · Life Sciences
- 28.White & Case LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 5 · Life Sciences
- 29.Paul Hastings LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 5 · Life Sciences
- 30.Baker McKenzie LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 5 · Life Sciences
- 31.Freshfields US LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 5 · Life Sciences
- 32.Baker Botts L.L.P.First-year base $225,000+Band 5 · Life Sciences
- 33.Greenberg Traurig, LLPFirst-year base Varies by officeBand 5 · Life Sciences
- 34.Venable LLPFirst-year base $215,000Band 5 · Life Sciences
- 35.Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 5 · Life Sciences
- 36.Polsinelli PCFirst-year base $225,000Band 5 · Life Sciences
Is life sciences and FDA a fit?
Who tends to thrive
- Students with biology, chemistry or health backgrounds
- People who like science-driven business problems
- Those who enjoy regulatory strategy
What a 1L can do this year
- Take Food and Drug Law if offered
- Follow FDA approval and biotech deal news
- Ask how science backgrounds are used in the group
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