Top BigLaw Firms for Tax

Researching technical questions, reviewing deal structures for tax consequences, and drafting tax sections of agreements and memos. Tax lawyers work across many deal teams. Chambers USA 2026 ranks 44 firms in our directory nationwide for tax law, 11 of them in Band 1. Pick a city for the local tables.

Ranked nationwide: 44
Cities with 3+ ranked firms: 26

Tax by city

Tax in New York41 ranked firms
Tax in Washington, DC19 ranked firms
Tax in Los Angeles17 ranked firms
Tax in San Francisco17 ranked firms
Tax in Silicon Valley16 ranked firms
Tax in Houston15 ranked firms
Tax in Dallas14 ranked firms
Tax in Chicago10 ranked firms
Tax in San Diego10 ranked firms
Tax in Austin8 ranked firms
Tax in Boston8 ranked firms
Tax in Miami7 ranked firms
Tax in Orange County7 ranked firms
Tax in Philadelphia6 ranked firms
Tax in Seattle6 ranked firms
Tax in Atlanta4 ranked firms
Tax in Raleigh4 ranked firms
Tax in Sacramento4 ranked firms
Tax in Charlotte3 ranked firms
Tax in Fort Lauderdale3 ranked firms
Tax in Kansas City3 ranked firms
Tax in Orlando3 ranked firms
Tax in Pittsburgh3 ranked firms
Tax in St. Louis3 ranked firms
Tax in Tampa3 ranked firms
Tax in West Palm Beach3 ranked firms

Ranked nationwide, Chambers USA 2026

1.Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 1 · Tax: Controversy; Band 1 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
2.Latham & Watkins LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 1 · Tax: Controversy; Band 1 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
3.Mayer Brown LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 1 · Tax: Controversy; Band 3 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
4.Baker McKenzie LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 1 · Tax: Controversy; Band 3 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
5.Kirkland & Ellis LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 1 · Tax: Corporate & Finance; Band 5 · Tax: Controversy
6.Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 1 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
7.Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & KatzFirst-year base $450,000+Band 1 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
8.Sullivan & Cromwell LLPFirst-year base $235,000+Band 1 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
9.Davis Polk & Wardwell LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 1 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
10.Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 1 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
11.Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 1 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
12.Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 2 · Tax: Controversy; Band 2 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
13.Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 2 · Tax: Controversy; Band 4 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
14.Sidley Austin LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 2 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
15.Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 2 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
16.Debevoise & Plimpton LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 2 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
17.Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 2 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
18.DLA Piper LLP (US)First-year base $225,000+Band 3 · Tax: Controversy; Band 3 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
19.Vinson & Elkins LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 3 · Tax: Controversy; Band 3 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
20.McDermott Will & Schulte LLPFirst-year base $255,000+Band 3 · Tax: Corporate & Finance; Band 4 · Tax: Controversy
21.Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 3 · Tax: Controversy; Band 4 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
22.Fenwick & West LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 3 · Tax: Corporate & Finance; Band 5 · Tax: Controversy
23.Milbank LLPFirst-year base $235,000+Band 3 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
24.Ropes & Gray LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 3 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
25.Goodwin Procter LLPFirst-year base $255,000+Band 3 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
26.Proskauer Rose LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 3 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
27.Covington & Burling LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 4 · Tax: Corporate & Finance; Band 5 · Tax: Controversy
28.Jones DayFirst-year base $240,000Band 4 · Tax: Corporate & Finance; Band 5 · Tax: Controversy
29.White & Case LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 4 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
30.Hogan Lovells CadwaladerFirst-year base $225,000+Band 4 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
31.Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 4 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
32.Holland & Knight LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 4 · Tax: Controversy
33.Baker Botts L.L.P.First-year base $225,000+Band 5 · Tax: Controversy; Band 5 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
34.Steptoe LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 5 · Tax: Controversy; Band 5 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
35.Paul Hastings LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 5 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
36.Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 5 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
37.Clifford Chance US LLPFirst-year base $255,000+Band 5 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
38.Freshfields US LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 5 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
39.Dechert LLPFirst-year base $225,000Band 5 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
40.A&O Shearman LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 5 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
41.Alston & Bird LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 5 · Tax: Corporate & Finance
42.Baker & Hostetler LLPFirst-year base $215,000Band 5 · Tax: Controversy
43.Crowell & Moring LLPFirst-year base $215,000Band 5 · Tax: Controversy
44.Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLPFirst-year base $225,000+Band 5 · Tax: Corporate & Finance

Is tax law a fit?

Who tends to thrive

People who love a puzzle with a correct answer
Those who want deep expertise that every deal needs
Anyone comfortable with numbers and statutes

What a 1L can do this year

Take Federal Income Tax early; it is the gateway class
Talk to a tax associate about whether they did an LL.M.
Try reading a deal's tax section to see if it clicks

Not sure this practice fits? Take the quiz Filter the directory by tax law