Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett has approximately 2,000 attorneys across 16 offices worldwide. Founded in 1884.
Not reported: Partnership Track.
Openings
1L Summer 2027 · Class of 2029Open
1L Summer Associate
Houston
Opens
Open nowDeadline
Not announced
Checked 1d ago
The official application page says the 2027 1L program is open.
2L Summer 2028 · Class of 2029Open
New York, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, Bay Area, Boston, Houston
Opens
Opened Nov 1Deadline
Not announced
Checked 1d ago
Apply by office from this page. The Suited assessment is required.
Materials: Law School Transcript · Undergrad TranscriptCover letter not required. Optional statement (350 words max, not a cover letter). Law transcript once available. Suited Cognitive Skills Assessment required.
Fellowship / ScholarshipClosed
2L (Summer 2028)
Opens
Closed this cycleDeadline
Not announced
Closed
About Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
Simpson Thacher's published work includes private equity, fund formation, mergers and acquisitions, financing, and business litigation. Its client matters show recurring connections to investment managers, financial institutions, and companies undertaking major transactions. The firm's practice addresses both the deployment of capital and disputes arising from commercial activity.
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Recent examples include establishing a Blackstone Asia-Pacific private equity fund and advising on a financing platform for artificial intelligence infrastructure. The firm has also described work involving a proposed nuclear-powered data center, a homebuilding-company acquisition, and litigation arising from a bank merger. These matters span investment vehicles, operating businesses, and infrastructure.
For students, those examples help distinguish several kinds of corporate practice under one firm name. Forming a fund, financing an asset, and negotiating an acquisition involve different documents and commercial questions. The litigation work adds another perspective on the obligations and risks created by transactions, connecting deal execution with the possibility of later disputes.
Practice Strength by Market
Every band below appears on this firm’s Chambers USA 2026 profile, checked September 26, 2026. Where Chambers splits a table into The Elite and Highly Regarded, every Elite firm ranks above every Highly Regarded firm.
| Practice | Market | Recognition, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
Asset Management M&A | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Banking & Finance | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Banking & Finance | New York | Band 1 |
Capital Markets: Debt & Equity | California | Band 1 |
Capital Markets: Equity: Issuer Counsel | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Capital Markets: High-Yield Debt | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Capital Markets: Investment Grade Debt: Manager Counsel | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Corporate/M&AThe Elite | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Corporate/M&AThe Elite | New York | Band 1 |
Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation | New York | Band 1 |
61 reported ranking rows
- About 15 Cornell students track this firm.
Rankings
Request a CorrectionLatest published editions. Each links to its source.
Size and Standing
- $3.6B gross revenueAm Law 100, $3.6B gross revenue: #10 (opens in a new tab)
- Lawyers in 7 countriesGlobal 200, Lawyers in 7 countries: #11 (opens in a new tab)
- 1,761 attorneysNLJ 500, 1,761 attorneys: #15 (opens in a new tab)
- PrestigeVault Law 100, Prestige: #10 (opens in a new tab)
Associate Life
Pro Bono and Inclusion
Vault Practice Rankings
- Private Equity: #3 (opens in a new tab)
- Project Finance: #5 (opens in a new tab)
- Mergers & Acquisitions: #6 (opens in a new tab)
- Securities/Capital Markets: #6 (opens in a new tab)
- General Corporate Practice: #7 (opens in a new tab)
- Real Estate Law: #7 (opens in a new tab)
- Banking & Financial Services: #8 (opens in a new tab)
- Tax Law: #9 (opens in a new tab)
Practice Areas
A small team of partners and senior associates assigns work from every department and checks in with summers on their preferences. Simpson Thacher says its "flexible approach to staffing allows summer associates the freedom to work in a single department and move around within it, or to choose work from among our many departments and practice groups." The firm does not showcase particular practices or partners during the summer.
Inclusion
Simpson Thacher's Inclusion Committee, made up of global partners, oversees STB Inclusion with input from an Inclusion Advisory Council of associates and counsel. The firm cites affinity groups and inclusion networks, heritage month celebrations, a Women's Initiative and a Women's Committee as the ways it builds community.
Pro Bono
More about Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
Each summer associate gets a partner mentor and an associate mentor, a formal mid-summer review and a final review. Summers join the STB Academy training curriculum and the STB 101 series across practice areas. Interested summers may request temporary time in an international office; the Asian and Brazilian offices require the relevant language.