Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Skadden holds Band 1 rankings in Chambers USA for Tax, Corporate/M&A, Banking & Finance, Litigation, Antitrust, Restructuring, and Capital Markets, an unusually broad set of top-tier recognitions. The firm was the first to handle over $1 trillion in announced M&A transactions in a single year. Its litigation practice spans securities enforcement, white-collar defense, government investigations, and complex commercial disputes. Skadden's restructuring team is regularly involved in the largest Chapter 11 cases, and its tax and capital markets practices are consistently ranked at the top of the market.

Skadden uses a free-market assignment system where associates select their work and build relationships with partners across the firm. Chambers Associate rates Skadden as a Strong Performer for Associate Satisfaction and an Excellent Performer for Quality of Life and Pro Bono. Associates report that the firm invests heavily in building a collegial class culture, with mentorship and social programming that go beyond what many peers offer. The summer class is approximately 156 associates. Pro bono is a firm priority. Skadden created the Skadden Fellowship Foundation, which funds two-year fellowships for graduating law students pursuing public interest work.

The firm's alumni include former U.S. government officials, federal judges, and corporate leaders. Skadden's impact on the legal profession extends well beyond its client work, the Skadden Fellowship is one of the most prestigious public interest awards in law, and the firm's early bet on hostile takeover work permanently changed how corporate lawyers operate.