Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom is one of the largest law firms in the world, with approximately 1,760 attorneys across offices in New York (headquarters), Washington, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, and major international cities. Founded in 1948, Skadden rose to prominence by pioneering the legal work surrounding hostile takeovers in the 1970s and 1980s, fundamentally reshaping the M&A landscape. The firm generates profits per partner of approximately $7 million and handles a volume and complexity of transactions that few firms can match.

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.