Headquartered in New York, NY, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom has approximately 1,756 attorneys across 21 offices and traces its history to 1948.
First-year comp
$255,000+
Reported first-year compensation
Summer associates
156
Reporting year not confirmed; 99.4% reported offer rate
Partnership track
9 years
Reported path to partnership
Vault 100
#3
Overall firm rank
Skadden was founded in New York in 1948 by Marshall Skadden, Les Arps, and John Slate. Joe Flom joined as its first associate that year, and Bill Meagher joined in 1959. The firm's history connects its growth to proxy contests and the development of the modern mergers and acquisitions market.
Its willingness to handle proxy fights in the 1950s and 1960s helped position the firm for the hostile takeover activity that followed in the 1970s. Alongside that work, Skadden developed complementary litigation, tax, and antitrust practices. Expansion into additional cities began in 1973 as client needs and transaction activity grew.
For students, this history explains the relationship between the firm's corporate identity and its broader services. A contested transaction can require deal counsel, courtroom advocacy, and tax or competition analysis at the same time. Skadden's development illustrates how those disciplines became connected within a firm serving clients on complex business problems.
New York · Christiana Carriero, Senior Manager, Attorney Recruiting
christiana.carriero@skadden.com
Checked 2026-09-07. Confirm the office and recruiting cycle on the official page.
Recruiting page · Checked 2026-09-07
Skadden's US student page lists its 2026 1L and 2027 2L applications as closed. Check the official page for the next cycle and office-specific opportunities.
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| Practice | Market | Recognition |
|---|---|---|
Antitrust | Nationwide | Chambers Band 1 Reported year: 2026 Ranking source not supplied |
Antitrust | New York | Chambers Band 1 Reported year: 2026 Ranking source not supplied |
Capital Markets / Securities | California | Chambers Band 1 Reported year: 2026 Ranking source not supplied |
Capital Markets / Securities | Massachusetts | Chambers Band 1 Reported year: 2026 Ranking source not supplied |
Capital Markets / Securities | Nationwide | Chambers Band 1 Reported year: 2026 Ranking source not supplied |
Capital Markets / Securities | New York | Chambers Band 1 Reported year: 2026 Ranking source not supplied |
Commercial Litigation | Nationwide | Chambers Band 1 Reported year: 2026 Ranking source not supplied |
Commercial Litigation | New York | Chambers Band 1 Reported year: 2026 Ranking source not supplied |
Corporate / M&A | California | Chambers Band 1 Reported year: 2026 Ranking source not supplied |
Corporate / M&A | California: Los Angeles & Surrounds | Chambers Band 1 Reported year: 2026 Ranking source not supplied |
Profits per partner
$7M
AmLaw #5