Latham[a] & Watkins LLP is an American multinational white-shoelaw firm. Founded in 1934 in Los Angeles, California, it is known for its litigation, corporate, and regulatory law practices.
The firm was founded in January 1934 in Los Angeles, California, by Dana Latham and Paul Watkins. Latham's practice focused on state and federal tax law, and he eventually served as Commissioner of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under President Dwight Eisenhower. Watkins's practice focused primarily on labor. At first, the firm grew slowly, with only 19 attorneys employed as of 1960.[3]
In 2007, Latham became the first American law firm to attain more than $2 billion in yearly revenue.[5]
Amid the global recession in 2009, the firm laid off 190 lawyers and 250 paralegal and support staff, representing twelve percent of the firm's total associates and ten percent of the support staff.[6] At a time when many firms were conducting layoffs, the term "Lathamed" became legal slang for being laid off.[7]
In 2018, Latham was the first law firm to report more than $3 billion in gross revenue.[8][9] It was briefly the highest-grossing law firm in the world, but has since lost the number one spot to Kirkland & Ellis.[10][11]
In August 2023, Latham announced the decision to close its Shanghai office amid consolidation of its operations in China.[12][13]
Amid clashes at some college campuses, following the onset of the 2023 Israel-Hamas war, Latham & Watkins was among a group of law firms who sent a letter to 14 American law school deans denouncing anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and racism.[14]
Latham has been consistently ranked as the second-largest law firm in the world by revenue among the Am Law 100, since 2021, and was the No. 1 firm in the Am Law 100 rankings for 2017.[17] In 2022, Latham was also one of the most profitable law firms in the world, with profits per partner exceeding US$7.1 million.[18]
In 2024, the firm received its tenth consecutive ranking from Chambers and Partners, which is the highest number of consecutive practice and lawyer rankings.[19][20] Latham ranked #4 among the Vault Law 100 in 2024.[21]
In March 2025, Latham & Watkins was named 2024 Americas Law Firm of the Year.[22]
A. J. T. v. Osseo Area Schools, on behalf of the family of a student with a disability. The Supreme Court unanimously sided with the family, holding that the "ADA and Rehabilitation Act claims based on educational services should be subject to the same standards that apply in other disability discrimination contexts."[52]
Urias-Orellana v. Bondi, on behalf of Douglas Humberto Urias-Orellana, his wife Sayra Iliana Gamez-Mejia, and their minor child. Urias-Orellana sought asylum on the grounds that he was being targeted by a hitman in El Salvador. The Supreme Court rejected his appeal in a 9-0 ruling.[57][58]
Vega v. Tekoh, on behalf of Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputy Carlos Vega. In March 2014, Vega arrested Terence Tekoh, a hospital employee, on suspicion that he had sexually assaulted a patient. Tekoh then sued Vega under 42U.S.C.§1983, asserting he violated his rights under Miranda v. Arizona by not warning him of his right to remain silent.[59] The Supreme Court sided with Vega, holding that an officer's failure to read Miranda warnings to a suspect in custody does not provide basis for a claim of civil liability.[60]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
$7.0 billion (2024) [2] 
