Latham & Watkins

Last updated

Latham & Watkins LLP
Latham & Watkins Logo.svg
No. of offices28 [1]
No. of attorneys3,078 [1]
No. of employees≈7,000
Major practice areas General corporate, mergers & acquisitions, banking and finance, litigation, antitrust
Key peopleRichard Trobman, Chair and Managing Partner
RevenueIncrease2.svg US$5.5 billion (March 2022) [1]
Date foundedFebruary 8, 1934;90 years ago (1934-02-08)
Company type Limited liability partnership
Website www.lw.com

Latham & Watkins LLP is an American multinational law firm. Founded in 1934 in Los Angeles, California, Latham is the second-largest law firm in the world by revenue. [1] As of 2022, Latham is also one of the most profitable law firms in the world, with profits per partner exceeding US$5.7 million. [2]

Contents

History

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]

As of 2020, the company is known for lobbying and litigating against actions to mitigate climate change. [4] [ verification needed ] According to the Law Students for Climate Accountability, "Latham & Watkins is the only firm to be in the Top 5 Worst Firms for both transactions and litigation exacerbating climate change." [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]

At one time Latham & Watkins was considered to be the world's largest law firm by total revenue when, in February 2018, it surpassed $3 billion in annual revenue. [8]

As of February 2021, Latham's largest office is in New York City, with more than 450 lawyers. [9] The firm claims it is the only fully integrated multinational law firm with no single headquarters. [10] In 2007, Latham became the first American law firm to attain more than $2 billion in yearly revenue, and in 2018 it was the first law firm to report more than US$3 billion in gross revenue. [11] [12] [13] As of 2018, it was briefly the highest-grossing law firm in the world, but has since lost the number one spot to Kirkland & Ellis. [14] [15]

Latham opened its first office in Moscow in 1992, and thereafter represented a number of Russian state-owned companies. [16] These clients include the state-owned bank VTB and the natural gas producer Novatek. [17] Latham ended its Russia operations in March 2022, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. [18] In August 2023, Latham announced the decision to close its Shanghai office amid consolidation of its operations in China. [19] [20]

Latham's largest office is located at 1271 Avenue of the Americas Time-life building.jpg
Latham's largest office is located at 1271 Avenue of the Americas

After the wave of global protests against Israel's response in Gaza to the October 7th attacks, in November 2023 Latham & Watkins was among a group of major law firms who sent a letter to top law school deans warning them that any incidents targeting Jewish students would have corporate hiring consequences. The letter said "We look to you to ensure your students who hope to join our firms after graduation are prepared to be an active part of workplace communities that have zero tolerance policies for any form of discrimination or harassment, much less the kind that has been taking place on some law school campuses." [21] The letter was denounced by a coalition of Muslim bar associations as contributing to Islamophobia and a climate of fear in the legal community. [22]

In February 2024, Latham cut off its Hong Kong–based lawyers' access to content in its U.S., Europe, Middle East, and Asia databases. [23] [24]

Rankings

Latham was ranked as the No. 1 firm in the Am Law 100 rankings for 2017. [25] In 2021, the firm received the highest number of practice and lawyer rankings from Chambers and Partners . [26] Dubbed an "A-List All-Star" by The American Lawyer , the firm is one of three firms to appear on the A-List each year since its inception in 2003. [27] Vault.com named Latham one of the top five most prestigious firms in the United States and the most prestigious firm in Southern California. [28]

Notable clients and cases

Notable attorneys and alumni

Government

Other

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom</span> International law firm

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates is an American multinational law firm headquartered in New York City.

O'Melveny & Myers LLP is an American multinational law firm founded in Los Angeles, California in 1885. The firm employs approximately 740 lawyers and has offices in California, Washington, D.C., New York City, Beijing, Brussels, Hong Kong, London, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, and Tokyo.

Vinson & Elkins LLP is an international law firm with approximately 700 lawyers worldwide headquartered in Downtown Houston, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Chertoff</span> American government official (born 1953)

Michael Chertoff is an American attorney who was the second United States Secretary of Homeland Security to serve under President George W. Bush. Chertoff also served for one additional day under President Barack Obama. He was the co-author of the USA PATRIOT Act. Chertoff previously served as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, as a federal prosecutor, and as Assistant U.S. Attorney General. He succeeded Tom Ridge as U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security on February 15, 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DLA Piper</span> Multinational law firm

DLA Piper is a law firm with offices in over 40 countries across the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

Greenberg Traurig is a multinational law and lobbying firm founded in Miami in 1967 by Mel Greenberg, Larry J. Hoffman, and Robert H. Traurig.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP is an American multinational law firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1909, Kirkland & Ellis is the largest law firm in the world by revenue and the seventh-largest by number of attorneys. It was the first law firm in the world to reach US$7 billion in annual revenue.

Sidley Austin LLP is an American multinational law firm with approximately 2,300 lawyers in 21 offices worldwide. It was established in 1866 and its headquarters is at One South Dearborn in Chicago's Loop. It is one of the largest law firms in the world in terms of revenue. Among its alumni are former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as well as Vice President-Elect J.D. Vance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alice S. Fisher</span> American lawyer

Alice Stevens Fisher is an American lawyer and partner at the Washington, D.C. office of Latham & Watkins LLP. Fisher served as Deputy United States Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division from 2001 to 2003 and as an Assistant Attorney General in the Department of Justice Criminal Division for three years, from 2005 to May 23, 2008.

The KPMG tax shelter fraud scandal involved illegal U.S. tax shelters by KPMG that were exposed beginning in 2003. In early 2005, the United States member firm of KPMG International, KPMG LLP, was accused by the United States Department of Justice of fraud in marketing abusive tax shelters.

Philip Jonathan Perry is an American attorney and was a political appointee during the George W. Bush administration, where he was acting associate attorney general at the Department of Justice, general counsel of the Office of Management and Budget, and general counsel of the Department of Homeland Security.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dechert</span> American law firm

Dechert LLP is a multinational American law firm of more than 900 lawyers with practices in corporate and securities, complex litigation, finance and real estate, financial services, asset management, and private equity. In 2021, the firm raised revenues by 25%, with a total of $1.3 billion. On Law.com's 2022 Global 200 survey, Dechert ranked as the 41st highest grossing law firm in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winston & Strawn</span> American law firm

Winston & Strawn LLP is an international law firm headquartered in Chicago. It has more than 900 attorneys spread across ten offices in the United States and six offices in Europe, Asia and South America. Founded in 1853, it is one of the largest and oldest law firms in Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weil, Gotshal & Manges</span> American law firm

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP is an American international law firm with approximately 1,100 attorneys, headquartered in New York City. With a gross annual revenue in excess of $1.8 billion, it is among the world's largest law firms according to The American Lawyer's AmLaw 100 survey.

Crowell & Moring LLP is an international law firm headquartered in Washington, DC, with offices in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orange County, Chicago, Denver, London, Brussels, Doha, and Shanghai. With approximately 600 lawyers, the firm advises multinational corporations on regulatory, litigation, corporate, and investigations matters. As of 2022, Crowell & Moring is ranked among the top 100 law firms in the United States in The American Lawyer's "AmLaw 100" list, based on gross revenue.

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is an American multinational law firm headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1890, the firm has more than 1,900 attorneys and 1,000 staff in 21 offices across the world, including North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. It is one of the largest and most profitable law firms in the world. The firm is known for its litigation practice, particularly in appellate law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hogan Lovells</span> American-British law firm

Hogan Lovells is an American-British law firm co-headquartered in London and Washington, DC. The firm was formed in 2010 by the merger of the American law firm Hogan & Hartson and the British law firm Lovells. As of 2024, the firm employed about 2,800 lawyers, making it the sixth largest law firm in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathryn Ruemmler</span> American lawyer and former White House Counsel

Kathryn H. Ruemmler is an attorney who formerly served as principal deputy White House counsel and then White House Counsel to President Barack Obama. Previously a partner at Latham and Watkins co-chairing its white-collar defense group, Ruemmler joined Goldman Sachs in 2020 as a Partner and Global Head of Regulatory Affairs. In 2021, she was promoted to Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leslie R. Caldwell</span> American lawyer (born 1957)

Leslie Ragon Caldwell is an American attorney, who served as the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division of the United States Department of Justice from 2014 to 2017. She has spent the majority of her professional career handling federal criminal cases, as both a prosecutor and as defense attorney. Caldwell served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of New York from 1987 to 1998, after which she was recruited by then US Attorney Robert Mueller to serve as Chief of the Criminal Division and Chief of the Securities Fraud Section of the United States Attorney's office for the Northern District of California; she served from 1999 to 2002. In September 2017, she became a partner at the law firm of Latham & Watkins, in San Francisco, CA. In late 2022, Caldwell retired from her partnership at Latham & Watkins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sutherland Asbill & Brennan</span> American law firm

Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP, rebranded to the abbreviated name of Sutherland, was an AmLaw 100 American law firm. Founded in 1924 by William Sutherland and Elbert Tuttle as Sutherland & Tuttle, the firm originally achieved national prominence on tax issues. Sutherland's practice extended throughout the United States and worldwide, and was focused on seven major practice areas: corporate, energy and environmental, financial services, intellectual property, litigation, real estate, and tax. As of January 2011, the firm had approximately 422 attorneys.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Latham". Law.com. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Latham & Watkins LLP" . Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  3. ↑ Latham.com (Archived July 13, 2011, at the Wayback Machine ), retrieved May 19, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Most Firms Are Failing the Climate Change Test, Law Student Group Concludes". Law.com. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  5. ↑ "The 2020 Law Firm Climate Change Scorecard" (PDF). 2020.
  6. ↑ Haynes, V. Dion (February 28, 2009). "Latham & Watkins Cuts 190 Lawyers". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 28, 2009.
  7. ↑ Mystal, Elie (June 14, 2010). "How Did Latham Become the Poster Child for Layoffs?". Above the Law. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
  8. ↑ "Latham & Watkins – What The Lawyer Says". The Lawyer. Legal insight, benchmarking data and jobs. April 10, 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Latham & Watkins LLP - Global Directory - New York". Lw.com.
  10. ↑ "Legal Technology Journal" (PDF). Lw.com. April 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  11. ↑ Jones, Ashby (February 11, 2008). "Latham & Watkins Breaks $2 Billion Revenue Barrier". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  12. ↑ Strom, Roy (February 22, 2018). "Latham & Watkins Makes History with $3 Billion in Revenue". Law.com . Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Latham & Watkins LLP". Law.com. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Kirkland Overtakes Latham as World's Biggest Firm by Revenue". The American Lawyer. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  15. ↑ Rubino, Kathryn. "Behold: The First Firm to Crack $3 Billion In Revenue". Above the Law. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  16. ↑ "Here Are the Biggest Legal Advisers to Russia's Major State-Owned Companies". Law.com International. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  17. ↑ Binham, Caroline; Rovnick, Naomi; Thompson, Barney (May 31, 2018). "London law firms feel chill from icy relations with Russia". Financial Times. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Latham & Watkins, Morgan Lewis Latest to Shut Russia Operations". Law.com International. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Latest US Law Firm Shrinks China Presence as Latham Closes in Shanghai". Law.com International. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Foreign law firms scale back China operations as outlook dims". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  21. ↑ Sorkin, Andrew Ross; Mattu, Ravi; Warner, Bernhard; Kessler, Sarah; Merced, Michael J. de la; Hirsch, Lauren; Livni, Ephrat (November 2, 2023). "Law Firms Warn Universities About Antisemitism on Campus". The New York Times. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  22. ↑ Egan, Matt (November 14, 2023). "Law firms accused of fueling Islamophobia and chilling free speech". CNN . Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  23. ↑ "Latham & Watkins cuts off its Hong Kong lawyers from international databases". www.ft.com. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  24. ↑ "Latham's China Data Protection Move Shows Firms' Security Worry". news.bloomberglaw.com. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  25. ↑ Lat, David (April 27, 2017). "The 2017 Am Law 100: A Turning Point For Biglaw?". Abovethelaw.com.
  26. ↑ "Latham & Watkins LLP - About Us - Awards & Rankings - Latham Tops the Rankings in Chambers USA 2021 Guide". Lw.com. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  27. ↑ "Latham & Watkins LLP-Company Profile-Vault.com". Vault.com.
  28. ↑ "Latham & Watkins | Company Profile". Firsthand.co. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  29. ↑ "Latham Advises Ardshinbank on Acquisition of HSBC Armenia". February 26, 2024. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  30. ↑ "Latham Wins Historic US Supreme Court Decision Overturning Chevron Deference". June 28, 2024. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  31. ↑ https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/hrg101-52.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  32. ↑ "Interior Department's Babbit and Hayes Join Latham & Watkins". Prwatch.org. January 22, 2001. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  33. ↑ "Loughlin, Giannulli lawyer is prosecutors' 'worst nightmare'". Apnews.com. April 20, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  34. ↑ "Former Enron Prosecutor Leslie Caldwell to Join Latham & Watkin". New York Times . June 21, 2017. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  35. ↑ "Charles Courtenay, Latham & Watkins". Law360.com. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  36. ↑ "Christopher Cox SEC Biography". sec.gov. October 17, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  37. ↑ "Richard Jeffrey Danzig Biography". history.navy.mil. October 17, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  38. ↑ "JOB-JUGGLING MARK FOWLER HAS ONE LESS BELL IN THE AIR". washingtonpost.com. November 9, 1993. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  39. ↑ "Gregory G. Garre Biography". lw.com. October 17, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  40. ↑ "Nomination of Fred T. Goldberg, Jr., To Be Commissioner of Internal Revenue". presidency.ucsb.edu. May 25, 1989. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  41. ↑ "California nominates its first Latina judge to state Supreme Court". nbcnews.com. February 15, 2022. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  42. ↑ "A CROWBAR FOR CARLA HILLS". The New York Times . June 10, 1990. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  43. ↑ https://www.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/Hillsbio0802.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  44. ↑ "Dana Latham, 75, Former Head Of the Internal Revenue, Is Dead (Published 1974)". The New York Times . February 9, 1974. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  45. ↑ "Judge Jonathan Lippman | Latham & Watkins LLP". www.lw.com. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  46. ↑ "Homeland Security". Archived from the original on October 10, 2006. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  47. ↑ "NOMINATIONS OF J. THOMAS ROSCH AND WILLIAM E. KOVACIC TO BE COMMISSIONERS OF THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION" (PDF). November 14, 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 10, 2010. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  48. ↑ "Latham & Watkins LLP". Lw.com.
  49. ↑ Sullivan, Dan (November 10, 2020). "Who is this guy? How Andrew Warren became the face of criminal justice in Tampa". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  50. ↑ ". "The Company Keeping Your Favorite (And Least Favorite) Websites Online". forbes.com. July 30, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
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.