Overview
Introduction
One of the elite New York firms, Debevoise is a leader in the private equity and M&A spaces and is also a go-to firm for white collar matters. The firm has a reputation for being intellectual and respectful and for providing ample support to its associates—from extensive mentoring to career coaching. Associates wanting extensive pro bono opportunities will find Debevoise a great place to land, as helping underserved communities has been an area of focus since the firm’s founding in 1931.
Firm Stats
Total No. Attorneys (2023)
No. of Partners Named (2024)
Featured Rankings
No. of 1st Year Associates Hired (2024)
No. of Summer Associates (2024)
Base Salary
Vault Verdict
If you’re looking for great relationships with partners, true lockstep compensation with no billable hour requirement, and incredible pro bono opportunities, then Debevoise may be for you. Most new associates come from T14 schools, have work experience, and can seamlessly transition into the professional, friendly, and supportive office settings. Associates praise the work-life balance at Debevoise. Partners are approachable, respectful, and willing to help more junior attorneys learn on the job. Strong mentor-mentee relationships lead to helpful feedback and professional development, and the formal training programs are extensive. Work assignments range from basic document review to more sophisticated projects that include client contact and support associates in stretching into ...
Firm's Response
Who We Are: Debevoise is ranked among the best law firms globally because of our unwavering focus on our people. Our goal is to bring the best, most diverse talent to our firm, where we work to build and sustain an inclusive community—one in which all our lawyers can grow, thrive, and work as a single team...
About the Firm
Debevoise & Plimpton is one of New York’s most powerful law firms and represents high-profile clients in transactions and disputes in established and emerging markets around the world. The firm’s core franchise practices include strategic and private equity, M&A, insurance, financial services transactions, fund formation, complex litigation, white collar/investigations, and international arbitration.
Good Genes
Eli Whitney Debevoise, a direct descendent of the cotton gin inventor, and William E. Stevenson founded their firm in New York in 1931. Debevoise wasn’t the only one with an interesting background; Stevenson was a gold medalist on the 1,600-meter relay team in the 1924 Olympics. Francis T. P. Plimpton, whose name graced the masthead starting in 1933, was the fath...
2025 Vault Rankings
Associate Reviews
- “Debevoise offers an atmosphere with a high level of collegiality, with colleagues almost always willing to chip in to help/support and senior attorneys eager to teach/mentor and almost always extremely patient. It's also a very social environment with frequent opportunities to mingle within and between groups, between lawyers and staff, as well as through many affinity groups and other sports/hobby teams outside the office.”
- “The day-to-day interactions are extremely collegial, professional, and friendly. That applies across the board: Lawyers have the utmost respect for support staff and vice versa. There are many firm-sponsored social events, and individuals will also get together outside of work hours. Generally, however, people have lives outside of work and enjoy getting home at a reasonable time, even if they end up logging in later.”
- “Patient and kind—willing to go the extra mile to make sure more junior attorneys are understanding the 'why' behind the work being done.”
- “It is a supportive, genuine, collegial culture. There are impromptu chats in the hallways, informal lunches, and plenty of firm-sponsored events. The environment makes me want to come into the office each day to see colleagues. There is an expectation of excellence, but not at the expense of health or relationships.”
Why Work Here
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a premier law firm with market-leading practices, a global perspective and strong New York roots. Our clients look to us to bring a distinctively high degree of quality, intensity and creativity to resolve legal challenges effectively and cost efficiently.
Deep partner commitment, industry experience and a strategic approach enable us to bring clear commercial judgment to every matter. We draw on the strength of our culture and structure to deliver the best of our firm to every client through true collaboration.
Approximately 800 lawyers work in ten offices across three continents, within integrated global practices, serving clients around the world. Our lawyers prioritize developing a deep understanding of the business of our clients. We then pursue each matter with both intensity and creativity to achieve optimal results.
We are committed to serving our clients through excellence in lawyering. We receive numerous accolades and awards recognizing this commitment and the firm’s market prominence worldwide.
Debevoise is also recognized as one of the leading firms for diversity. We believe that a diverse workforce, where all of our colleagues feel respected, builds a stronger firm, and benefits clients and the wider community.
The firm’s culture fosters a collaborative approach across disciplines and regions, and, as a result, clients benefit from the dedication, cohesiveness and superior quality that we bring to all of our work worldwide.
Getting Hired Here
- “Debevoise tends to hire kind and intelligent associates that foster a certain type of collegiality that the firm is known for; large egos and cutthroat personalities don't fit in. Prior work experience is a plus. The firm hires the majority of its associates from T14s, particularly NY schools, but is making an effort to branch out to high achieving students in non-T14s.”
- “I believe the firm is looking for independent and self-driven candidates. I believe work experience, personality, diversity, and general law school status are considered. There are a large variety of schools in the T14, New York, and New Jersey which feed into the firm.”
- “Debevoise prioritizes cultural fit and a commitment to collegiality. Strong credentials are a prerequisite but not the determining factor. Also, I would expect that most successful candidates cite the firm's lockstep compensation model (and the follow-on benefits for collegiality) in their interview as one of the key reasons they are interested in Debevoise.”
Perks & Benefits