The Top Five Antitrust Law Firms

In the 2025 Vault prestige rankings, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, Latham & Watkins, Gibson Dunn, Kirkland & Ellis, and Skadden earned the top five spots for the Best Law Firms for Antitrust.

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP

Ranking No. 1 in Vault’s Antitrust prestige rankings, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is renowned for its cross-border operations in more than 50 countries. In fact, it is ranked No. 10 in Vault’s International practice area rankings. It holds 12 other top 20 spots in these prestige rankings, including the No. 9 position for Project Finance. The firm compensates 1,150 attorneys in 16 offices with market rate salaries and bonuses. Although Cleary does not mandate a billable hour requirement, lawyers report that they typically bill 2,000 hours with an unlimited number of pro bono hours counted as billable. They describe the firm as collegial. Firm-sponsored events encourage friendly socialization, and retreats held in the United States and abroad are fabulous perks. Cleary ranks No. 14 in Vault’s Formal Training rankings, and associates gain hands-on experience with substantive work. The expertise that Cleary attorneys thus acquire can lead to roles in government, other firms, and with clients. Moreover, the relationships between attorneys and the firm endure, as indicated by attorneys who return to Cleary after working elsewhere.

Latham & Watkins

The superstar firm Latham & Watkins remains at the No. 2 position in Vault’s Best Law Firms for Antitrust rankings in 2025. The firm holds 24 other top 15 spots in Vault’s practice area rankings, including the No. 2 place for Project Finance, Clean Tech/Renewable Energy, and Securities/Capital Markets. On the basis of its Annual Associate Survey, Vault has also recognized Latham as one of the Best Law Firms in Southern California (No. 1); Northern California (No. 2); Chicago (No. 3); Texas (No. 3); Washington, DC (No. 3); Boston (No. 4); and New York (No. 7). Three thousand attorneys in 29 offices (12 locations in the United States) call Latham home. Associates frequently socialize with each other, partners, and staff. In addition to attending firm- and team-sponsored events, many of the friendly people at Latham socialize outside of work. The billable hour requirement is 1,900 hours, which associates find reasonable, particularly because they can expect to receive market-rate salaries every year and earn above-market bonuses. The promotion process is transparent at Latham, and the firm offers to help attorneys find their path either at the firm, including as counsel with the potential of moving into a coveted equity partner slot, or in a position in-house or elsewhere, such as the government.

Gibson Dunn

Gibson Dunn, the No. 3 firm in Antitrust in Vault’s practice areas rankings, is the No. 1 firm for Real Estate and the No. 2 firm for Appellate Litigation. The firm holds 12 other top 20 spots in Vault’s practice area rankings. It is the No. 1 firm in the Mountain States (for its Denver office) and is recognized as a top 15 firm in five other Vault-ranked regions. Associates report a strong sense of community established by professional and personable coworkers in its 21 offices. The 1,900 lawyers at Gibson Dunn have been carefully curated, as indicated by the firm’s No. 5 spot in Vault’s Selectivity quality-of-life rankings. The attorneys who land a position acquire work through a free-market system, which enables them to cultivate their expertise in areas that interest them and stretch in their roles. Attorneys take responsibility for key matters. They also receive support from the firm to move into counsel or partnership roles, where they can continue to take advantage of the many benefits of working for a firm with 11 top 25 spots in Vault’s quality-of-life rankings, including the No. 9 place in its Business Outlook rankings. Attorneys who choose to leave find excellent opportunities in-house and in the government.

Kirkland & Ellis

Kirkland & Ellis, the No. 4 firm in Vault’s Antitrust rankings, started in Chicago in 1909 and is now one of the most successful BigLaw firms on earth. With 3,500 lawyers, Kirkland holds five No. 1 Vault practice area rankings: Bankruptcy/Restructuring, Banking & Financial Services, General Corporate Practice, and Products Liability. In addition to these rankings, the firm holds 12 top 10 Vault practice area rankings. Moreover, Vault recognizes Kirkland in eight region and six quality-of-life rankings. These impressive outcomes are driven by hiring practices that bring motivated, smart, and kind professionals into its 29 offices (11 locations in the United States). Kirkland attorneys support each other when the BigLaw hours become inevitably long and, in some instances, develop strong friendships. After six years, productive associates become non-equity partners, but the prospect of making equity partner is generally unclear. Some mid-level associates choose to go in-house or to the government. Junior associates enjoy stellar lateraling options.

Skadden

The No. 3 firm in the Vault Law 100 prestige rankings, Skadden, is the No. 5 firm in Vault’s Antitrust rankings. It is the No. 1 firm for Tax law; No. 2 firm for Securities Litigation; No 3 firm for M&A, Products Liability, Project Finance, and Securities & Capital Markets; No. 4 firm for Private Equity and General Corporate Practice; and No. 5 firm for Banking & Financial Services. Moreover, it is ranked in Vault’s top 10 for every region in which it has a presence. To date, Skadden has established 8 U.S. offices and 11 international offices with 1,700 impressive attorneys, including some with previous legal or industry experience. These hires have created an inclusive environment where everyone is welcome and personal time is respected. The billable hour requirement of 1,800 includes unlimited pro bono work hours, and firm citizenship hours count as well. Associates can work as counsel while waiting—potentially for a long time—for an opportunity to make partner. For those who wish to exit, the potential to move in-house or to the government is high.

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Attorneys can look to any of these top firms to acquire the best experience in antitrust matters and the highest compensation that BigLaw offers. All these firms have an international presence and other highly ranked practice areas. They vary, however, in terms of billable hour requirements and hiring selectivity, and each has a unique culture.

To evaluate the firms on multiple metrics, attorneys can look at the full profile of each of these firms. Each profile offers unique information on firm culture, quality and distribution of work, partner-associate relationships, and other firm attributes as described anonymously by the attorneys who currently work there. Moreover, job seekers can access a quick overview of each firm by focusing on the Vault Verdict, which is a summary of attorney responses to the Vault Annual Associate Survey.

Vault also features profiles for other firms in the Vault Law 100 and lists The Top 150 Under 150 midsize and small firms. In addition, Vault’s Practice Area, Regional, and Summer Program Resource Centers provide additional perspective into the most prestigious law firms in the nation.

Best of luck on your legal job search from all of us at Vault Law!