Firm Summary
Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz LLP
Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is about as New York as they come — since its founding in 1965, the firm has never expanded beyond a single Manhattan office, though today they employ nearly 300 lawyers. Wachtell has always stood out from the crowd, largely because it avoids handling routine legal matters and instead focuses on the risky, complex, bet-the-company matters that scare many other firm’s off, and even its competitors admire it for it. Unquestionably one of the world’s elite firms, Wachtell dominates the corporate finance sphere, with equally strong showings in M&A, restructuring, shareholder activism, and corporate governance. The firm’s corporate clients also benefit from its expertise in handling sensitive litigation, investigation, and corporate restructuring matters. Wachtell is also known for maintaining a low partner-to-associate ratio and tailoring its teams to the unique needs of each case.
Firm Stats
- Firm Name
- Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz LLP
- U.S. Lawyer Headcount
- 302
- Headcount Change Since 2016
Overall
+43
Partner
+21
- Salary Scale
- Market +
- Hours Required
- Unspecified
- Top Feeder Schools
- Harvard Law School, Columbia Law School, NYU School of Law
- Average Lawyer Tenure at Firm (Years)
- 7.3
- Revenue Per Lawyer Change Over Five Years
- 27%
- Women Partners (as Percentage of U.S. Lawyer Headcount)
- 6%
- Women Partners (As a Percentage of U.S. Partnership)
- 23%
- Promotion Rate
- 2%
Firm Policies
Benefits and Perks
- $3K bar stipend
- $20K salary advance
- $1K moving stipend
- Pro-rated stub bonus
Above the Law Coverage
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The Key To Wachtell’s Success? How They Pay Their Partners
Wachtell has a unique philosophy when it comes to money.
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What In The Wachtell Is Going On? Elite Firm Makes A Splashy Lateral Hire
Selwyn Goldberg has left Wilson Sonsini.
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Wachtell Lipton’s New Partners: 100 Percent Diverse
Good news about diversity at one of the nation’s most prestigious and profitable law firms.
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Wachtell Is More Than Doubling Up Its Nearest Competitor
We’re talking about profits per lawyer.
The Law Firm Transparency Project draws upon Above the Law research as well as data provided by Leopard Solutions and UniCourt. Click here for an expanded methodology and definition of terms.
