5 biggest law firms in the world

There are thousands and thousands of different law firms across the world from the smallest local advisor to corporate firms with hundreds of staff and clients worth Billions.

Of course, when you need a lawyer, specialism and reliability are far more important than size, and simply picking the biggest firm that will have you is rarely a good plan.

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However, just because you aren’t using them yourself doesn’t mean it isn’t fun to take a look at some of the mammoth names in the legal world anyway.

What exactly makes a law firm ‘big’ is up for debate. Is it turnover? Reputation? Number of staff? Well, we think it is a combination of all these things, and this list includes firms from across the Globe who represent some of the biggest corporations in the world and have a proven track record of exceptional legal representation.

DLA Piper

DLA piper is based in the UK, but is widely acknowledged as one of the 10 largest law firms anywhere in the world.

Whilst being based in the UK, DLA Piper operate in over 30 different countries worldwide and had a revenue exceeding an eyewatering £3.5bn in 2022.

Clifford Chance

If you are involved in the business world in any shape or form, Clifford Chance is a name that you are sure to have heard of.

Formed in 1987, Clifford Chance represent some of the biggest business clients in the world and specialise in everything from litigation to capital investment.

The Reuters Global Elite Law Firm Brand Index whilst just one measure of law firm pedigree, ranks Clifford chance as one of the top 3 law firms in the world.

Kirkland & Ellis

In the corporate space, few law firms demand as much respect as Kirkland & Ellis. With a turnover of over £6.5bn, just a few of this firms clients include Samsung, Siemens, and General Motors.

They specialise in services such as tax, litigation, and IP rights.

Latham & Watkins

This Los Angeles based law firm now have offices spanning over 14 different nations around the world and employ over 3,500 different lawyers.

With a turnover estimated to exceed £5bn, only Kirkland & Ellis boast a larger annual turnover with the firm covering a huge range of different legal services from entertainment to real estate.

Dentons

Dentons emerged as a major player in the legal world following a flurry of mergers at the during the 2010s.

These mergers left Dentons with a huge workforce than now exceeds 12,000 and operates in an incredible 80+ countries.

These 5 law firms are just a few of the global mega-corporations that dominate the legal world and there is no true way to determine the biggest 5 in a non-disputable way.

That said, there is no doubt that you or your business would be in pretty safe hands with one of these firms by your side.