Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

Despite Pandemic, Profits At Am Law 100 Firms Leapt to New Heights

By Brenda Sapino Jeffreys
May 01, 2021

The past year posed new and unusual challenges for U.S. law firms, rattled by economic uncertainty, remote work, stay-home orders and social distancing. Despite the turmoil, profits at the Am Law 100 leapt to new heights. According to the 2021 Am Law 100 report, eight firms posted net income in excess of $1 billion in 2020, profits per equity partner spiked 13.4%, and the average profit margin bumped from 40% to 43%.

Kirkland & Ellis led the Am Law 100 in profits with $2.95 billion, with Latham & Watkins next at $2.37 billion. They were joined in an expanded billion-dollar club by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom; Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher; Morgan, Lewis & Bockius; Jones Day; White & Case; and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett.

Profit increases were widespread, hitting nearly all of the Am Law 100. Profits per equity partner improved at 92 firms in the group, up from 86 the previous year, and only six posted lower PEP in 2020 than in 2019, compared with 14 the previous year. PEP averaged $2.231 million across the Am Law 100.

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Major Differences In UK, U.S. Copyright Laws Image

This article highlights how copyright law in the United Kingdom differs from U.S. copyright law, and points out differences that may be crucial to entertainment and media businesses familiar with U.S law that are interested in operating in the United Kingdom or under UK law. The article also briefly addresses contrasts in UK and U.S. trademark law.

The Article 8 Opt In Image

The Article 8 opt-in election adds an additional layer of complexity to the already labyrinthine rules governing perfection of security interests under the UCC. A lender that is unaware of the nuances created by the opt in (may find its security interest vulnerable to being primed by another party that has taken steps to perfect in a superior manner under the circumstances.

Strategy vs. Tactics: Two Sides of a Difficult Coin Image

With each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.

Legal Possession: What Does It Mean? Image

Possession of real property is a matter of physical fact. Having the right or legal entitlement to possession is not "possession," possession is "the fact of having or holding property in one's power." That power means having physical dominion and control over the property.

The Anti-Assignment Override Provisions Image

UCC Sections 9406(d) and 9408(a) are one of the most powerful, yet least understood, sections of the Uniform Commercial Code. On their face, they appear to override anti-assignment provisions in agreements that would limit the grant of a security interest. But do these sections really work?