Keating Muething & Klekamp v. Frost Brown Todd v. Stites . . Forum

[Anonymous User]

Stites & Harbison
Keating Muething & Klekamp
Frost Brown Todd

How do these three firms stack up to one another?

...want to end up with DC biglaw

[Anonymous User]

What offices? FBT and Stites both have offices in Louisville, KMK is only in Cincinnati. I take it you are a 1L looking for next summer?

[Anonymous User]

I just want to know if any one of these firms, regardless of location, stands above the other two and why.

[Anonymous User]

Without more information, this is a stupid question. Each firm has its own strengths, and it largely depends on what you want to do (litigation vs. transactional, etc.).

If you're trying to get with one of these firms and then eventually lateral to DC Biglaw, I don't think there is a large difference (although FBT's size is a selling point). If you're a 1L looking to get a 2012 SA and then hoping for DC Biglaw 2L summer, then I don't think one sticks out over the other. Again, FBT probably has more of a national reach than the other two (although Stites has an office in NoVa).

I could probably provide you with more insight if you disclose a little more about what you're looking to do.

[Anonymous User]

Stites & Harbison
Keating Muething & Klekamp
Frost Brown Todd

How do these three firms stack up to one another?

...want to end up with DC biglaw

Frost Brown Todd >>> Stites & Harbison. (Sorry, I know nothing about Keating Meuthing & Klekamp.)

I live in a market that includes both FBT and Stites, and FBT has the superior reputation -- in fact, the best reputation of any firm in town. I'm not sure if I can point to one particular thing that sets them apart; they simply have a reputation as being the better firm (although, to be fair, they are roughly in the same general tier as each other). The only quantitative factor I can point to is that the graduates of Top-14 law schools who move to town tend to end up at FBT more than Stites or any other firm. If you go to a top school yourself, or are a top graduate of some other school, then you may be able to get into FBT & I assume you will have a better shot of lateraling to DC. Hope that helps...