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The Leading US Law Firm Brands 2012
1. Skadden
2. Jones Day
3. Kirkland & Ellis
4. Sidley Austin
5. Wachtell
6. Latham & Watkins
7. Baker & McKenzie
8. Morgan Lewis
9. Gibson Dunn
10. Sullivan & Cromwell
11. dla piper
12. Mayer Brown
13. hogan lovells
14. Fulbright & Jaworski
15. Cravath
16. Weil Gotshal
17. Baker Botts
18. Shearman & Sterling
19. K&L Gates
20. Vinson & Elkins
21. White & Case
22. Morrison & Foerster
23. Davis Polk
24. Wilmer
25. Simpson Thacher

How is Cravath so low on this list?

The survey is based off interviews with several hundred general counsel types. Shockingly, very few of them have need of Cravath's limited services or can afford Cravath's rates or are located in Cravath's one geographic market.

Clearly this is a useful list for many people, and was worth the time of the person who assembled it.

very few of them have need of Cravath's limited services or can afford Cravath's rates

Somehow, I strongly doubt they can't afford Cravath's rates but can afford Skadden, Wachtell, or Kirkland's rates. In other words, I don't think rates was a reason for the lack of preference for Cravath...

IAFG wrote:Clearly this is a useful list for many people, and was worth the time of the person who assembled it.

first part lol, second part probably accurate

This is a really interesting list and doesn't surprise me at all. Some of these firms do an incredible job of marketing and branding (Sidley really springs to mind on this one) and others clearly don't care about such things (all the DC firms, apparently).

Some of these firms are brilliant marketers. Sidley is very good at heavy participation in rankings like the US News which none of the other firms seem to pay attention to but Sidley dominates every year. If you compare that ranking to Chambers, it is a pretty alarming difference. Also a lot of these firms will contribute heavily to the "Who's Who" of American Firms type stuff where you are basically ranked according to how much ad space you buy in the publication. That stuff really matters, apparently.

Perhaps more will now enjoy dla piper

This is kind of stupid- the sophisticated clients that these firms are serving aren't basing their decisions on your "brand ranking" or a snazzy ad in the Economist. Any F500 facing a hostile takeover is retaning WLRK regardless of the fact that Jones Day is ranked higher here. Weil Gotshal isn't even on here, but they are going to get the top-tier bankruptcy work. A company facing high-stakes patent litigation, however, probably wouldn't hire any of the firms on this list. These all-encompassing prestige rankings are stupid because it's really all based on practice areas.

2LLLL wrote:Weil Gotshal isn't even on here, but they are going to get the top-tier bankruptcy work. A company facing high-stakes patent litigation, however, probably wouldn't hire any of the firms on this list. These all-encompassing prestige rankings are stupid because it's really all based on practice areas.

I agree with the overall sentiment of this post but just for sake of clarity, a few of these statements are flat out wrong. For one, Weil is on the list. Additionally, a significant portion of the firms on this list routinely handle big patent cases (K&E, Weil, Mofo, Wilmer, Latham just to name a few of them off the top of my head).

2LLLL wrote:This is kind of stupid- the sophisticated clients that these firms are serving aren't basing their decisions on your "brand ranking" or a snazzy ad in the Economist. Any F500 facing a hostile takeover is retaning WLRK regardless of the fact that Jones Day is ranked higher here. Weil Gotshal isn't even on here, but they are going to get the top-tier bankruptcy work. A company facing high-stakes patent litigation, however, probably wouldn't hire any of the firms on this list. These all-encompassing prestige rankings are stupid because it's really all based on practice areas.

Yes, it's based on practice, but the fact is that the practices the most elite firms specialize in, just don't happen that much. There are maybe 20 hostile takeovers a year that would draw WLRK's attention. There are thousands of real estate deals, contract disputes and business transactions that are being eaten up by Jones Day. Cravath would never have the greatest name recognition simply because it isn't large enough to staff enough of the regular transactions most F500s do on a yearly basis.

f0bolous wrote:Perhaps more will now enjoy DLA Piper

lol

I miss this meme.

A company facing high-stakes patent litigation, however, probably wouldn't hire any of the firms on this list.

Holler at me when you're done talking out of your ass.

romothesavior wrote:

f0bolous wrote:Perhaps more will now enjoy DLA Piper

lol

I miss this meme.

Quoted for posterity and lulz.

romothesavior wrote:

f0bolous wrote:Perhaps more will now enjoy DLA Piper

lol

I miss this meme.

Old memes never die, they just get resurrected periodically.