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I looked through the threads and most of the info was outdated. So here I am.

What are generally considered to be the best California law firms for white collar, government investigations, and regulatory work? Basically, the West Coast equivalent of DC's W/C, WH, Covington etc.

For context, I went to a T14 and I'm coming off a district court clerkship in the 9th and looking to stay in CA. My long-term goals are government work, possibly state AG's office or an executive regulatory agency, but I'd like to work at a firm for the next 5 years or so, and to the extent I can built relevant long-term skills the better.

The general consensus seems to be that Gibson, MTO, and maybe LW are heavy hitters in CA. I wonder how Keker, and the DC/NY based firms (e.g., WH, Covington, Skadden) compare. Also, maybe Perkins?

Thanks in advance!

I'm sure the firms you mentioned are good.

I also imagine that Bird Marella and Hueston Hennigan are strong given some of their lawyers' backgrounds.

Years ago when Melinda Haag was the USAO in San Francisco, people mentioned Orrick (where Haag came from) as a strong place for white collar. It looks like she's now at Paul Weiss.

Two other California firms I've seen in the white collar space, but don't know a ton about, are Larson Obrien and Spertus Landes.

But all that said, I'd just check the Chambers bands because that will probably tell you more than anyone here can.