Big law

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Big law is a term which generally refers to American law firms whose size is that of several hundred lawyers or higher. Such firms often are located in major legal markets such as New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago or Los Angeles. However, it is most often applied in a more limited sense to those sizable firms that are also highly ranked by publications, such as Vault or American Lawyer Magazine, in their respective "prestige rankings" of law firms. The majority of individuals working for such firms are graduates of one of the top American law schools as ranked in U.S. News and World Report 's annual law school rankings, however, oftentimes individuals with unique industry expertise will be hired despite having graduated from lesser ranked schools (e.g. former government officials from organizations such as the Securities and Exchange Commission). Examples include Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz headquartered in New York, Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP of Chicago, and Covington and Burling of Washington, DC.

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