Top 20 Law Firm Brands in the U.S.
Jones Day is the top law firm brand in the U.S., according to the 2020 U.S. Law Firm Brand Index from Acritas, now part of Thomson Reuters. This is Jones Day’s fourth consecutive year atop the list. But after the number one spot, there has been a considerable reshuffling among the other brands. In fact, Jones Day is the only firm to maintain its position from last year. Kirkland & Ellis and Latham & Watkins were ranked second and third.
While ten brands improved their position from last year, 11 other firms dropped in the rankings.
In addition, there were two new entrants in the top 20, Greenberg Traurig at #17 and Eversheds at #18.
“It is not strange to see a lot of change in the index rankings from year to year,” said Jen Dezso, director of U.S. Research and Advisory Service at Thomson Reuters. “Each of the firms that improved their position in the top 20 in 2020 have different strengths, but one attribute has increased for all of them: growing their top-of-mind awareness with corporate legal buyers. At its most fundamental level, brand positioning is about being at the forefront of clients’ minds, and the best way to do that is through direct lawyer outreach.”
“In a crowded and competitive market, the firms that are improving their brand positioning demonstrate their ability to navigate changing dynamics and shifting client needs to remain top of mind with U.S. legal buyers,” said Dezso.
The 2020 Acritas U.S. Law Firm Brand Index is based on data compiled from the Sharplegal 2019 study of the global legal market of in-house counsel across 55 countries, as well as interviews with U.S.-based senior legal buyers.
