August 5, 2021
The annual list recognizes the top 20 “most well-rounded members of the Am Law 200” on a variety of financial and cultural metrics.
Willkie ranked among the top 10 law firms on The American Lawyer’s 2021 “A-List,” an annual ranking of the top 20 “most well-rounded members of the Am Law 200” based on a combination of factors, including revenue per lawyer, associate satisfaction, pro bono commitment, and gender and racial diversity.
In the overview article accompanying the A-List, Am Law reported that Willkie’s leaders have tried to cultivate a mindset that keeps diversity and inclusion in focus. “[It] is almost always, if not always, part of the message,” said Willkie Chairman Matt Feldman. With respect to Willkie’s numerous pro bono and social impact programs over the past 18 months to combat societal ills, firm Chairman Tom Cerabino stated: “Obviously there’s greater social awareness now. More of our lawyers want to take part in these programs, and we as a firm have supported that.”
Willkie’s pro bono score increased by 17 points and its female equity partner score rose by 23.5 points.
The A-List recognizes firms based on revenue per lawyer, pro bono commitment, associate satisfaction, racial diversity and gender diversity (the percentage of equity partners who are women), with RPL and pro bono given double weight. Each metric measures Am Law 200 firms’ relative performance—a firm’s score in a given category is based on its ranking among all 200 firms. Each category, as well as the overall score, is based on a 100-point scale.
