O’Melveny Reaches #1 on The American Lawyer’s “A-List”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

After Steady Ascent, Firm Earns Top Spot on Ranking of the “Best of the Best” Law Firms

NEW YORK—August 5, 2021—O’Melveny earned one of the legal industry’s most coveted honors today, claiming the #1 spot on The American Lawyer’s A-List. This top accolade capped a five-year ascent for O’Melveny, which has steadily climbed the list since 2017.

In moving to the top spot, O’Melveny achieved gains in several important measures, including satisfaction of associates—a key O’Melveny priority. Indeed, the firm ranked #1 for associate satisfaction in the magazine’s most recent Midlevel Associates Survey, based on the strength of the firm’s positive work opportunities, training and guidance, management’s openness about finances and firmwide strategy, attitude toward pro bono, compensation and benefits, and associates’ relationships with partners and other associates.

The A-List also noted gains in the number of women equity partners at the firm as well as an increase in the firm’s pro bono engagement, which jumped 7 points even during an extremely busy year. Some 94 percent of O’Melveny lawyers contributed pro bono work in 2020, giving their time to such urgent causes as criminal justice reform, reproductive rights, equal access to quality education, and the fight against voter suppression.

“We really value this award because it takes a comprehensive view of success, and the criteria it measures are the ones that are most meaningful to us,” said O’Melveny Chair Bradley J. Butwin. “We’re particularly proud of our consistency over the years. Our high performance on the A-List over ten straight years reflects a lot of hard work and dedication to our firm values in the face of tremendous change and challenges.”

O’Melveny also continues to advance its Diversity, Equity & Inclusion efforts: 2020 was the sixth consecutive year that the firm’s new partner class was at least 50 percent diverse (i.e., women, of color, and LGBTQ+ attorneys); more than 70 percent of US Office Heads are diverse; almost half of the firm’s Policy Committee members are diverse; and 50 percent of Department Heads are lawyers of color.

“We’ve long believed in providing an inclusive, supportive, and collaborative environment where all our people feel they belong, have access to challenging work and leadership opportunities, respect one another, and know they can—and should—give back to our communities,” Butwin added. “We are proud of the significant progress we have made on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, but we can and will do better. We want O’Melveny to be a place where everyone can succeed.”

Last year also marked O’Melveny’s sixth straight year of record profits with a strong performance in many areas, including revenue per lawyer, profits per lawyer, profits per partner, net income, and profit margin.

O’Melveny’s #1 A-List ranking is the latest honor the firm has received for its unique culture. The firm just achieved outstanding recognition in the 2022 Vault Law Firm Associate Survey, claiming the #2 spot in Vault’s most important Quality of Life rankings: “Best Law Firms To Work For,” “Overall Diversity,” and “Best Summer Associate Program.”

About O’Melveny

It’s more than what you do: it’s how you do it. Across sectors and borders, in board rooms and courtrooms, we measure our success by yours. And in our interactions, we commit to making your O’Melveny experience as satisfying as the outcomes we help you achieve. Our greatest accomplishment is ensuring that you never have to choose between premier lawyering and exceptional service. So, tell us. What do you want to achieve? Visit us at www.omm.com or learn more in our firm at-a-glance, annual report, and on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Visit The Boardroom for our insights on pressing issues facing global corporations.

Contact:

Christopher Rieck
O’Melveny & Myers LLP
+1 212 326 2218
crieck@omm.com