Legal 500 has released its 2026 US research, with Latham & Watkins, Kirkland & Ellis, and Simpson Thacher holding onto their positions as the leading firms by top-tier rankings.
A total of 441 firms are ranked in the latest research – an increase of 39% on last year, with the total number of unique rankings up by more than 500 to 4,088.
Top firms by tier 1 rankings
| Firm | T1 rankings | Change year-on-year |
|---|---|---|
| Latham & Watkins | 60 | — |
| Kirkland & Ellis | 33 | +2 |
| Simpson Thacher | 23 | -1 |
| Cleary Gottlieb | 21 | — |
| Davis Polk | 20 | +2 |
| Gibson Dunn | 20 | +3 |
Latham remains at the top of the table with 60 tier 1 rankings. The firm’s total is nearly double its closest competitor, Kirkland, which added two top-tier rankings for a total of 33, moving up a tier in two mass tort defence categories: automotive and transport and toxic tort.
Simpson Thacher remained in third place with 23 top-tier rankings, while Cleary Gottlieb was in fourth place with 21 rankings.
Also performing well was Davis Polk, which held onto its fifth-place spot with 20 tier 1 rankings, moving up a tier in both capital markets: equity offerings – advice to issuers and corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense.
Meanwhile, Gibson Dunn returned to the top five spot it lost last year, with three new tier 1 rankings bringing it into joint-fifth place. The firm moved up one tier in project finance, corporate restructuring, and taxes: non-contentious.
Top firms by total rankings
| Firm | Rankings | Change year-on-year |
|---|---|---|
| Latham & Watkins | 77 | — |
| DLA Piper | 73 | +3 |
| Mayer Brown | 69 | — |
| Kirkland & Ellis | 68 | +4 |
| King & Spalding | 67 | +6 |
| Morgan Lewis | 67 | — |
Latham was again in first place by total rankings, with 77, while DLA Piper and Mayer Brown retained their positions in second and third respectively.
Kirkland moved up a spot to fourth place, adding four new rankings for a total of 68. Morgan Lewis held steady with 67 rankings, while King & Spalding added six new rankings to finish in joint-fifth place.
New rankings
In the commercial lending: advice to direct lenders/private credit ranking, which recognises firms for their expertise in private credit, and was introduced for the first time last year, Davis Polk, Latham, and Milbank all retained their top-tier rankings.
Tier 2, meanwhile, saw one new addition, with Kirkland moving up from tier 3 to join Paul Hastings, Paul Weiss, Proskauer, Simpson Thacher, Skadden, and White & Case.
This year’s research also saw the introduction of a new ranking, commercial disputes – boutique firms, with increased recognition for smaller firms that nonetheless compete in the ranks of the best nationwide performers.
Beginning from next year, Legal 500 will also organise its US research in a new way, with a refined three-tier structure designed to assess firms in the most appropriate context.
From next year, the nationwide rankings will cover firms with national reach and multi-state capability, while new state rankings will be introduced for firms with strong statewide presence and market visibility. The existing US elite research will continue, focusing on boutique and specialist firms with concentrated geographic and practice-specific reputations.
