Announcing Vault’s New Best Midsize Law Firms to Work For Rankings

Published: Sep 16, 2015

Topics: Education Grad School Job Search Law

I am pleased to announce that Vault has released its first ever Best Midsize Law Firms to Work For Rankings and Nutter McClennen & Fish tops the list, a title earned through high ratings in Vault’s numerous Quality of Life categories, including Satisfaction, Firm Culture, and Compensation. In the No. 2 spot is litigation boutique Caldwell Leslie & Proctor, which trails Nutter by a mere 0.067 points.

Like the Vault Law 100 and the regional and practice area rankings, The Best Midsize Firms to Work For rankings are derived from Vault’s Law Firm Associate Survey, in which more than 17,000 associates rated and commented on various aspects of their work life. The rankings were calculated using a formula that weighs associate ratings in eleven different areas: Overall Satisfaction (25%); Hours (10%); Compensation (10%); Substantive Work (10%); Business Outlook (10%); Firm Culture (10%); Career Outlook (5%); Associate/Partner Relations (5%); Leadership Transparency (5%); Formal Training (5%); and Informal Training, Mentoring & Sponsorship (5%).

Based on this formula, the Top 10 Best Midsize Law Firms to Work For are:

Nutter McClennen & Fish
Caldwell Leslie & Proctor
Marshall, Gerstein & Borun
Wolf, Greenfield & Sacks
Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell
Farella Braun + Martel
Groom Law Group
Downey Brand
Michelman & Robinson
Reminger Co., LPA

Earlier this year, we published the Vault Top 150 Under 150 list of the leading small and midsized firms with 150 or fewer attorneys. Now, with the release of the Best Midsize Law Firms to Work For Rankings focusing on associate quality of life, law students and lateral candidates researching midsize firms have access to even more resources to evaluate potential employers.

When candidates are looking at law firms, especially those outside the realm of BigLaw, they’re often concerned more with the actual experience of associates than just the firm’s reputation. Current associates are best positioned to know what life is actually like at any particular firm, and Vault’s new ranking and profiles of the Best Midsize Law Firms to Work For showcase associates’ experiences so law students and laterals get an insiders’ perspective and can make more informed career decisions.

The midsize firms in these rankings are a diverse group and include litigation shops like Caldwell Leslie, as well as full-service firms like Michelman & Robinson and Downey Brand, and specialized practices such as IP boutique Marshall Gerstein & Borun, and employee benefits and ERISA-focused Groom Law. The firms also represent markets throughout the country, including Boston’s Nutter and Wolf Greenfield, Cleveland-based Reminger, and Denver’s Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell. California is best represented in the rankings, with four Top 10 firms calling the Golden State home, including San Francisco’s Farella Braun + Martel.

To view the full rankings, firm profiles, and associate reviews, click here.

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