Final week, Vault launched the 2025 version of its carefully watched legislation agency rankings, proving that cash — within the type of Cravath’s perennially aggressive pay scale — should buy status.
However can that cash purchase happiness?
In a companion rating to the Vault 100, associates had been requested to rank their very own legislation corporations primarily based on classes most related to their general high quality of life, together with satisfaction; agency tradition; hours; compensation; high quality of labor; enterprise outlook; profession outlook; affiliate/companion relations; transparency; formal and casual coaching; professional bono; and general inclusion.
Fifty corporations had been ranked for Vault’s 2026 Greatest Legislation Corporations to Work For survey, which was performed from January 2025 via March 2025, so we’re getting a fowl’s eye view of life at many of those corporations after the newest spherical of bonuses and particular bonuses had been first seen in paychecks (and simply earlier than Trump’s revenge tour towards Biglaw and attorneys writ massive). This can be shocking for some, however not one of the corporations that made the Prime 10 checklist for being essentially the most prestigious made the Prime 10 checklist for being a finest agency to work for.
There was an enormous quantity of motion within the Prime 10 this yr. Which corporations made the reduce? With none additional ado, listed here are the Prime 10 Greatest Legislation Corporations to Work For primarily based on Vault’s Annual Affiliate Survey for 2026:
1. O’Melveny & Myers (no change)2. Morgan Lewis & Bockius (no change)3. Clifford Probability US (no change)4. McDermott Will & Emery (no change)5. Eversheds Sutherland (up from #13)6. Gunster (up from #12)7. Sheppard Mullin (up from #11)8. Mayer Brown (up from #37)9. Fried Frank (down from #6)10. Warner Norcross + Judd (down from #8)
In glad information for affiliate high quality of life, O’Melveny and Morgan Lewis duked it out this yr, competing to essentially impress their associates. As famous by Eric Stutzke, SVP and Normal Supervisor of Vault, “We noticed an in depth race for the Greatest General Legislation Agency to Work For title between O’Melveny and Morgan Lewis, two corporations that all the time carry out effectively on this rating.” O’Melveny took the No. 1 spot within the general rating for 2 main classes (General Greatest Legislation Agency to Work For and General Greatest Summer season Affiliate Program), whereas Morgan Lewis too the No. 1 spot within the ultimate main class (General Inclusion). Each of the corporations positioned within the prime 10 for each high quality of life class, with every snagging the No. 1 or No. 2 spot in practically each different rating.
Congratulations to every of the Biglaw corporations that made the most recent version of the Vault Greatest Corporations to Work For rankings, and an enormous congratulations to O’Melveny and Morgan Lewis for scoring extremely effectively. How did your agency do? E mail us, textual content us at (646) 820-8477, or tweet us @atlblog to tell us how you are feeling.
Greatest Legislation Corporations to Work For (2026) [Vault]
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Legislation, the place she’s labored since 2011. She’d love to listen to from you, so please be happy to electronic mail her with any ideas, questions, feedback, or critiques. You may comply with her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or join along with her on LinkedIn.
