Firm Summary
Ballard Spahr
Ballard Spahr is one of the most prominent and prestigious firms in Philadelphia. Formed in 1885, today it employs over 600 lawyers in 15 offices around the U.S. Ballard Spahr’s services run the gamut, with work being focused in five main practice areas: Business and Transactions, Finance, Intellectual Property, Litigation, and Real Estate. The largest of these is litigation, with more than 250 of the firm’s lawyers practicing in this area. The firm’s litigators have advised some of the country’s biggest corporations in securities and antitrust class actions, patent infringement cases, white collar defense matters, and federal and state appeals.
Firm Stats
- Firm Name
- Ballard Spahr
- U.S. Lawyer Headcount
- 630
- Headcount Change Since 2016
Overall +51
Partner -20
- Hours Required
- Unspecified
- Top Feeder Schools
- Temple University, James E. Beasley Law, George Washington University Law School, University of Pennsylvania Law School
- Average Lawyer Tenure at Firm (Years)
- 5.1
- Revenue Per Lawyer Change Over Five Years
- 11%
- Women Partners (as Percentage of U.S. Lawyer Headcount)
- 11%
- Women Partners (As a Percentage of U.S. Partnership)
- 29%
- Promotion Rate
- 7%
- Most Common Federal Case Types
- Finance, Contract, Antitrust
- Most Active Federal Jurisdictions
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
- Frequent Federal Litigation Clients
- Citibank N.A., Corteva Inc., Discover Bank
Firm Policies
Benefits and Perks
- $5K bar stipend
- Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months
Superstars
Leita Walker
Partner
Walker is a partner and litigator in the firm’s Media and Entertainment Law Group with 15 years’ experience defending media organizations in libel litigation and helping them obtain access to governmental and judicial records. She was recently in the spotlight for successfully representing various media outlets in their request for access to the trial of Derek Chauvin.
Margaret Bolce Brivanlou, Ph.D.
Partner
Highly recognized for her prowess in patent and IP matters in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors, Brivanlou is a New York-based partner in the firm’s Intellectual Property Department and its Life Sciences and Technology Group. She was recently named as a finalist for Patent Strategy Attorney of the Year for New York by LMG Life Sciences, a highly respected legal ranking directory for the life sciences industry.
Michael Kuhn
Partner
A partner in the firm’s Minneapolis office and a member of its Mergers & Acquisitions practice group, Kuhn regularly represents many of the leading private equity firms in the Twin Cities area. Recently, he represented the Minnesota Timberwolves Limited Partnership in relation to the $1.5 billion sale of part of the team’s ownership interests.
Above the Law Coverage
-
Am Law 100 Firm Reduces Pay For All, Even Partners
Salaries keep dropping thanks to the global health crisis.
-
Biglaw Associate Shot, Firm Is Offering A Reward To Find The Gunman
The firm knows just how unusual it is to find itself in the position of offering a reward in a shooting case.
-
Biglaw Firm Announces Two Mergers In Span Of Two Weeks
Exciting news, but will this inspire the firm to adjust its salary scale?
The Law Firm Transparency Project draws upon Above the Law research as well as data provided by Leopard Solutions and UniCourt. Click here for an expanded methodology and definition of terms.
