Firm Summary
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
For over 165 years, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP has been recognized as one of the world’s premier law firms, offering an elite roster of clients unrivaled service across the board. With strong finance roots, it’s no surprise that the firm has an internationally renowned corporate department, offering comprehensive services through rock-solid M&A, bankruptcy, capital markets, tax, and credit groups. Despite its strong corporate base, the firm is equally a force to be reckoned with in the litigation sphere, with both a stellar white collar criminal defense team and vast experience arguing before the Supreme Court. Since its founding in New York City in 1849, Davis Polk has expanded to a 1,030 lawyers spread across 10 offices around the world.
Firm Stats
- Firm Name
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
- U.S. Lawyer Headcount
- 798
- Headcount Change Since 2016
Overall
+53
Partner
+29
- Salary Scale
- Market
- Bonus Category
- Full Match
- Hours Required
- Unspecified
- Top Feeder Schools
- Harvard Law School, Columbia Law School, NYU School of Law
- Average Lawyer Tenure at Firm (Years)
- 5.6
- Revenue Per Lawyer Change Over Five Years
- 20%
- Women Partners (as Percentage of U.S. Lawyer Headcount)
- 3%
- Women Partners (As a Percentage of U.S. Partnership)
- 18%
- Promotion Rate
- 3%
- Most Common Federal Case Types
- Antitrust, Bankruptcy, Finance
- Most Active Federal Jurisdictions
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- Frequent Federal Litigation Clients
- Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc., Bank of America, N.A., Comcast Corporation
Firm Policies
Work/Life Balance
- 18 weeks maternity leave
Benefits and Perks
- Bar review course
- Bar exam fees, travel
- $7-8K salary advance
- Direct billing with prefered movers; moving of car; apartment broker fees; house hunting services; prefered treatment from lenders; storage costs up to 3 months
- $13K stub bonus
Superstars
Greg Andres
Partner
A New York-based partner in the firm’s Litigation Department, Andres returned to handling white collar and regulatory matters after leading the prosecution of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort as part of Robert Mueller’s team.
Neil Barr
Partner
Based in New York, Barr was recently promoted to Managing Partner of the firm. He previously served as the head of the firm’s Tax Department. Barr focuses on complex transactions involving companies and their boards, particularly in the areas of federal income tax, domestic and cross-border M&A, joint ventures, and group structuring.
Jon Leibowitz
Counsel
Counsel in the firm’s New York and D.C. offices, Leibowitz is renowned for handling complex antitrust aspects of M&A deals for prominent clients, as well as government and private antitrust investigations and litigation. Leibowitz served as Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission from 2009 through 2013 and Commissioner from 2004 to 2009.
Pritesh Shah
Partner
Shah is a partner in the firm’s Intellectual Property and Technology Transactions Group, advising on IP, data privacy, and technology matters for companies in a variety of sectors, including fashion, fintech, pharmaceutical and biotechnology, and private equity. Shah was named to the New York Law Journal’s list of Rising Stars for 2019.
Above the Law Coverage
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Biglaw’s New, Inclusive Trend — Just In Time For Recruiting Season
Davis Polk is making a step in the right direction.
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Stats Of The Week: New Global M&A Law Firm Leaders
Despite a geopolitically tumultuous 2016, the U.S. M&A market had a robust year.
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Biglaw Compensation Leader Makes Costly Changes To Its Health Insurance Plan
Is your firm planning to institute serious changes to its health insurance plan in 2016?
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Associate Bonus Watch: Davis Polk Beats Simpson!
Davis Polk: follower no more!
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Top 30 Am Law Firm That Once Refused Special Bonuses Now Offers Them As Part Of Year-End Bonus Scale
And there’s an hours requirement for all bonuses — but associates at this firm aren’t complaining.
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WOW!!! Davis Polk Raises The Bar On Bonuses
This is going to put a lot of pressure on the market.
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.
