Firm Summary
Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz LLP
Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is about as New York as they come — since its founding in 1965, the firm has never expanded beyond a single Manhattan office, though today they employ nearly 300 lawyers. Wachtell has always stood out from the crowd, largely because it avoids handling routine legal matters and instead focuses on the risky, complex, bet-the-company matters that scare many other firm’s off, and even its competitors admire it for it. Unquestionably one of the world’s elite firms, Wachtell dominates the corporate finance sphere, with equally strong showings in M&A, restructuring, shareholder activism, and corporate governance. The firm’s corporate clients also benefit from its expertise in handling sensitive litigation, investigation, and corporate restructuring matters. Wachtell is also known for maintaining a low partner-to-associate ratio and tailoring its teams to the unique needs of each case.
Firm Stats
- Firm Name
- Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz LLP
- U.S. Lawyer Headcount
- 302
- Headcount Change Since 2016
Overall
+43
Partner
+21
- Salary Scale
- Market +
- Hours Required
- Unspecified
- Top Feeder Schools
- Harvard Law School, Columbia Law School, NYU School of Law
- Average Lawyer Tenure at Firm (Years)
- 7.3
- Revenue Per Lawyer Change Over Five Years
- 27%
- Women Partners (as Percentage of U.S. Lawyer Headcount)
- 6%
- Women Partners (As a Percentage of U.S. Partnership)
- 23%
- Promotion Rate
- 2%
- Most Common Federal Case Types
- Bankruptcy, Finance, Labor
- Most Active Federal Jurisdictions
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
- Frequent Federal Litigation Clients
- Pictet & Cie, Altria Group Inc., Tetragon Financial Management LP
Firm Policies
Benefits and Perks
- $3K bar stipend
- $20K salary advance
- $1K moving stipend
- Pro-rated stub bonus
Superstars
Richard Mason
Partner - Restructuring and Finance
A senior partner in the firm’s Restructuring and Finance Department, Mason’s practice focuses on handling domestic and international restructuring matters on behalf of high-profile bondholder groups, acquirers, distressed investors, boards of directors, private equity sponsors, creditors, and shareholders. Mason has been involved in several of the biggest and most complex bankruptcies and restructurings in recent decades.
Harold Novikoff
Of Counsel - Restructuring and Finance
Of Counsel in the firm’s Restructuring and Finance Department, Novikoff specializes in creditors’ rights, bankruptcy, debt restructurings, and financial market transactions. Over the past 40 years, Novikoff has built a stellar reputation representing underwriters, bondholders, and lenders in out-of-court debt restructurings and Chapter 11 cases.
Scott Charles
Partner - Restructuring and Finance
A partner in the firm’s Restructuring and Finance Department, Charles focuses on representing clients in distressed M&A matters, acquisitions, bankruptcies, and other commercial transactions. In the course of his 35-year career, Charles has built up an expertise in a variety of troubled debt situations, representing institutional lenders, creditors committees, and distressed securities investors.
Martin Lipton and Herbert Wachtell
Two of the firm’s founding partners, these legal titans still remain active as partners today. Wachtell focuses on Litigation matters, while Lipton specializes in M&A, having famously created the “poison pill” to protect shareholder rights.
Above the Law Coverage
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The Key To Wachtell’s Success? How They Pay Their Partners
Wachtell has a unique philosophy when it comes to money.
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What In The Wachtell Is Going On? Elite Firm Makes A Splashy Lateral Hire
Selwyn Goldberg has left Wilson Sonsini.
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Wachtell Lipton’s New Partners: 100 Percent Diverse
Good news about diversity at one of the nation’s most prestigious and profitable law firms.
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Wachtell Is More Than Doubling Up Its Nearest Competitor
We’re talking about profits per lawyer.
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.
