The American Lawyer

The American Lawyer is a United States-based magazine and online publication covering the business of law, law firms, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate practice. Founded in 1979 by Steven Brill, the publication tracks law firm finances, partner compensation, lateral moves, and high‑profile matters involving major firms and institutions. It has chronicled developments affecting leading firms and markets including Wall Street firms, Silicon Valley deals, and Washington litigation.

History

The magazine was founded in 1979 by entrepreneur Steven Brill in New York City and quickly became a source for reporting on firms such as Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, Sullivan & Cromwell, Cravath, Swaine & Moore, Debevoise & Plimpton, and Kirkland & Ellis. Early coverage intersected with cases and institutions like Penn Central Transportation Company, Reagan administration regulatory policy, Watergate‑era fallout, and corporate scandals such as Enron and WorldCom. The publication documented law firm growth during the 1980s mergers run alongside deals involving Salomon Brothers, Shearson Lehman, and Drexel Burnham Lambert. During the 1990s and 2000s it reported on major litigations like Tobacco Litigation and Microsoft antitrust case and examined effects of events including September 11 attacks and the 2008 financial crisis. Ownership and corporate shifts involved media companies tied to names such as American Lawyer Media, Time Warner, Merrill Lynch (as a client institution), and private equity firms. The magazine expanded digital presence concurrent with the rise of outlets like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg News while maintaining specialized legal lists.

Content and Features

The publication produces recurring features profiling firms and matters involving entities such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, and Lehman Brothers. It reports on litigation involving corporations like ExxonMobil, Chevron Corporation, General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Toyota, Boeing, and Airbus. Coverage includes legal strategies in antitrust disputes such as matters involving AT&T, Verizon Communications, Comcast, and T-Mobile US and merger counsel in transactions for companies like Amazon (company), Apple Inc., Google (company), Meta Platforms, Microsoft Corporation, Intel Corporation, and Oracle Corporation. The magazine publishes league tables and features on firms serving clients including IBM, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Roche, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck & Co., and Pfizer. It also covers government‑adjacent litigation and personnel shifts involving institutions such as United States Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Trade Commission, Internal Revenue Service, White House, and Supreme Court of the United States. Regular lists include the AmLaw 100 and AmLaw 200 ranking firms by revenue and profit metrics and profiles of firms such as Latham & Watkins, Baker McKenzie, Jones Day, Hogan Lovells, Greenberg Traurig, and Norton Rose Fulbright.

Influence and Rankings

The magazine’s rankings and metrics—most notably the AmLaw 100—have influenced firm strategy, compensation schemes, and lateral recruiting among firms such as Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, DLA Piper, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, Ropes & Gray, WilmerHale, and Morrison & Foerster. Its reporting has intersected with litigation outcomes and regulatory inquiries involving New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, Department of Justice Antitrust Division, and prominent litigants such as Apple Inc. and Samsung. Academic and industry researchers from institutions like Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, Columbia Law School, Stanford Law School, NYU School of Law, and University of Chicago Law School cite its financial data. The publication’s influence extends into labor disputes, partner votes, and practice‑area expansion decisions at firms including Covington & Burling, Mintz Levin, Holland & Knight, and McDermott Will & Emery.

Business Model and Ownership

Originally part of American Lawyer Media, the magazine’s ownership history has included corporate entities and investors connected to larger media companies like Time Inc. and private equity and investment firms. Revenue streams combine subscription sales, advertising from legal vendors and recruiters such as Major, Lindsey & Africa, event sponsorships, and paid data products sold to law firms, corporate legal departments, and consultancies such as Bloomberg Law, Thomson Reuters, LexisNexis, and Westlaw. The publication runs conferences and awards that attract firms, in‑house counsel from companies like AT&T, Chevron Corporation, and Pfizer, and service providers including Ernst & Young, Deloitte, PwC, and KPMG. Ownership transitions have reflected broader consolidation in media markets alongside companies such as Gannett, Tronc, and investor groups managing professional‑news assets.

Notable Staff and Contributors

Notable journalists, editors, and contributors have included founders and editors connected to reporting on litigation and firm finance with ties to law and business coverage seen in outlets like The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Forbes, Fortune (magazine), Reuters, and The Guardian. Contributors have interviewed and profiled figures such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Antonin Scalia, Sonia Sotomayor, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Elena Kagan, and legal industry leaders like Joe Biden (in his legal and political capacities), Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and business executives from Amazon (company), Apple Inc., Goldman Sachs. The magazine features commentary and analysis from academics and practitioners affiliated with Georgetown University Law Center, University of Pennsylvania Law School, Duke University School of Law, University of Michigan Law School, and firms such as Paul Hastings, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, and Milbank LLP.

Category:Legal magazines