Overview
Introduction
Among the largest law firms in the world, Mayer Brown does it all. Among its standout practice is appellate litigation—through which the firm has argued more than 250 cases before the Supreme Court. The firm has a professional atmosphere where lawyers take control of their workload via the free market system. Pro bono work is a hallmark of Mayer Brown, as it was the first major law firm to develop and implement a pro bono strategic plan.
Firm Stats
Total No. Attorneys (2023)
No. of Partners Named (2024)
Featured Rankings
No. of 1st Year Associates Hired (2023)
No. of Summer Associates (2024)
No. of U.S. Offices
Vault Verdict
Mayer Brown’s standing as one of the top elite firms means that credentials play a role in hiring, but the firm prioritizes talent and personality. As a result, associates praise Mayer Brown’s culture of kindness and respect. The attorneys work hard, but the “professional with a flair of socialness” environment generates high levels of associate satisfaction. Partners treat associates as valued colleagues, and although the firm offers ample trainings and formal mentorship arrangements, an open-door policy also allows mentoring to develop organically. The firm has historically struggled somewhat with lateral attorney integration, but the creation of a Lateral Integration Committee has been a big improvement. A 2,000-hour requirement (of which 1,900 hours must be billable to a clien...
About the Firm
Mayer Brown is a law firm with offices across the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. It employs more than 1,900 lawyers—making it among the 25 largest law firm workforces in the world. Known for its top-flight corporate, finance, and appellate work, Mayer Brown serves many of the world’s largest companies, including a significant proportion of the Fortune 100, FTSE 100, CAC 40, DAX, Hang Seng, and Nikkei index companies, and more than half of the world’s largest banks.
I’ve Got to See a Man About a Horse
It was the summer of 1879, and a Chicago court was hearing arguments about the sale of a lame horse. The defendant was David Mayer, a wealthy local merchant. His attorney was his younger brother, Levy, who had just graduated from Yale Law School. The Mayers lost. They appeale...
2025 Vault Rankings
Associate Reviews
- “Professional with a flare of socialness. We have great events held in our lobby for lawyer and staff interaction.”
- “There is a big focus on being kind/nice and having a positive attitude. People are respectful if you have a conflict or are otherwise unavailable for any particular reason. There is a healthy culture of covering for people. The expectations are practical, and senior associates and partners are very willing to explain deals and answer questions about what's going on with a given transaction. Lawyers do socialize together, both at sponsored events and organically. Partners are generally approachable and accessible.”
- “People are very kind and polite. We socialize in both organic and firm-sponsored ways.”
- “The firm is very welcoming and has an engaging culture. The lawyers interact with each other positively. There's a good mix of socializing at firm-sponsored events, which fosters a real sense of community. The atmosphere is supportive.”
Why Work Here
Mayer Brown is a distinctively global law firm, uniquely positioned to advise the world’s leading companies and financial institutions on their most complex deals and disputes.
With extensive reach across four continents, we are the only integrated law firm in the world with approximately 200 lawyers in each of the world’s three largest financial centers—New York, London and Hong Kong—the backbone of the global economy.
We have deep experience in high-stakes litigation and complex transactions across industry sectors, including our signature strength, the global financial services industry.
Diversity at Mayer Brown LLP
Getting Hired Here
- “The firm is looking for intelligent and driven attorneys who are capable of taking on substantial responsibility from the get-go and who are looking for lots of opportunities to work directly with partners and clients. The firm has a relatively lean hiring process, with relatively small associate classes, meaning that each associate is expected to get (and perform) more substantive work earlier on.”
- “I think the firm makes sure that candidates check the boxes in terms of grades, good law school, etc., but is primarily focused on making sure candidates are a good personality fit.”
- “Our firm looks for students from prestigious law schools who have at least decent grades (or high grades at law schools outside the U.S. News Top 30) and great people skills.”
- “Grades, journal experience and prior work experience are always looked at, but most groups do place a large emphasis on personality and fit in the group.”
Perks & Benefits