Firm Index · Market ranking

Top law firms in New York City

The firms with the largest mapped presence in New York City, ranked 0–100 by the Sartori Firm Index.

How the Index works
›Top law firms in New York City: 21 firms, index 12 Nov 2026

Top law firms in New York City, on the Sartori Firm Index generated 12 Nov 2026, are 21 firms with a mapped presence, drawn from an index of 726 firms. Sartori & Partners has completed 400+ placements since 2017 (230+ in-house), including 52 general counsel and chief legal officer searches, with a shortlist in 24 days and a median of 11 weeks to an accepted offer. On a Sartori & Partners search, a NASDAQ-listed medtech in Boston hired its successor general counsel in week 11 from a shortlist of four on day 24.

01 The ranking

Leading firms in New York City by Index

These law firms have the largest mapped presence in New York City, ranked by the Sartori Firm Index — a 0–100 measure of scale, reach and hiring, built from public data. The ranking reflects the size and momentum of each firm's overall public footprint, not the quality of its New York City office or a claim about local headcount. Use it to see which firms dominate the New York City market and where momentum points.

#FirmIndexTierAttorneys mappedStrengths
1Michael Best & Friedrich49.2National500–1,000Intellectual Property, Corporate & M&A, Litigation & Disputes
2Nixon Peabody45.7International500–1,000Litigation & Disputes, Real Estate, Intellectual Property
3Kelley Drye & Warren43.3National250–500Litigation & Disputes, Environmental, Real Estate
4Hodgson Russ41.7International250–500Litigation & Disputes, Tax, Corporate & M&A
5Lippes Mathias41.4International250–500Litigation & Disputes, Corporate & M&A, Intellectual Property
6Gide Loyrette Nouel39.7Global250–500Corporate & M&A, Finance & Banking, Real Estate
7Rivkin Radler38.6National250–500Litigation & Disputes, Insurance, Private Client & Estate Planning
8Whiteford Taylor Preston38National100–250Litigation & Disputes, Real Estate, Corporate & M&A
9Phillips Lytle36.8National100–250Litigation & Disputes, Corporate & M&A, Real Estate
10Harter Secrest & Emery36.5National100–250Corporate & M&A, Litigation & Disputes, Employment & Labor
11Cullen and Dykman36.1National100–250Litigation & Disputes, Finance & Banking, Corporate & M&A
12Burns White33.4National100–250Litigation & Disputes, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Employment & Labor
13Weber Gallagher32.5National100–250Litigation & Disputes, Insurance, Employment & Labor
14Kahana Feld31.5National100–250Litigation & Disputes, Construction, Employment & Labor
15Liskow & Lewis31National100–250Litigation & Disputes, Energy & Natural Resources, Maritime & Admiralty
16Flaster Greenberg30.7National100–250Intellectual Property, Corporate & M&A, Private Client & Estate Planning
17Hinman Howard & Kattell28National50–100Litigation & Disputes, Real Estate, Corporate & M&A
18Farrell Fritz27.2National100–250Litigation & Disputes, Private Client & Estate Planning, Real Estate
19Kaufman Borgeest & Ryan26.7National100–250Litigation & Disputes, Insurance, Employment & Labor
20Rawle & Henderson21National50–100Litigation & Disputes, Employment & Labor, Insurance
21Ahmuty, Demers & McManus20.8National50–100Litigation & Disputes, Construction, Insurance

Index measures public footprint and momentum, not quality or prestige. Methodology. Spot an error? Tell us.

Law firms in New York City — common questions

How are the top firms in New York City ranked?

Firms are ordered by the Sartori Firm Index — a 0–100 score from public signals (scale, reach, live hiring). This page lists firms with a recorded attorney presence in New York City, ranked by their overall Index. It reflects public footprint and momentum, not the quality of any firm's New York City office.

Does a presence in New York City mean a large local office?

Not necessarily. The Index records that a firm maps attorneys to the New York City market on public sources; it does not claim a specific office size. Headcount is shown only as ranges.

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