Top 100 Law Firms in Pennsylvania
Issue link: https://palaw100.epubxp.com/i/95512
Editor's Note W elcome to the 19th installment of PaLaw: Annual Report on the Legal Profession. In these pages, we aim to provide a detailed view of various aspects of the legal profession in Pennsylva- nia, covering both the public and private sectors, reviewing the shape of things over the past year and what the coming year might hold. In 2011, we wrote in this space that the legal community appeared to be on its way to recovery. Layoffs and hiring reductions were receding and rate and salary increases were rising. This year wasn't always an easy one for Pennsylvania firms. As reporter Zack Needles writes in his Firm Financials story on page 100, firms saw profits and revenue stabilize in 2011 after growth in those metrics in 2010. This year's Managing Partners Survey touches on financial metrics into 2012 and it shows growth in profits and revenue became increasingly difficult to achieve. As a result, more firms laid off attorneys in the past year than did so in 2011, and more are looking at layoffs of attorneys at all levels in the coming year. Law firm mergers decreased over the past year and managing partners aren't antici- pating that to change in 2013. Public law firms, on the other hand, have rebounded well after a difficult 2011. After a year in which layoffs beset some of the larg- est public firms in the state, this year's data shows that most had no loss in attorneys year over year and several were able to add to their staffs. A look through the 100 Largest Law Firms in Pennsylvania, with Reed Smith occupying the top spot for the third straight year, shows that law firm size is still slowly shrinking. As is noted in the Managing Partners Survey on page 80, the total number of Pennsylvania attorneys among the 100 largest firms in the state has decreased nearly 6 percent since 2007. Our listing of the public interest firms in the state demonstrates that in the difficult legal climate, budgets are tightening and, as a result, firms are cutting back on attorneys. But the news isn't all bad — our breakdowns of female and minority attorney percentages across the state show those numbers are slowly rising compared to our 2011 results. On a personal note, this was my first time working on this magazine and it was an excit- ing process. I joined The Legal just as work on last year's PaLaw was being completed, and the opportunity to research the informa- tion organized in these pages allowed me to gain greater insight into the inner workings of Pennsylvania's legal profession. There truly is a wealth of knowledge in these pages. The data in these charts took months to compile, as it represents both a broad and narrow view of the profession, and this publication and its many moving parts couldn't have been delivered in such an infor- mative and clear package without the work of some very dedicated colleagues. Director of Information Technology Brian Harris compiles the information gathered from a number of sources (including the sur- veys you so generously fill out for us) to cre- ate the charts and graphs you see throughout these pages. Art Director Karen Leddy carefully lays out all of the charts, graphs and articles to bring the information to you with a clean and clear design. Her improvements over the past cou- ple of years to the design of the magazine allow the data to shine through. Senior Staff Reporter Gina Passarella brings her expertise to the forefront, not only with her informative analysis of the Managing Partners Survey, but also in helping to shep- herd the many different sections of this publi- cation through to the end. Her tireless effort and careful editing eye ensure the informa- tion in these pages is not only valuable, but also accurate down to the smallest detail. As with everything else we do at The Legal, we hope to receive your input on this magazine. It represents a look at where the profession currently stands and we always welcome your ideas for further useful infor- mation we can provide in coming years. As the practice of law evolves, so should this publication. We look forward to hearing your insights and suggestions in the coming year. Copyright © 2012. ALM Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Further duplication without permission is prohibited U.S.P.O. No. 309260 Published daily, except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. 1617 JFK Blvd., Suite 1750 Philadelphia, PA 19103 Phone: 215-557-2300 / Fax: 215-557-2301 www.thelegalintelligencer.com e-mail: customercare@alm.com hgrezlak@alm.com Publisher Hal M. Cohen Associate Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Hank Grezlak Magazines & Supplements Editor Ben Seal Senior Staff Reporter & Special Projects Editor Gina Passarella IT Director Brian R. Harris Managing Editor Michael A. Riccardi, Esq. Production Director Dave Umfer Art Director Karen Leddy Graphic Designers Louis Bartella, Lauren Coyle, Mike Jackson, Amy Martin Advertising Director Donald Chalphin Account Managers Dan Krause, Terri H. Oppenheimer, Jayne Overturf Law Firm Account Manager Lana J. Ehrlich 212-457-9400 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271 ALM Senior Management President & CEO Bill Carter Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer Kevin H. Michielsen Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer Eric F. Lundberg Senior Vice President & Chief Technology Officer Jeffrey K. Whittle Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer Lenny Izzo Senior Vice President of Sales Kevin J. Vermeulen Vice President, Real Estate Media Michael Desiato Vice President & Editor in Chief Aric Press Find us on Facebook … Follow us on Twitter. Catch up with The Legal 's reporters Ben Seal Magazines & Supplements Editor bseal@alm.com and editors, learn of latest breaking news and gain access to exclusive content! facebook.com/legalintelligencer twitter.com/thelegalintel PaLaw 2012 | 7