State of the Law Firms in Boston
Settled in 1625 as a Puritan, Boston quickly grew from its roots as an early frontier to become the legal and financial center of New England. Over the years, it has gained both national and global prominence as a city. The Boston area has a population of more than 4 million and is a leading educational, governmental, healthcare, and cultural hub.
From its importance at the time of independence in the eighteenth century, through the Gilded Age of the nineteenth century, the Roaring Twenties of the twentieth century, the dot com boom of the 1990s, and the more recent manufacturing and biopharma revolutions, the greater Boston region has always presented an environment for growth. The major powers in the legal arena include the insurance, investment and fund industries, intellectual property, healthcare, real estate, and educational institutions .
Governmental regulatory bodies, including the Administrative Council, Attorney General, Secretary of State, and Legislature, as well as the various Boston city departments, create an advantage for firms that support those institutions. Nearly 47% of lawyers in the Boston area are associated with these state and local departments. Lawyers employed by corporations, nonprofits, and government agencies in various capacities provide a steady base for the legal community.
The practice areas of the top Boston law firms includes bankruptcy, business, corporate, employment, family, finance, health care, insurance, international, labor, legal malpractice, medical malpractice, personal injury, real estate, securities, and tax.
Top industry sectors include: accounting, banking, biotechnology, computer software and hardware, finance and insurance, information technology and telecommunications, investment management, life sciences, marketing and advertising, media and communications, pharmaceuticals, publishing, research and development, and tax.
Law Firm Ranking Criteria in Boston
The process of determining the top law firms in Boston is based on a diverse mix of formal and informal criteria. Standard methodologies involve a number of areas, including reputation, specialty areas and practice focus, client satisfaction and notable achievements or cases.
Legal Rank maintains a database of firms spanning a number of niche practices or focus areas, and allows legal professionals (including lawyers from other firms) to nominate their peers and other firms they come across in their daily work. Reviews are then collected and firms are ranked based on these formal reviews, but more importantly, we consider peer nominating as a way to rank firms. This focuses our ranking on firms that are not only highly visible in terms of advertising and marketing spend but also recognized as high quality by those who matter most.
The results of the ranking process are also paired with information about the differences in firms, both with respect to their areas of focus and expertise as well as geographical fit. This pairing is designed as a way to provide context around law firms that slide in and out of our top 10 law firm rankings.
The result is a robust selection of top firms, drawn from surveys and nominations by professionals both inside and outside of the legal profession. These results set the standard for top-of-mind awareness and credibility amongst the legal profession in the Boston area and across the state.
Top Boston Law Firms
A number of law firms call Boston their home. The following is a brief overview of some top-ranked law firms in the Boston area:
Goodwin Procter LLP provides business law, private equity, real estate, litigation, intellectual property and regulatory advice to people who create, build and grow businesses and to non-profit organizations that supply goods and services. They also represent clients in class action, complex commercial, environmental, insurance coverage and securities matters. This law firm has experts who have handled more than 100 initial public offerings. Latham & Watkins LLC provides legal and other services to their clients in so many areas. The lawyers work in more than 14 offices and 14 countries and they specialize in many areas including M&A, capital markets, environmental, infrastructure and energy, and antitrust, competition and trade. They also provide compliance, investigations, technology transactions, government contracts, private equity, restructuring, sovereign advisory, environmental, tax, product liability and mass torts, and private investment funds and investment management services. Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C., which is commonly called Mintz Levin, was formed more than 80 years ago. Today, it is one of the leading full-service Boston law firms. It offers local and national clients a broad range of legal services that include litigation, intellectual property, real estate, corporate, tax, data security and privacy, and environmental law. Not only is Mintz Levin influential in Boston, but it is also recognized nationally and it is highly regarded throughout the Northeast.
Most Influential Law Firms in Boston
There are several prominent legal practitioners at the top firms in Boston. One such practitioner is Robert J. Anderson Jr. of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. He has a diverse range of expertise and has handled several noteworthy cases, including the high-profile Avaya/NTT DoCoMo case. In that case, he was able to obtain a favorable settlement for his client, NTT DoCoMo. Anderson’s prowess as a steward is another reason why he and his firm are ranked by Thomson Reuters Peer Lawyers as one of the top firms in Boston.
At Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, you will find Patricia Lynch Frey. She specializes in merger control issues, international antitrust inquiry matters and criminal antitrust issues. She has also worked on several high-profile mergers and acquisitions. Another top Boston law firm is Ropes & Gray LLP. Their elite lawyer is Martin A. Zankel, who specializes in corporate law and litigation. Given the local reputation, track record and peer opinion, among other metrics, these three law firms are the most prominent in the Boston region.
Client Reviews and Cases in Boston
The success of any law firm can be measured, in part, by the satisfaction of its clients. HLS conducted interviews with current and former clients of the top law firms in Boston to gauge their satisfaction levels and to gather testimonials.
Client responses were divided between two sections: "Satisfied," for those who were generally satisfied with a law firm, and "Unimpressed," for those who were generally unimpressed by a law firm. Any statements that were especially notable or opinionated have been quoted below, while others have been paraphrased below.
Satisfied
"I think the ABA has a great reputation because it’s been around for so long and it’s always had a strong reputation."
"[ABC] is very proactive about keeping you informed—I really appreciated that . "
"What they said they would do, they did."
"They offered me resources, information, super helpful websites and good analysis on my case."
"[XYZ] has been great in doing exactly what they said—they’re right on the ball."
"They have such a good reputation, it’s hard to come up with a bad thing."
"The law firm had a good reputation and performed exactly as we expected."
Unimpressed
"[XYZ] was not responsive at all."
"[XYZ] did a lot of work that we did not ask them to do; we didn’t think they were a good value."
"They did not have a good reputation prior to my involvement."
"They were not very responsive and just did what they had to."
Current Trends in Boston’s Law Firms
The legal industry in Boston is constantly evolving to meet the needs of its clients. Some of the trends we are seeing in the industry now include:
New Areas of Practice Moving Up the List of Notable Law Firms in Boston:
Along with traditional practices, boutique law firms are emerging in such areas as: healthcare law, commercial law, energy law, and environmental law.
Technological Advancements and Their Impact on Legal Services in Boston:
Law firm websites are increasing in number and variety, with niche practice areas being represented and marketed to specific sets of prospective clients for B2B uses. Cloud-based technologies for case management, matter management, and practice management have also become increasingly commonplace and are driving efficiencies in the delivery of legal services.
The Rise of In-House Counsel in Boston:
As the cost of legal services continues to rise and as more and more companies embrace leaner business models, in-house counsel continue to take over a larger and larger portion of legal responsibilities. In-house teams are often times more cost effective to companies or firms because they can handle a wide swath of legal problems and issues and can be retained for longer periods of time than their counterparts at law firms.
In-house counsel in the area of corporate law, however, is cemented and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future; due to the volume of clients that have a longer-term need for such legal services as we have seen so far this year.
Small law firms gaining prominence as well:
As we see it, small law firms gaining prominence in Boston are going to be the trend that lasts. Small firms have more flexibility when it comes to creating responsive and sensitive business plans; small law firms can make operational and financial decisions quickly. As the marketplace for legal services continues to grow more competitive in metropolitan areas; only those law firms that are able to adapt will thrive. Small firms are able to adapt because they are more agile than the large and mid-sized firms.
Closing Thought:
Trends in the law are cyclical; don’t expect the Boston legal landscape to remain the same indefinitely.
How to Select Your Boston Law Firm
When searching for the best law firms in Boston, it’s important to choose a firm that can meet your unique legal needs. Here are some tips to help you find the right law firm for your situation:
Identify Your Legal Needs:
Take some time to think about the legal issue you’re facing. Is it related to business law, family law, intellectual property, real estate, or some other area? Once you’ve identified the specific legal services you require, it will be easier to narrow down your options.
Research Expertise and Experience:
Look for law firms in Boston that have attorneys who specialize in your area of need. Check their online profiles, published articles, and case results to understand their areas of expertise and how much experience they have in handling cases like yours.
Read Client Reviews and Testimonials:
Online reviews can give you valuable insights into a law firm’s reputation within the community and among previous clients. Look for comments about their level of service, communication skills, the outcome of cases, and overall client satisfaction. Testimonials from past clients can also help you gauge whether a particular law firm is a good fit for you.
Consider Their Communication Style:
Effective communication is key in any lawyer-client relationship . Pay attention during your initial consultations to how the attorney communicates. Do they listen to your concerns? Do they explain things clearly and in a way that you can understand?
Arrange for a Consultation:
Once you’ve narrowed the field to a couple of firms, arrange for an in-person consultation or a phone consultation with the attorney(s) you’re considering. Take this time to ask questions about their approach, fees, and how they keep in touch with clients. This is also your opportunity to get a feel for the personalities of the attorneys you may be working with.
Assess Compatibility:
Trust your instincts. Pay attention to first impressions and your comfort level with the lawyers you meet. You will want to work with attorneys who instill confidence that they can handle your case, and the process should feel collaborative rather than combative.
Compare Fees and Payment Plans:
Law firms in Boston can charge various rates — hourly, flat fees, or contingency fees. Make sure you understand their payment structure, and ask about any retainer fees upfront. Some law firms may offer flexible payment plans while others may not.
By following this guide to choosing a law firm in Boston, you can ensure that you make a well-informed decision.
