The Los Angeles business community has faced numerous struggles in recent years, but one sector has consistently thrived: law firms and their attorneys.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, lateral movement among both partner and associate-level attorneys has been classified as ‘strong’ to ‘red-hot.’
East Coast and Midwest law firms are actively seeking real estate and talent in Los Angeles, while local consolidations and firm rebranding continue at a steady pace.
Perrie Weiner’s experience illustrates this trend. In 2018, he was assigned to establish Baker McKenzie’s operations in Century City. What began with just four attorneys has blossomed into a workforce of over 70, including 48 lawyers.
“When I originally joined, L.A.’s a really rough market, so success would have been 15 to 20 lawyers in three to four years,” Weiner remarked. “We ended up blowing past that and moving locations here twice. We have every major practice area of the firm represented here.”
The growth of law firms is a multifaceted endeavor, with organic growth from upstart firms and strategic acquisitions through lateral moves or mergers with local practices.
Chris Frost, the founder of litigation-focused Frost LLP, noted, “It’s a buyer’s market. My impression is that firms are looking to grow from the lateral market and are getting tired of just raising talent straight out of law school.”
Frost has utilized both growth strategies, aiming to expand his firm to over 32 attorneys in Los Angeles while maintaining offices in other states.
For this report, the Business Journal compared its 2022 and 2025 lists of law firms, ranking the largest firms in L.A. County by headcount. This comparison spotlighted the top 50 firms based on both raw numbers and percentage growth.
Larger firms have only gained momentum. Eight of the top ten firms seeing the most significant growth in absolute attorney count had 52 or more attorneys in 2022 and added between 34 and 61 lawyers since then.
From the original 50 firms ranked, those that had over 100 attorneys in 2022 increased from nine to 15 firms.
On average, the 50 fastest-growing firms saw their headcounts rise from 69 attorneys in 2022 to 94 in 2025, reflecting an average increase of 25 attorneys.
In terms of percentage growth, the top five firms experienced a doubling of their sizes since 2022, with the firm ranked fiftieth even achieving a 25% increase.
Baker McKenzie, for instance, appeared on both growth lists, experiencing an increase of attorneys from 33 to 48. This significant jump was bolstered by the strategic addition of a 17-member transaction team transitioning from Munger Tolles & Olson.
Weiner highlighted the necessity to establish a robust private equity and M&A practice in Los Angeles, mirroring offerings in Northern California and globally. “Munger Tolles is a venerable L.A.-based firm with elite lawyers and an elite practice group in private equity, M&A, and tax,” he stated.
Leading the charge in raw growth was the litigation powerhouse Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, which added 61 attorneys during the observed timeframe. Following closely were Willkie Farr & Gallagher, which boosted its ranks by 50; Goodwin, with a gain of 49; Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker at 42; and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher with an addition of 39 lawyers.
Willkie’s rise was particularly noteworthy, having only entered the Los Angeles market a mere six months before the Business Journal’s 2022 listing, having initially branched off from a nearby firm and subsequently adding teams of lateral hires.
Interestingly, Munger Tolles maintained growth despite losing top-tier talent, climbing from 142 to 160 attorneys.
Smaller firms typically dominate the growth percentage category, exemplified by Glendale-based D.Law, a wage and hour class action firm established in 2015. The firm, which had just three attorneys in 2022, took a deliberate approach to growth with a strong research and paralegal focus.
In 2023, D.Law began to increase its attorney count through the acquisition of a partner firm, now boasting 40 attorneys, which equates to a staggering growth of 1,233%.
Following D.Law, Shegerian & Associates achieved 150% growth, Wilson Sonsini at 120%, Troutman Pepper at 108%, and Snell & Wilmer at 100%, with none of these firms having more than 30 attorneys in 2022.
Frost’s firm, while not ranked in this year’s Fastest Growing Law Firms report due to its formation this year, adopted a cautious growth approach. “When I started the firm, I decided that with four lawyers, we were going to be safe and conservative with our growth,” he explained.
Frost LLP focused on acquiring business litigation laterals one at a time, starting from a small office and gradually expanding into New York and merging with a Phoenix firm.
“We’ve hit our stride now, and we’re seeing more resumes, even unsolicited, looking for positions to fill. It’s nice for us to be in that position,” Frost commented on the firm’s recent success in attracting talent.
Mergers are another avenue contributing to growth among L.A. firms, serving as a primary method for East Coast firms to penetrate this market.
In recent years, notable mergers included Saul Ewing joining forces with Freeman Freeman & Smiley, Spencer Fane merging with Pahl & McCay, and Michael Best & Friedrich acquiring O&A P.C.
Furthermore, existing firms filled gaps through mergers, as seen in Clark Hill’s combination with Barton Klugman & Oetting and Morrison Foerster’s acquisition of Durie Tangri.
Womble Bond Dickinson’s recent merger with Lewis Roca also made waves, marking a significant jump on the percentage growth chart.
New entrants like Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young have emerged in Long Beach, attracting a 10-attorney team from Keesal Young & Logan.
Weiner believes that mergers can effectively bolster law firms if the integrating group aligns with the firm’s overall practice groups. He adds that acquiring smaller firms can simplify the process compared to bringing individuals on board piecemeal.
However, a careful approach is necessary for the integration process. “We’re focused on strategic acquisitions of practice groups that make sense in a big firm context and we’re very careful about the integration process as well,” Weiner stated.
He notes that boutique and mid-sized firms will continue to thrive in the L.A. market, which often resembles a middle-market economy in comparison to larger markets like New York.
Weiner emphasizes the importance of personal client relationships in Los Angeles, which can differ significantly from other regions, indicating a lasting place for smaller and mid-sized firms.
“There will always be a place for a smaller to mid-sized firms and I don’t necessarily think they’re the best suited candidates for mergers for larger firms,” Weiner concluded.
He elaborated that specific fields, such as entertainment and individual project management, do not easily scale within larger firms.
In a market marked by sensitivity to rates, acquiring firms that operate on a different financial model can pose significant challenges for integration. The dynamics of firm movement and consolidation within Los Angeles illustrate a legal landscape that is both vibrant and adapting to ongoing market forces.
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