Law of Large Companies Still Rake It In, but growth may be slowing

recession and post-recession was not kind to the law firms that delivers the largest company in the country. The last few years have seen mass layoffs, sometimes even partners. There is a consolidation, merger, and the slow motion Dewey & LeBoeuf refusal, itself the result of combining the two year old and respected New York law firms.Last turned out fine for most large law firms, according to American Lawyer magazine top 100 largest U.S. companies marketable. Average gross revenue rose 5.3 percent and the average revenue per lawyer common measure used to compare the performance of law firms, an increase of 1.9 percent. In other words, things could be better, and they can also be much buried in the American Lawyer reports worse.But some signs that the profession has changed and could not be better, if possible in one part of the world . The magazine, which ranked law firm with revenues of more than two decades, saw the average revenue per lawyer for 81 law firms in the Am Law 100 have lived for 25 years. From 1986 to 1998, the annual average growth for the group of companies is 5 percent. From 1998 to 2011, he slipped to 4.2 percent. In an article accompanying the ranking, Indiana University law professor William Henderson said he saw still running "flat" revenue per lawyer at a big firm. He brings to the company is relying on in-house lawyers, or switch to smaller law firms tend to be more expensive for long-term use.For legal observers, there are some other important changes. The average number of non-equity partners in law firms jumped 5.7 percent, while the comparable number of equity partners rose 1.4 percent last year. Means periodically fewer lawyers can fully share in the profits of the company '. And lost several large law firms face some time. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, who ranked gross income for all but four years in the history of the Am Law 100, was third this year. At Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz as Skadden, long known for getting the job is the biggest drop in List of gross income, to 4.8 percent.That said, it is difficult to get all teary-eyed for two companies. Skadden income is more than $ 2.1 billion in 2011, an increase of 3.1 percent over the previous year. And Wachtell topped the list of U.S. Attorneys profit-per-partner, with more than $ 4.4 million.