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{{Short description|American law firm}}
{{redirect|L&W|the British publishing company|Lawrence and Wishart}}
{{Redirect|L&W|the British publishing company|Lawrence and Wishart}}
{{Infobox_Company |
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2012}}
company_name = Latham & Watkins|

company_logo = ] |
{{Infobox Law Firm
company_type = ]|
| name = Latham & Watkins LLP
foundation = ] |
| logo = Latham & Watkins Logo.svg
location = 29 offices - Los Angeles, CA|
| num_offices = 28 <ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.law.com/law-firm-profile/?id=178&name=Latham-&-Watkins|title=Latham|website=Law.com|access-date=2022-03-07}}</ref>
key_people = Robert Dell, Chairman and Managing Partner |
| num_attorneys = 3,078 <ref name="auto"/>
num_employees = Approximately 2,000 Attorneys |
| num_employees = ≈7,000
industry = ] |
| practice_areas = ], ], ] and ], ], ]
products = Full legal services<br> |
| key_people = Richard Trobman, Chair and Managing Partner
revenue = N/A |
| date_founded = {{start date and age|1934|2|8}}
homepage =
| company_type = ]
| revenue = {{Profit}} US$5.5 billion (March 2022)<ref name="auto"/>
| website = {{URL|https://www.lw.com/}}
}} }}


'''Latham & Watkins LLP''' is an American multinational ]. Founded in 1934 in ], California, Latham is the second-largest law firm in the world by revenue.<ref name="auto"/> As of 2022, Latham is also one of the most profitable law firms in the world, ].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.law.com/law-firm-profile/?id=178&name=Latham-%26-Watkins|title=Latham & Watkins LLP|language=en-US|access-date=2022-03-07}}</ref>
'''Latham & Watkins LLP''' is a global law firm, one of the largest in the world. Latham currently employs approximately 2,000 attorneys in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.<ref>http://www.lw.com/Attorneys.aspx</ref> The firm was started in Los Angeles in 1934 and has extensive California roots, but its largest office is now in ].


== History ==
Latham has historically been one of the most profitable law firms. In 2008, Latham & Watkins became the first US-based law firm to attain more than $2 billion in yearly revenue.<ref>Ashby Jones, , ''Wall Street Journal'', February 11, 2008.</ref> == Recognition ==
The firm was founded in January 1934 in Los Angeles, California, by ] and Paul Watkins. Latham's practice focused on state and federal ], and he eventually served as Commissioner of the ] under President ]. Watkins's practice focused primarily on labor. At first, the firm grew slowly, with only 19 attorneys employed as of 1960.<ref name="latham.com"> ({{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713185140/http://www.latham.com/AboutLatham.aspx?page=75thAnniversary |date=July 13, 2011}}), retrieved May 19, 2010.</ref>


As of 2020, the company is known for lobbying and litigating against actions to mitigate ].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Most Firms Are Failing the Climate Change Test, Law Student Group Concludes|url=https://www.law.com/2020/10/01/most-firms-are-failing-the-climate-change-test-law-student-group-concludes/|access-date=2021-10-09|website=Law.com|language=en}}</ref>{{Verification needed|date=January 2022|reason=To determine whether attribution is needed. (Did the advocacy group or law.com say this?)}} According to the Law Students for Climate Accountability, "Latham & Watkins is the only firm to be in the Top 5 Worst Firms for both transactions and litigation exacerbating climate change."<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020|title=The 2020 Law Firm Climate Change Scorecard|url=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5f53fa556b708446acb4dcb5/t/5f755753f217027860728759/1601525603800/Law+Firm+Climate+Change+Scorecard.pdf}}</ref>
'']'''s 2008 "A-list" ranked Latham & Watkins 2nd in the nation out of more than 200 firms taking into account factors such as revenue per lawyer, pro bono, diversity and associate satisfaction. It ranked 7th in the 2009 ] Prestige List, a survey that asks law firm associates to rank the perceived prestige of the major law firms . Further, in 2007 the Vault ranked Latham as one of the "Best 20 Firms to Work For," one of only three large firms with New York offices to make the list..
Latham was ranked first by Legal500, along with two other firms in the U.S., for project finance. Latham was also identified in the December 2006 issue of ''The American Lawyer'' as the Am Law 200's "most admired firm." ''Legal Business'' magazine awarded Latham the coveted title "Law Firm of the Decade" for its ability to handle the immense challenges posed by the legal industry globally over the last ten years and its financial and strategic success during the period.


Amid the global recession in 2009, the firm laid off 190 lawyers and 250 paralegal and support staff, representing twelve percent of the firm's total associates and ten percent of the support staff.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Haynes|first1=V. Dion|title=Latham & Watkins Cuts 190 Lawyers|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/27/AR2009022702751.html|access-date=28 Feb 2009|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=28 February 2009}}</ref> At a time when many firms were conducting layoffs, the term "Lathamed" became legal slang for being laid off.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Mystal|first1=Elie|title=How Did Latham Become the Poster Child for Layoffs?|url=https://abovethelaw.com/2010/06/how-did-latham-become-the-poster-child-for-layoffs/|access-date=14 June 2010|work=Above the Law|date=14 June 2010}}</ref>
On October 10, 2007, Latham & Watkins was included in a ranking of law firms by the national law student group ].<ref>Amir Efrati, You Say You Want a Big-Law Revolution, Take II, "Wall Street Journal", October 10, 2007.</ref><ref>Adam Liptak, In Students’ Eyes, Look-Alike Lawyers Don’t Make the Grade, ''New York Times'', October 29, 2007, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/29/us/29bar.html?em&ex=1193889600&en=4b0cd84261ffe5b4&ei=5087%0A</ref> The organization ranked firms by billable hours, demographic diversity, and pro bono participation. The results can be found on the organization's website, http://www.betterlegalprofession.org.<ref>Thomas Adcock and Zusha Elinson, Student Group Grades Firms On Diversity, Pro Bono Work, "New York Law Journal," October 19, 2007, http://www.law.com/jsp/nylj/PubArticleNY.jsp?hubtype=BackPage&id=1192698212305</ref>


At one time Latham & Watkins was considered to be the world's largest law firm by total revenue when, in February 2018, it surpassed $3 billion in annual revenue.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-04-10 |title=Latham & Watkins – What The Lawyer Says |url=https://www.thelawyer.com/latham-watkins/ |access-date=2023-01-18 |website=The Lawyer. Legal insight, benchmarking data and jobs |language=en-GB}}</ref>
At the ''2008 ALB SE Asia Law Awards''<ref name="legalbusinessonline.com.au">www.legalbusinessonline.com.au</ref>, Latham & Watkins was crowned:
* Deal of the Year - Project Finance Deal of the Year
* Deal of the Year - Equity Market Deal of the Year


{{As of|February 2021}}, Latham's largest office is in New York City, with more than 450 lawyers.<ref name="lw.com/newyork">{{Cite web |url=https://www.lw.com/offices/newyork|title = Latham & Watkins LLP - Global Directory - New York|website=Lw.com}}</ref> The firm claims it is the only fully integrated multinational law firm with no single headquarters.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://lw.com/upload/pubContent/_pdf/pub2219_1.pdf |title=Legal Technology Journal |date=April 2008 |issue=9 |website=Lw.com|access-date=2021-12-27}}</ref> In 2007, Latham became the first American law firm to attain more than $2 billion in yearly revenue, and in 2018 it was the first law firm to report more than US$3 billion in gross revenue.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Jones|first=Ashby|date=2008-02-11|title=Latham & Watkins Breaks $2 Billion Revenue Barrier|language=en-US |work=The Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB120269357869457865|access-date=2021-02-12|issn=0099-9660}}</ref><ref name="American Lawyer">{{Cite web|last=Strom|first=Roy|date=February 22, 2018|title=Latham & Watkins Makes History with $3 Billion in Revenue|url=https://www.law.com/sites/americanlawyer/2018/02/22/latham-breaks-3-billion-barrier-after-another-banner-year/?slreturn=20210111195902|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=February 12, 2021|website=]}}</ref><ref name="Law.com">{{Cite web|title=Latham & Watkins LLP|url=https://www.law.com/law-firm-profile/?id=178&name=Latham-%26-Watkins|access-date=2021-02-12|website=Law.com|language=en}}</ref> As of 2018, it was briefly the highest-grossing law firm in the world, but has since lost the number one spot to ].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.law.com/americanlawyer/2018/03/21/kirkland-overtakes-latham-as-worlds-biggest-firm-by-revenue/|title=Kirkland Overtakes Latham as World's Biggest Firm by Revenue |work=The American Lawyer|access-date=2018-03-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://abovethelaw.com/2018/02/behold-the-first-firm-to-crack-3-billion-in-revenue/|title=Behold: The First Firm to Crack $3 Billion In Revenue |last=Rubino|first=Kathryn|work=Above the Law|access-date=2018-03-21|language=en-US}}</ref>
At the ''2008 ALB China Law Awards''<ref name="legalbusinessonline.com.au"/>, Latham & Watkins was crowned:
* Deal of the Year - Project Finance Deal of the Year


Latham opened its first office in Moscow in 1992, and thereafter represented a number of Russian state-owned companies.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Here Are the Biggest Legal Advisers to Russia's Major State-Owned Companies |url=https://www.law.com/international-edition/2022/03/01/here-are-the-biggest-legal-advisers-to-russias-major-state-owned-companies/ |access-date=2022-04-12 |website=Law.com International |language=en-us}}</ref> These clients include the state-owned bank ] and the natural gas producer ].<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Binham |first1=Caroline |last2=Rovnick |first2=Naomi |last3=Thompson |first3=Barney |date=2018-05-31 |title=London law firms feel chill from icy relations with Russia |work=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/a0ca13ea-640c-11e8-a39d-4df188287fff |access-date=2022-04-12}}</ref> Latham ended its Russia operations in March 2022, following ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Latham & Watkins, Morgan Lewis Latest to Shut Russia Operations |url=https://www.law.com/international-edition/2022/03/09/latham-watkins-latest-to-shut-russia-operations/ |access-date=2022-04-12 |website=Law.com International |language=en-us}}</ref> In August 2023, Latham announced the decision to close its ] office amid consolidation of its operations in China.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Latest US Law Firm Shrinks China Presence as Latham Closes in Shanghai |url=https://www.law.com/international-edition/2023/08/18/another-u-s-firm-winds-down-china-presence-latham-closes-shanghai/ |access-date=2024-03-07 |website=Law.com International |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Foreign law firms scale back China operations as outlook dims |url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Business-trends/Foreign-law-firms-scale-back-China-operations-as-outlook-dims |access-date=2024-03-07 |website=Nikkei Asia |language=en-GB}}</ref>
]]]


After the wave of global protests against ] to the ], in November 2023 Latham & Watkins was among a group of major law firms who sent a letter to top law school deans warning them that any incidents targeting Jewish students would have corporate hiring consequences. The letter said "We look to you to ensure your students who hope to join our firms after graduation are prepared to be an active part of workplace communities that have zero tolerance policies for any form of discrimination or harassment, much less the kind that has been taking place on some law school campuses."<ref name=hiring>{{cite news |last1=Sorkin |first1=Andrew Ross |last2=Mattu |first2=Ravi |last3=Warner |first3=Bernhard |last4=Kessler |first4=Sarah |last5=Merced |first5=Michael J. de la |last6=Hirsch |first6=Lauren |last7=Livni |first7=Ephrat |title=Law Firms Warn Universities About Antisemitism on Campus |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/02/business/dealbook/law-firms-schools-antisemitism.html |access-date=2 November 2023 |work=The New York Times |date=2 November 2023}}</ref> The letter was denounced by a coalition of ] ]s as contributing to ] and a climate of fear in the legal community.<ref name="cnn nov 2023">{{cite news|last1=Egan |first1=Matt |title=Law firms accused of fueling Islamophobia and chilling free speech |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/14/business/islamophobia-antisemitism-law-firms/index.html|access-date=4 June 2024|work=] |date=14 November 2023}}</ref>
==Notable clients and cases==
*Represented ] Inc. in its $4.84 billion sale to the ] in cooperation with ] Inc, ] Inc, DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and ] (September 2004).<ref>{{cite news
| last =
| first =
| coauthors =
| title = $4.84 billion acquisition
| work =
| pages =
| language =
| publisher = International Law Office
| date = ]
| url = http://www.internationallawoffice.com/deals/Detail.aspx?g=f7908b8d-ba66-4532-886a-9b6a159cd217 | accessdate = ] }}</ref>
*Advised ] AG in its successful 2006 €16.4 billion ] takeover offer for Schering AG pharmaceuticals.<ref>{{cite news
| last =
| first =
| coauthors =
| title = Rise of Latham & Watkins
| work = Vol. 7, No. 1.
| pages =
| language =
| publisher = M&A Journal
| date = ]
| url = http://www.lw.com/upload/pubContent/_pdf/pub1816_1.pdf | accessdate = ] }}</ref>
*Legal counsel to ]s and arrangers ] Securities Inc, ] International and ] International in $2 billion Rule 144A/Regulation S notes offer for ] Ltd, through its ] branch (Oct. 2007). This transaction was shortlisted for the Asia Law India award in the category capital markets.<ref>{{cite news
| last =
| first =
| coauthors =
| title = India Awards
| work =
| pages =
| language =
| publisher = Asia Law
| date = ]
| url = http://www.asialaw.com/Article/2068748/India-awards.html | accessdate = ] }}</ref>
*Represented the ] in the ] ]<ref>{{cite news
| last = Reckard
| first = Scott
| coauthors =
| title = Scientology groups to pay back $3.5 million
| work =
| pages =
| language =
| publisher = Los Angeles Times
| date = ]
| url = http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/1158248221.html?dids=1158248221:1158248221&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current
| accessdate = ] }}
</ref>, and in 2008 letters signed by David J. Schindler on Latham & Watkins stationary were hand-delivered to '']'' protesters identified by Scientology, demanding cessation of unspecified "illegal activities against the church".<ref>{{Cite news
| last = Gray
| first = Tyler
| title = Anonymous on Trial? Scientology Steps Up Skirmish
| work = Radar
| accessdate = 2008-12-16
| date = 2008-03-31
| url = http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2008/03/anonymous-scientology-legal-letters-gregg-latham-watkins.php
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news
| last = Lat
| first = David
| title = Latham & Watkins to Free Stress Tests?
| work = Above the Law
| accessdate = 2008-12-16
| date = 2008-04-01
| url = http://abovethelaw.com/2008/04/latham_watkins_to_free_stress.php
}}</ref>
*Represented ] in its $6.5 billion acquisition of ] in October 2008, in which Eli Lilly prevailed in an abortive price war with ], a rival pharmaceutical company that had been seeking control of ImClone, a leader in the field of ] medicine.<ref>{{Cite news
| last = Lee
| first = Lisa
| coauthors = David Marcus, Amy Wu
| title = Latham gilds Lilly's ImClone offer
| work = The Deal
| accessdate = 2009-10-18
| date = 2008-10-10
| url = http://www.thedeal.com/newsweekly/dealmakers/latham-gilds-lillys-imclone-of.php
}}</ref>
*Advised ] Inc. in the definitive agreement to acquire Arabic language online portal ] in August 2009. Financial terms were not disclosed.<ref>{{Cite news
| last =
| first =
| title =
| work = Mideast Legal Business Online
| accessdate = 2009-10-17
| date = 2009-09-03
| url = http://mideast.legalbusinessonline.com/deals/yahoo-maktoobcom-acquisition/2088}}</ref>


In February 2024, Latham cut off its ]–based lawyers' access to content in its U.S., Europe, Middle East, and Asia databases.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Latham & Watkins cuts off its Hong Kong lawyers from international databases |url=https://www.ft.com/content/9c0dc8aa-0418-4a0e-9629-699b77656234 |access-date=2024-03-07 |newspaper=Financial Times|date=February 13, 2024 |last1=Wiggins |first1=Kaye |last2=Ho-Him |first2=Chan |last3=Ring |first3=Suzi }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Latham's China Data Protection Move Shows Firms' Security Worry |url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and-practice/lathams-china-data-protection-move-shows-firms-security-worry |access-date=2024-03-07 |website=news.bloomberglaw.com |language=en}}</ref>
== Notable attorneys ==
*] - Federal prosecutor in the trials of ] executives ] and ].
*] - ] attorney, after whom ] may have ] its "]" character after a series of high-profile cases.
*] - Former Solicitor General of the United States.
*] - Former Deputy Solicitor General in 1991, represented the ] before the ] in '']''.
*], was ]<ref></ref> General Counsel, now a partner in the litigation department and chair of the Public Policy practice group. He is married to ], attorney, diplomat and daughter of ] ].
*] – convicted hackers ], ], and ]<ref>{{cite news
| last = Bowman
| first = Lisa
| coauthors =
| title = Schindler heads toward life post-Mitnick
| work =
| pages =
| language =
| publisher = ZD Net
| date = ]
| url = http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-501417.html
| accessdate = ] }}
</ref>.
*]- One of the leading writers on commercial real estate law in the US as well as a leading practitioner. Editor of the website Real-Estate-Law.com .


== Offices == == Rankings ==
Latham was ranked as the No. 1 firm in the ] rankings for 2017.<ref name="above the law.com">{{cite web|url=http://abovethelaw.com/2017/04/the-2017-am-law-100-a-turning-point-for-biglaw/2/|title=The 2017 Am Law 100: A Turning Point For Biglaw?|website=Abovethelaw.com|first=David|last=Lat|date=April 27, 2017 }}</ref> In 2021, the firm received the highest number of practice and lawyer rankings from '']''.<ref name="lw.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.lw.com/awards/latham-tops-rankings-Chambers-USA-2021-Guide|title=Latham & Watkins LLP - About Us - Awards & Rankings - Latham Tops the Rankings in Chambers USA 2021 Guide|website=Lw.com|access-date=December 27, 2021}}</ref> Dubbed an "A-List All-Star" by '']'', the firm is one of three firms to appear on the A-List each year since its inception in 2003.<ref name="vault.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.vault.com/company-profiles/law/latham-watkins-llp/company-overview.aspx|title=Latham & Watkins LLP-Company Profile-Vault.com|website=Vault.com}}</ref> '']'' named Latham one of the top five most prestigious firms in the United States and the most prestigious firm in Southern California.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://firsthand.co/company-profiles/law/latham-watkins-llp|title=Latham & Watkins &#124; Company Profile|website=Firsthand.co|access-date=December 27, 2021}}</ref>


==Notable clients and cases==
Latham currently has 1,900 attorneys throughout its offices in: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]
* ] in its acquisition of ] Armenia.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.lw.com/en/news/2024/02/latham-advises-ardshinbank-on-acquisition-of-hsbc-armenia|title=Latham Advises Ardshinbank on Acquisition of HSBC Armenia|date=February 26, 2024|access-date=July 2, 2024}}</ref>
* Relentless, Inc. in '']'', a ] decision which overruled the principle of ''Chevron'' deference established in '']''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.lw.com/en/news/2024/06/latham-wins-historic-supreme-court-decision-overturning-chevron-deference|title=Latham Wins Historic US Supreme Court Decision Overturning Chevron Deference|date=June 28, 2024|access-date=July 2, 2024}}</ref>


== Notable alumni == == Notable attorneys and alumni ==
<!-- Do NOT add names unless they contain a citation to a reliable source. -->
*], former ] and ]
=== Government ===
*], ] officer killed in ]
*] – ], ], ] for the ]<ref>https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/hrg101-52.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=August 2024}}</ref>
*], former ]
*] – Former ]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2001-01-22|title=Interior Department's Babbit and Hayes Join Latham & Watkins|url=https://www.prwatch.org/spin/2001/01/391/interior-departments-babbit-and-hayes-join-latham-watkins|access-date=2024-10-17|website=Prwatch.org}}</ref>
*], former ] (SEC) Chair
*] – Federal prosecutor in the trials of ] executives ] and ]. Also defended ] in the ].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-04-20|title=Loughlin, Giannulli lawyer is prosecutors' 'worst nightmare'|url=https://apnews.com/article/trials-college-admissions-fashion-design-lori-loughlin-us-news-71d74e1d685ecf819bab49df9b3775b8|access-date=2021-06-14|website=Apnews.com}}</ref>
*] former Partner and ] at the ]
*] – ] of the ] from 2014 to 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/21/business/dealbook/leslie-caldwell-enron-latham-watkins.html|title=Former Enron Prosecutor Leslie Caldwell to Join Latham & Watkin|date=June 21, 2017|access-date=July 2, 2024|work=]}}</ref>
*], former ] and ] Secretary
*] – Former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security
*], former SEC Chair
*]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.law360.com/firms/latham-watkins/attorneys/charles-courtenay/cases|title=Charles Courtenay, Latham & Watkins|website=Law360.com|access-date=December 27, 2021}}</ref>
*], former ] (FCC) Chair
*] – Former Chairman of the ]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2024-10-17|title=Christopher Cox SEC Biography|url=https://www.sec.gov/about/current-sec-commissioners/sec-historical-summary-chairmen-commissioners/christopher-cox|access-date=2024-10-17|website=sec.gov}}</ref>
*], Executive Director of the ]
*] – Former ]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2024-10-17|title=Richard Jeffrey Danzig Biography|url=https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/research-guides/modern-biographical-files-ndl/modern-bios-d/danzig-richard-jeffrey.html|access-date=2024-10-17|website=history.navy.mil}}</ref>
*], acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Air & Radiation ]
*] – ]<ref>{{Cite web|date=1993-11-09|title=JOB-JUGGLING MARK FOWLER HAS ONE LESS BELL IN THE AIR|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1993/11/10/job-juggling-mark-fowler-has-one-less-bell-in-the-air/fc1f68ba-79f0-43e2-b2ef-b66798217df8/|access-date=2024-10-17|website=washingtonpost.com}}</ref>
*], Robert A. Sullivan Professor of Law at the University of Michigan Law School and author of a treatise on the Uniform Commercial Code (with Summers)
*] – Former ]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2024-10-17|title=Gregory G. Garre Biography|url=https://www.lw.com/en/people/gregory-garre|access-date=2024-10-17|website=lw.com}}</ref>
*] - Prosecutor in the ] case, former General Counsel of ] and currently a partner at ]
*] – Former ] (IRS)<ref>{{Cite web|date=1989-05-25|title=Nomination of Fred T. Goldberg, Jr., To Be Commissioner of Internal Revenue|url=https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/nomination-fred-t-goldberg-jr-be-commissioner-internal-revenue|access-date=2024-10-17|website=presidency.ucsb.edu}}</ref>
*] – ] Supreme Court<ref>{{Cite web|date=2022-02-15|title=California nominates its first Latina judge to state Supreme Court|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/california-nominates-first-latina-judge-state-supreme-court-rcna16367|access-date=2024-10-17|website=nbcnews.com}}</ref>
*] – Former ]<ref>{{Cite web|date=1990-06-10|title=A CROWBAR FOR CARLA HILLS|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/06/10/magazine/a-crowbar-for-carla-hills.html|access-date=2024-10-17|website=]}}</ref>
*] – Former Chairman of the ]<ref>https://www.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/Hillsbio0802.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=August 2024}}</ref>
*] – Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service<ref>{{Cite news|date=1974-02-09|title=Dana Latham, 75, Former Head Of the Internal Revenue, Is Dead (Published 1974)|language=en-US|newspaper=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/02/09/archives/dana-latham-75-former-head-of-the-internalrevenue-is-dead.html|access-date=2021-02-12|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
*] – Former Chief Judge of the ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Judge Jonathan Lippman {{!}} Latham & Watkins LLP |url=https://www.lw.com/en/people/jonathan-lippman |access-date=2023-01-11 |website=www.lw.com |language=en}}</ref>
*] – Former associate attorney general, former general counsel of the ], and former general counsel of ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?theme=11&content=5659|title=Homeland Security|url-status=dead|access-date=July 29, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061010191022/http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?theme=11&content=5659|archive-date=October 10, 2006|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
*] – ]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2005-11-14|title=NOMINATIONS OF J. THOMAS ROSCH AND WILLIAM E. KOVACIC TO BE COMMISSIONERS OF THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION|url=http://bulk.resource.org/gpo.gov/hearings/109s/26352.pdf|access-date=2024-10-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100510210806/http://bulk.resource.org/gpo.gov/hearings/109s/26352.pdf |archive-date=May 10, 2010 }}</ref>
*] – Former ] to President ] and federal prosecutor in the trials of ] executives ] and ].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lw.com/people/kathrynruemmler|title = Latham & Watkins LLP|website=Lw.com}}</ref>
*] – State Attorney of Florida's 13th Judicial Circuit, ] (2017–22)<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Sullivan |first=Dan |date=November 10, 2020 |title=Who is this guy? How Andrew Warren became the face of criminal justice in Tampa |url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/hillsborough/2020/11/08/how-did-andrew-warren-become-the-face-of-criminal-justice-in-tampa/ |access-date=2023-03-13 |website=Tampa Bay Times |language=en}}</ref>

=== Other ===
*] – Chief Executive Officer of ]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2014-07-30|title=. "The Company Keeping Your Favorite (And Least Favorite) Websites Online|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2014/07/30/cloudflare-protection/|access-date=2024-10-17|website=forbes.com}}</ref>

==See also==
*]
*]


==References== ==References==
{{reflist|2}} {{Reflist}}


==External links== ==External links==
*{{Official|http://www.lw.com/}} *{{Official website|https://www.lw.com/}}

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Latest revision as of 08:55, 17 December 2024

American law firm "L&W" redirects here. For the British publishing company, see Lawrence and Wishart.

Latham & Watkins LLP
No. of offices28
No. of attorneys3,078
No. of employees≈7,000
Major practice areasGeneral corporate, mergers & acquisitions, banking and finance, litigation, antitrust
Key peopleRichard Trobman, Chair and Managing Partner
RevenueIncrease US$5.5 billion (March 2022)
Date foundedFebruary 8, 1934; 90 years ago (1934-02-08)
Company typeLimited liability partnership
Websitewww.lw.com

Latham & Watkins LLP is an American multinational law firm. Founded in 1934 in Los Angeles, California, Latham is the second-largest law firm in the world by revenue. As of 2022, Latham is also one of the most profitable law firms in the world, with profits per partner exceeding US$5.7 million.

History

The firm was founded in January 1934 in Los Angeles, California, by Dana Latham and Paul Watkins. Latham's practice focused on state and federal tax law, and he eventually served as Commissioner of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under President Dwight Eisenhower. Watkins's practice focused primarily on labor. At first, the firm grew slowly, with only 19 attorneys employed as of 1960.

As of 2020, the company is known for lobbying and litigating against actions to mitigate climate change. According to the Law Students for Climate Accountability, "Latham & Watkins is the only firm to be in the Top 5 Worst Firms for both transactions and litigation exacerbating climate change."

Amid the global recession in 2009, the firm laid off 190 lawyers and 250 paralegal and support staff, representing twelve percent of the firm's total associates and ten percent of the support staff. At a time when many firms were conducting layoffs, the term "Lathamed" became legal slang for being laid off.

At one time Latham & Watkins was considered to be the world's largest law firm by total revenue when, in February 2018, it surpassed $3 billion in annual revenue.

As of February 2021, Latham's largest office is in New York City, with more than 450 lawyers. The firm claims it is the only fully integrated multinational law firm with no single headquarters. In 2007, Latham became the first American law firm to attain more than $2 billion in yearly revenue, and in 2018 it was the first law firm to report more than US$3 billion in gross revenue. As of 2018, it was briefly the highest-grossing law firm in the world, but has since lost the number one spot to Kirkland & Ellis.

Latham opened its first office in Moscow in 1992, and thereafter represented a number of Russian state-owned companies. These clients include the state-owned bank VTB and the natural gas producer Novatek. Latham ended its Russia operations in March 2022, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In August 2023, Latham announced the decision to close its Shanghai office amid consolidation of its operations in China.

Latham's largest office is located at 1271 Avenue of the Americas

After the wave of global protests against Israel's response in Gaza to the October 7th attacks, in November 2023 Latham & Watkins was among a group of major law firms who sent a letter to top law school deans warning them that any incidents targeting Jewish students would have corporate hiring consequences. The letter said "We look to you to ensure your students who hope to join our firms after graduation are prepared to be an active part of workplace communities that have zero tolerance policies for any form of discrimination or harassment, much less the kind that has been taking place on some law school campuses." The letter was denounced by a coalition of Muslim bar associations as contributing to Islamophobia and a climate of fear in the legal community.

In February 2024, Latham cut off its Hong Kong–based lawyers' access to content in its U.S., Europe, Middle East, and Asia databases.

Rankings

Latham was ranked as the No. 1 firm in the Am Law 100 rankings for 2017. In 2021, the firm received the highest number of practice and lawyer rankings from Chambers and Partners. Dubbed an "A-List All-Star" by The American Lawyer, the firm is one of three firms to appear on the A-List each year since its inception in 2003. Vault.com named Latham one of the top five most prestigious firms in the United States and the most prestigious firm in Southern California.

Notable clients and cases

Notable attorneys and alumni

Government

Other

See also

References

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  2. "Latham & Watkins LLP". Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  3. Latham.com (Archived July 13, 2011, at the Wayback Machine), retrieved May 19, 2010.
  4. "Most Firms Are Failing the Climate Change Test, Law Student Group Concludes". Law.com. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  5. "The 2020 Law Firm Climate Change Scorecard" (PDF). 2020.
  6. Haynes, V. Dion (February 28, 2009). "Latham & Watkins Cuts 190 Lawyers". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 28, 2009.
  7. Mystal, Elie (June 14, 2010). "How Did Latham Become the Poster Child for Layoffs?". Above the Law. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
  8. "Latham & Watkins – What The Lawyer Says". The Lawyer. Legal insight, benchmarking data and jobs. April 10, 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  9. "Latham & Watkins LLP - Global Directory - New York". Lw.com.
  10. "Legal Technology Journal" (PDF). Lw.com. April 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  11. Jones, Ashby (February 11, 2008). "Latham & Watkins Breaks $2 Billion Revenue Barrier". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  12. Strom, Roy (February 22, 2018). "Latham & Watkins Makes History with $3 Billion in Revenue". Law.com. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  13. "Latham & Watkins LLP". Law.com. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  14. "Kirkland Overtakes Latham as World's Biggest Firm by Revenue". The American Lawyer. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  15. Rubino, Kathryn. "Behold: The First Firm to Crack $3 Billion In Revenue". Above the Law. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  16. "Here Are the Biggest Legal Advisers to Russia's Major State-Owned Companies". Law.com International. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  17. Binham, Caroline; Rovnick, Naomi; Thompson, Barney (May 31, 2018). "London law firms feel chill from icy relations with Russia". Financial Times. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  18. "Latham & Watkins, Morgan Lewis Latest to Shut Russia Operations". Law.com International. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  19. "Latest US Law Firm Shrinks China Presence as Latham Closes in Shanghai". Law.com International. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  20. "Foreign law firms scale back China operations as outlook dims". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  21. Sorkin, Andrew Ross; Mattu, Ravi; Warner, Bernhard; Kessler, Sarah; Merced, Michael J. de la; Hirsch, Lauren; Livni, Ephrat (November 2, 2023). "Law Firms Warn Universities About Antisemitism on Campus". The New York Times. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  22. Egan, Matt (November 14, 2023). "Law firms accused of fueling Islamophobia and chilling free speech". CNN. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  23. Wiggins, Kaye; Ho-Him, Chan; Ring, Suzi (February 13, 2024). "Latham & Watkins cuts off its Hong Kong lawyers from international databases". Financial Times. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  24. "Latham's China Data Protection Move Shows Firms' Security Worry". news.bloomberglaw.com. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  25. Lat, David (April 27, 2017). "The 2017 Am Law 100: A Turning Point For Biglaw?". Abovethelaw.com.
  26. "Latham & Watkins LLP - About Us - Awards & Rankings - Latham Tops the Rankings in Chambers USA 2021 Guide". Lw.com. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  27. "Latham & Watkins LLP-Company Profile-Vault.com". Vault.com.
  28. "Latham & Watkins | Company Profile". Firsthand.co. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  29. "Latham Advises Ardshinbank on Acquisition of HSBC Armenia". February 26, 2024. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  30. "Latham Wins Historic US Supreme Court Decision Overturning Chevron Deference". June 28, 2024. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  31. https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/hrg101-52.pdf
  32. "Interior Department's Babbit and Hayes Join Latham & Watkins". Prwatch.org. January 22, 2001. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  33. "Loughlin, Giannulli lawyer is prosecutors' 'worst nightmare'". Apnews.com. April 20, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  34. "Former Enron Prosecutor Leslie Caldwell to Join Latham & Watkin". New York Times. June 21, 2017. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  35. "Charles Courtenay, Latham & Watkins". Law360.com. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  36. "Christopher Cox SEC Biography". sec.gov. October 17, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  37. "Richard Jeffrey Danzig Biography". history.navy.mil. October 17, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  38. "JOB-JUGGLING MARK FOWLER HAS ONE LESS BELL IN THE AIR". washingtonpost.com. November 9, 1993. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  39. "Gregory G. Garre Biography". lw.com. October 17, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  40. "Nomination of Fred T. Goldberg, Jr., To Be Commissioner of Internal Revenue". presidency.ucsb.edu. May 25, 1989. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  41. "California nominates its first Latina judge to state Supreme Court". nbcnews.com. February 15, 2022. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  42. "A CROWBAR FOR CARLA HILLS". The New York Times. June 10, 1990. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  43. https://www.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/Hillsbio0802.pdf
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  45. "Judge Jonathan Lippman | Latham & Watkins LLP". www.lw.com. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  46. "Homeland Security". Archived from the original on October 10, 2006. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  47. "NOMINATIONS OF J. THOMAS ROSCH AND WILLIAM E. KOVACIC TO BE COMMISSIONERS OF THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION" (PDF). November 14, 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 10, 2010. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  48. "Latham & Watkins LLP". Lw.com.
  49. Sullivan, Dan (November 10, 2020). "Who is this guy? How Andrew Warren became the face of criminal justice in Tampa". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  50. ". "The Company Keeping Your Favorite (And Least Favorite) Websites Online". forbes.com. July 30, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2024.

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