The global legal elite: who they are and how much the world’s most powerful lawyers earn

The legal world moves billions of dollars and, consequently, the lawyers who occupy positions of greatest responsibility—whether as general counsel of large multinationals or as partners of the most prestigious firms on the planet—are among the best-paid professionals in the business world.

In recent years, the gap between the salary of an average lawyer and the compensation received by the leaders of the profession has become more visible. On the one hand, General Counsel (Chief Legal Officers) of publicly traded technology, financial, and consumer companies reach remunerations exceeding $30 million annually, thanks to the combination of base salary, bonuses, and stock packages. On the other hand, partners at major international law firms (Big Law) achieve astronomical figures, with profit per equity partner (PEP) exceeding $8 million in several leading firms and with star partners capable of billing more than $25 million annually.

This document offers a comprehensive overview of:
A. The highest-paid in-house lawyers in the world.
B. The partners with the greatest profits and the PEP rankings in the United States.
C. The leading law firms by revenue in each major country worldwide.

The objective is to provide a comparative picture of who the true economic giants within the legal profession are, and in which jurisdictions the most influential firms are concentrated.

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The World’s Highest-Paid Lawyers

The World’s Highest-Paid Lawyers

A. Highest-Paid In-House Lawyers in the World

·        1. Kent Walker (Alphabet) – $30.2M

·        2. Mark Brazeal (Broadcom) – $29M

·        3. Aparna Bawa (Zoom) – $28.0M

·        4. Kate Adams (Apple) – $27.1M

·        5. Dana Wagner (Twilio) – $26.2M

·        6. John G. Finley (Blackstone) – $22.2M

·        7. Kathryn K. Sudol (KKR) – $18.6M

·        8. David A. Zapolsky (Amazon) – $18.2M

·        9. Tim Teter (Nvidia) – $19.2M

·        10. Shannon Thyme Klinger (Moderna) – $17.4M

·        11. Kathryn Ruemmler (Goldman Sachs) – $17.1M

·        12. Tia Sherringham (DoorDash) – $15.9M

·        13. Horacio Gutiérrez (Disney) – $15.4M

·        14. David McAtee II (AT&T) – $15.3M

·        15. Jennifer Newstead (Meta) – $15M

B. Law Firm Partners with the Highest Profits

In Big Law in the U.S., some partners are already earning more than $25 million annually, with hourly rates exceeding $2,500. Among the most prominent firms:

·        Kirkland & Ellis – revenues of $8.8B in 2024, PEP of $9.25M

·        Latham & Watkins – individual compensations above $20M, average PEP of $7.135M

·        Davis Polk – PEP above $7M

·        Paul Hastings – PEP of $6.715M

·        Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan – PEP of $8.64M

·        Simpson Thacher & Bartlett – PEP of $7.66M

·        Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison – PEP of $7.54M

·        Gibson Dunn – PEP of $7.18M

·        Cravath, Swaine & Moore – PEP of $6.85M

·        Milbank – PEP of $6.812M

·        Sullivan & Cromwell – PEP of $6.74M

·        Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom – PEP of $6.049M

·        King & Spalding – PEP of $5.932M

·        Weil, Gotshal & Manges – PEP of $5.371M

·        Debevoise & Plimpton – PEP of $5.336M

·        Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton – PEP of $5.223M

·        Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson – PEP of $5.184M

·        Sidley Austin – PEP of $5.157M

It should be clarified that PEP is an average per equity partner, but “rainmakers” (star partners) can earn far more.

C. Leading Law Firms by Revenue in Each Major Country

·        Germany → Hengeler Mueller

·        Algeria → Bennani & Associés

·        Argentina → Marval O’Farrell Mairal

·        Australia → MinterEllison

·        Austria → Wolf Theiss

·        Saudi Arabia → Al Tamimi & Company

·        Brazil → Mattos Filho

·        Bolivia → Bufete Moreno Baldivieso

·        Bulgaria → Boyanov & Co

·        Canada → Gowling WLG

·        Colombia → Brigard Urrutia

·        Chile → Carey

·        China → King & Wood Mallesons

·        Denmark → Kromann Reumert

·        United Arab Emirates → Al Tamimi & Company

·        Spain → Garrigues

·        United States → Kirkland & Ellis

·        France → Fidal

·        Finland → Roschier

·        Hungary → Nagy és Trócsányi

·        India → Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas

·        Indonesia → Hadiputranto, Hadinoto & Partners

·        Ireland → Arthur Cox

·        Italy → Gianni & Origoni

·        Japan → Nishimura & Asahi

·        Mexico → Creel, García-Cuéllar, Aiza y Enríquez

·        New Zealand → Russell McVeagh

·        Norway → Wiersholm

·        Netherlands → De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek

·        Peru → Miranda & Amado

·        Poland → Sołtysiński Kawecki & Szlęzak (SK&S)

·        Portugal → Morais Leitão

·        Qatar → Al Tamimi & Company

·        United Kingdom → Clifford Chance

·        Romania → Țuca Zbârcea & Asociații

·        Russia → Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners

·        Serbia → Karanović & Partners

·        South Africa → ENSafrica

·        Sweden → Mannheimer Swartling

·        Thailand → Weerawong, Chinnavat & Partners

·        Turkey → Paksoy

Conclusion

The analysis of the figures shows that the legal profession, at its highest levels, is one of the most lucrative in the world. The combination of strategic responsibility, influence in decision-making, and technical specialization explains why both general counsel of large companies and partners of the most prestigious international firms are found among the global compensation elite.

While the General Counsel of multinational technology and financial companies appear on official lists thanks to the mandatory transparency of publicly traded firms, Big Law partners operate in a less visible arena, but with equally—or even more—spectacular figures. The trend suggests that both worlds will continue to feed into each other: companies will seek talent from law firms, and law firms will continue to benefit from in-house experience to reinforce their competitiveness.

Ultimately, the global picture demonstrates that the legal market is consolidating as a major economic player, and that its main protagonists—corporate lawyers and partners of major firms—will continue to occupy a prominent place among the best-paid professionals on the planet.

However, it is worth noting the contrast: alongside this privileged elite of general counsel and major firm partners, there exists a much broader reality. In many countries—including much of Latin America, Africa, Eastern and Southern Europe (Spain and Portugal), and Asia—the legal profession is marked by modest salaries, oversupply of professionals, and precarious working conditions. For many young lawyers, incomes barely exceed the average wage of their countries, and the chances of rising to top positions remain.