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Latham & Watkins history
Latham & Watkins company history timeline
The firm was founded in January 1934 in Los Angeles, California by Dana Latham and Paul Watkins.
The partnership developed an emphasis on labor law after the passage of the National Labor Relations Act in 1935, which guaranteed collective bargaining.
Soon after the United Geophysical Company was founded in 1937, it began using the services of Latham & Watkins.
In the early postwar period the firm grew as it recruited young attorneys and some of its veterans returned, and in 1949 Latham & Watkins established its first written partnership agreement.
By 1954 the firm employed 14 attorneys and had begun to develop a litigation practice.
At first, the firm grew slowly, with only 19 attorneys employed as of 1960.
In 1967 Latham & Watkins remained modest in size with just 30 attorneys, but rapid growth in the years ahead made it one of the nation's largest firms, surpassing many law firms that were much older.
Clinton R. Stevenson was chosen managing partner in 1967.
1978: Firm starts an office in Washington, D.C.
By 1983 the firm had grown to 237 attorneys and added new specialties such as bankruptcy, commercial, and international law.
In 1991 Latham & Watkins also released 43 junior associates, a drastic move in light of its commitment to retain attorneys from the time they were hired to the time they retired.
1992: A Moscow office is started.
1994: A Hong Kong and Newark offices are started.
In 1997 at least 100 partners brought in a minimum of $1 million each in billings.
1997: The firm establishes Silicon Valley and Singapore branches.
In July 1999 the American Lawyer ranked Latham & Watkins as the nation's fourth-largest law firm, with gross revenues of $502 million.
Learn more by reading our 2020 Pro Bono Annual Review.
Despite being founded in Los Angeles, Latham's largest office is now in New York City, with more than 450 lawyers as of February 2021.
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Latham & Watkins competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirkland & Ellis | 1909 | $4.8B | 5,721 | 105 |
| White & Case | 1901 | $1.8B | 3,662 | 48 |
| Morrison & Foerster | 1883 | $945.0M | 2,787 | - |
| Jones Day | 1893 | $2.1B | 6,097 | - |
| Squire Patton Boggs | 1890 | $1.0B | 7,500 | 25 |
| Sullivan & Cromwell | 1879 | $1.1B | 1,931 | - |
| Winston & Strawn | 1853 | $985.0M | 2,000 | 2 |
| Gibson Dunn | 1890 | $2.0B | 1,900 | - |
| Skadden | 1948 | $2.4B | 3,500 | 61 |
| Covington & Burling | 1919 | $330.0M | 1,600 | 19 |
Latham & Watkins history FAQs
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Latham & Watkins may also be known as or be related to Latham & Watkins, Latham & Watkins LLP and Latham Watkins & Hills.