Michael Best
 |
 | |
| Headquarters | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
|---|---|
| No. of offices | 19 |
| No. of attorneys | 350 |
| Major practice areas | General practice |
| Key people | David A. Krutz (Managing Partner) |
| Revenue | $156,964,000 (2021)[1] |
| Profit per equity partner | $677,000 (2021)[1] |
| Date founded | 1848 |
| Founder | Edward George Ryan |
| Company type | Limited liability partnership |
| Website | www.michaelbest.com |
Michael Best & Friedrich LLP (commonly, referred to as "Michael Best") is a U.S. national law firm with more than 400 legal professionals, including more than 300 attorneys in 19 domestic offices.[1] The firm ranked 166th on The American Lawyer's 2024 Am Law 200 rankings.
History
[edit]Michael Best was founded in 1848 by Edward George Ryan, a Wisconsin trial attorney who later served as Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.[2] Over the course of more than a hundred and seventy years, the firm expanded throughout Wisconsin and across the country through a series of expansions and mergers, eventually growing from a small legal practice to a full-service business law firm that serves clients in the United States and across the globe.[2][3][4]
Practice areas
[edit]Michael Best's primary practice areas include corporate, government relations, public policy, political law, intellectual property, labor and employment, litigation, privacy & cybersecurity, real estate, regulatory, tax, and estate planning.[5] Other areas of practice the firm is known for include banking & financial services law, energy, environmental & natural resources law, and life sciences.
Attorney compensation
[edit]Unlike most U.S. national law firms, Michael Best does not generally disclose compensation offered to Associates.[6] However, as mandated by the Colorado Equal Pay Act, the lateral attorney job openings posted on the firm's website indicate that, "[f]or Colorado applicants only," the starting associate salary is $150,000 per year.[7] Numerous sources further report that base salary of Michael Best Associates based in other major markets (i.e., Austin, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., where Associate salaries typically start at $205,000 for new law school graduates), also start at $150,000.[8][9][10]
Affiliations
[edit]Michael Best is affiliated with various global law organizations, including Lex Mundi, a network of 160 law firms with over 21,000 attorneys in more than 100 countries;[11] the Employment Law Alliance (ELA), a global network of employment and labor law firms;[12] and the American Property Tax Counsel (APTC), a national affiliation of property tax law firms that provides major portfolio owners with a single source of tax advice.[13]
Notable alumni
[edit]- William A. Bablitch, Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court (1983-2003) [14]
- Steven M. Biskupic, former United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin [15]
- David J. Cannon, former United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin[16]
- Stephen L. Crocker, United States Magistrate Judge for the Western District of Wisconsin (1992–Present) [17]
- Michelle L. Jacobs, former United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin [15]
- Reince Priebus, Chairman of the Republican National Committee (2011–2017)[18][19] and White House Chief of Staff (2017) [20]
- Edward George Ryan, Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court (1874-1880) [21]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Michael Best & Friedrich". The American Lawyer. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
- ^ a b "Michael Best & Friedrich LLP | Our Firm |". www.michaelbest.com. Archived from the original on 1 July 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
- ^ "Firms entering Chicago market see opportunity to grow" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-11-14.
- ^ Kirchen, Rich (2013-11-20). "Michael Best & Friedrich buys Salt Lake City's Vantus firm". Retrieved 2016-11-14.
- ^ "Practices".
- ^ https://www.nalpdirectory.com/content/OrganizationalSnapshots/OrgSnapshot_9048.pdf
- ^ https://www.michaelbest.com/Careers/Lateral
- ^ "Salary Wars Scorecard: Which Firms Have Announced Raises? (2021) - Above the LawAbove the Law".
- ^ https://www.lawcrossing.com/lawfirmprofile/K7VaW/Michael-Best-and-Friedrich-LLP/salary-benefits
- ^ https://www.bcgsearch.com/bestlawfirms/K7VaW/Michael-Best-and-Friedrich-LLP/salary-benefits
- ^ Lex Mundi
- ^ Employment Law Alliance
- ^ American Property Tax Counsel
- ^ Rabideau, Amy (2011-02-17). "Bablitch a longtime public servant". Jsonline.com. Retrieved 2016-11-14.
- ^ a b "Biskupic, Jacobs leave Michael Best, form own firm - Milwaukee - Milwaukee Business Journal". Archived from the original on 2015-02-09.
- ^ Rabideau, Amy (2011-08-02). "Cannon served as Milwaukee County DA, U.S. attorney". Jsonline.com. Retrieved 2016-11-14.
- ^ http://judgepedia.org/Stephen_Crocker
- ^ Huey-Burns, Caitlin (January 24, 2011). "10 Things You Didn't Know About Reince Priebus". usnews.com. U.S. News & World Report, L.P. p. 1. Archived from the original on September 12, 2012. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
- ^ "Reince Priebus". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 6, 2014. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
- ^ Jackson, Hallie; Tur, Katy; Jaffe, Alexandra (November 13, 2016). "Donald Trump Names RNC Chair Reince Priebus Chief of Staff". nbcnews.com. NBC News. p. 1. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
- ^ "Wisconsin Court System - Edward G. Ryan". Wicourts.gov. 2016-02-05. Retrieved 2016-11-14.