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Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP
HeadquartersLos Angeles, California, U.S.
No. of offices55 (2024)
No. of attorneys1,552 (2024)
Major practice areasGeneral practice, litigation, business, entertainment, finance, insurance, international[1]
Revenue$720 million (2024)[2]
Profit per equity partner$1.142 million (2024)
Date founded1979; 45 years ago (1979)
Company typeLLP
Websitelewisbrisbois.com

Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP (commonly referred to as Lewis Brisbois) is a U.S. law firm headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1979, the firm is a national, general practice law firm with 1,552 attorneys. The firm operates offices in 55 offices in 32 states and Washington, D.C.[3]

The firm was ranked 71st in the United States (83rd in the world) in 2023, based on revenue, and 15th in the U.S. based on number of attorneys.[4][5] In 2024, the firm reported $720 million in revenue.[5][6] While the firm's roots are in the area of insurance defense litigation, it has increasingly expanded into corporate and transactional areas and now represents clients in a wide range of legal services.[7] The firm has an international practices group, which serves China, Italy, Japan and South Korea.[8]

History

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Lewis D’Amato Brisbois & Bisgaard

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The firm was founded in 1979 in Los Angeles, originally as Lewis D’Amato Brisbois & Bisgaard. The firm expanded to San Francisco in 1982, and from 1983 to 1993, expanded throughout California. In 2002, the firm officially changed its name to Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP with the opening of a New York City office, its first location outside of California.[9]

Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith

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In 2002, the firm had 640 lawyers in seven offices.[10] In 2007, the firm had 442 lawyers in 31 offices.[11] In 2009, The American Lawyer reported that 46% of the lawyers and 27% of the partners, at the firm were women.[12]

In 2013, with 270 lawyers, Lewis Brisbois had the most lawyers of any law firm in Los Angeles County, California.[13] In 2014, 30% of the firm's partners were women (the industry average was 21%).[14] In 2017, 26% of the firm's lawyers were minorities (the industry average was 14%), and 21% of its partners were minorities (the industry average was 9%).[15]

Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Lewis Brisbois began to advise clients on issues arising from the conflict, including economic sanctions compliance.[16]

In 2022, its New York City office, which opened in 2002, had 160 lawyers.[17] In May 2023, Robert Lewis, a founding partner of the firm, stepped down as chairman of the firm, and became chairman emeritus.[18][19] The firm's management committee elected former vice chairman Gregory Katz to succeed Lewis as managing partner.[20]

As of May 2023, 140 lawyers had left the firm to join Barber Ranen, a boutique employment firm that had been recently opened by John Barber and Jeff Ranen, who had left Lewis Brisbois after leading its employment practices group and serving as members of the firm's management committee; both had worked over two decades at the firm.[21][22][23][24] Ranen explained their departure from Lewis Brisbois saying: "We wanted to lead with empathy, collaboration and compassion," and Barber said "excellence and culture" were their driving forces.[21] In June 2023, Lewis Brisbois released dozens of emails that John Barber and Jeff Ranen had written while employed there, which included racist, antisemitic, homophobic, and violently misogynistic slurs aimed at colleagues, clients, attorneys from other firms, and judges, referred to a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge as "sugar tits," and when Ranen reported to Barber that a firm employee had requested overtime, Barber replied: “Kill her by anal penetration.”[22][25][23] Barber and Ranen resigned from the firm named after them at the firm's request, and the firm was renamed Daugherty Lordan LLP.[23] Lewis Brisbois received requests from between 10 and 20 lawyers who asked to return, and took some of them back.[23] Managing Partner Gregory S. Katz has stated that “We hired a DEI consultant who spent a lot of time with our team, from senior leadership to rank and file members of our team, learning more about the organization, training us, and teaching us[.]”[26]

Offices

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Lewis Brisbois' largest office is located at the U.S. Bank Tower in Los Angeles.

Lewis Brisbois has 55 offices in 32 states and Washington, D.C., including:[27]

Rankings

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With $720,000,000 gross revenue in 2023, the firm placed 71st on The American Lawyer's 2024 Am Law 200 ranking. With over 1,500 attorneys in 2024, the firm placed 18th on The National Law Journal's NLJ 500 ranking.[28]

Notable clients and cases

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Notable attorneys and alumni

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Business

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Government

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Media and entertainment

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Practice Areas - Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP". Lewis Brisbois.
  2. ^ "Top 100 US Law Firms - 2024 AM Law 100".
  3. ^ "Locations - Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP". Lewis Brisbois.
  4. ^ "Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard". Law.com International.
  5. ^ a b Zaretsky, Staci (May 2, 2023). "Partners Lead Mass Defection From Biglaw Firm, With Up To 140 Lawyers Set To Join New Boutique". Above the Law.
  6. ^ "Law360 Reveals 400 Largest US Firms". Law360. May 12, 2019.
  7. ^ "Complex Business & Commercial Litigation". Lewis Brisbois. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  8. ^ "International Practices". Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  9. ^ "History of Lewis Brisbois". Lewis Brisbois.
  10. ^ Renee Deger (July 3, 2002). "Lewis, D’Amato Has New Name, Office, Partners," The Recorder.
  11. ^ Brian Dalton, Vera Djordjevich (2007). Vault Guide to the Top Northern California Law Firms, 2007 Edition
  12. ^ Emily Barker (June 2009). "Women now make up a healthy proportion of lawyers at large firms; Stuck in The Middle", The American Lawyer.
  13. ^ Debra Cassens Weiss (March 14, 2013). "Which law firm has the biggest presence in Los Angeles County? It's not O'Melveny". ABA Journal.
  14. ^ Suzanne L. Jones (April 22, 2014). "Law360 Names Top 25 Ceiling Smashers," The American Bar Association.
  15. ^ Erin Coe (August 20, 2017). "How 5 Firms Are Building More Diverse Ranks," Law360.
  16. ^ "Ukraine Conflict Response". Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  17. ^ "Lewis Brisbois' New York Office Celebrates 20th Anniversary". Lewis Brisbois.
  18. ^ Merken, Sara (May 4, 2023). "Lewis Brisbois chair, executive committee are out after lawyer exodus". Reuters.
  19. ^ "Lewis Brisbois Chairman Bob Lewis Steps Down". The Recorder. May 4, 2023.
  20. ^ Victoria Basham (May 17, 2023). "Lewis Brisbois names new managing partner in wake of mass employment team exodus". Global Legal Post.
  21. ^ a b Brock, James (May 8, 2023). "Lewis Brisbois Partners Break Away". Los Angeles Business Journal.
  22. ^ a b "'Woke' LA firm partners routinely used vile language to refer to women, POC, emails show". MSN.
  23. ^ a b c d Thomas, David; Merken, Sara; Thomas, David; Merken, Sara (June 7, 2023). "Barber Ranen law firm changes name after racist, sexist emails prompt leaders' exit". Reuters.
  24. ^ "Partners Lead Mass Defection From Biglaw Firm, With Up To 140 Lawyers Set To Join New Boutique' That's more than 8% of the firm's lawyers," Law360, May 2, 2023.
  25. ^ Debra Cassens Weiss (June 5, 2023). "Leaders of Lewis Brisbois rebellion sent emails with 'unacceptable, prejudiced language,' law firm says". ABA Journal.
  26. ^ Douglas Saunders, Sr. (January 12, 2024). "Lewis Brisbois recovered from tumultuous year, leader says". Daily Journal. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  27. ^ "Locations". Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  28. ^ "Lewis Brisbois". Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  29. ^ "Lewis Brisbois Class Action Team Secures Ninth Circuit Victory in BMW Battery Suit". March 30, 2023.
  30. ^ Stephen Joyce (March 19, 2024). "BNSF Deal Suggests More Privacy Cases Going to Trial in Illinois". Bloomberg Law. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  31. ^ "Application" (PDF). July 6, 2020. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  32. ^ "Lewis Brisbois Corporate Team Advises Calidi Biotherapeutics in $335 Million Merger Expected to Advance Cancer Therapie". January 19, 2022.
  33. ^ Ryan Mancini (July 3, 2019). "Saban Theatre claims subway damage". Beverly Press. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  34. ^ "Vehicle Manufacturer Wins Summary Judgment on Keyless Entry System Claims". October 26, 2016.
  35. ^ "St. Louis Team Secures Defense Verdict in High-Exposure Products Liability Recall Matter". November 15, 2023.
  36. ^ "Mulino designó a Virna Luque como viceministra de la Presidencia". Panamá América. May 29, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
  37. ^ "Attorney Profile". Retrieved June 10, 2024.
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