It
used
to
be
the
case
that
if
you
left
Biglaw
for
a
small,
boutique,
or
midsize
firm,
you
had
to
expect
a
pay
cut.
It
might
not
have
been
a
huge
pay
cut,
maybe
$10K
or
$20K
below
the
standard
Biglaw
scale
—
but
given
the
opportunities
offered
by
smaller
firms,
including
more
responsibility,
greater
client
contact,
and
(maybe)
better
work-life
balance,
many
lawyers
viewed
the
trade-off
as
worth
it.
But
as
people
who
have
followed
our salary
and
bonus
coverage have
surely
noticed,
going
to
a
smaller
firm
no
longer
requires
taking
a
smaller
paycheck.
In
fact,
a
number
of
small,
boutique,
and
midsize
firms
pay
the
same
as
—
or
even
more
than
—
their
Biglaw
competitors.
Not
surprisingly,
a
growing
number
of
talented
law
students
and
young
lawyers
are
choosing
to
start
their
careers
at
smaller
firms,
bypassing
the
few
years
in
Biglaw
that
traditionally
represented
the
dues
that
had
to
be
paid
before
moving
on
to
work
at
an
elite
boutique.
But
how
can
you
find
the
small,
boutique,
and
midsize
firms
where
you’d
actually
want
to
work
—
and
where
you’d
be
paid
handsomely?
Luckily,
there’s
a
Vault
ranking
for
that.
The Top
150
Under
150 ranking
“recognize[s]
outstanding
small
and
midsize
law
firms
that
deliver
big
results.”
Here’s
the
methodology
Vault
used:
To
determine
the Top
150
Under
150,
Vault
first
developed
a
list
of
the
best-known
and
most
sought-after
U.S.
firms
with
150
attorneys
or
fewer.
Our
editorial
and
research
teams
pored
through
Vault
survey
data,
news
stories,
trade
journals,
and
other
legal
publications;
spoke
with
lawyers
in
the
field;
and
reviewed
other
published
rankings.
Vault
editors
also
assessed
each
firm
for
prestige,
quality
of
life,
and
professional
growth
opportunities
and
then
narrowed
down
the
results
to
come
up
with
a
list
of
150
law
firms
known
for
providing
top-notch
service
and
delivering
big
results.
Vault’s
Top
150
Under
150
list
is
not
numerically
ranked,
but
alphabetized,
so
we’ve
picked
out
a
few
recognizable
firms
that
made
the
cut:
- Axinn
- AZA
-
Brewer,
Attorneys
&
Counselors -
Clement
&
Murphy - Desmarais
- Edelson
-
Elsberg
Baker
&
Maruri -
Greenberg
Glusker -
Hecker
Fink -
Holwell
Shuster
&
Goldberg -
Hueston
Hennigan -
McKool
Smith -
Reid
Collins
&
Tsai -
Selendy
Gay -
Tensegrity
Law
Group -
Wilkinson
Stekloff -
Yetter
Coleman
Although
they’re
not
Biglaw
firms,
these
names
should
all
be
familiar
—
some
for
their
Supreme
Court
and
appellate
practices,
some
for
being
incredibly
successful
spinoffs,
some
for
their
firm
culture
focusing
on
attorney
happiness,
and
others
for
offering
salaries
and
bonuses
that
compete
with
or
blow
their
Biglaw
brethren
out
of
the
water.
For
the
full
list,
click here.
Congratulations
to
Vault’s
Top
150
Under
150.
When
it
comes
to
law
firms,
bigger
isn’t
always
better.
Top
150
Under
150
(2026) [Vault]
Staci
Zaretsky is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
her
on Bluesky, X/Twitter,
and Threads, or
connect
with
her
on LinkedIn.