Navigating Legal Services in the City of Roses
Portland is home to over 29,000 licensed lawyers, most of which are located in the downtown cores in the city. According to a recent study from the National Law Journal, six of the top 100 grossing law firms in the country have offices in Portland:
- Perkins Coie LLP (Rank 33)
- Davis Wright Tremaine LLP (Rank 43)
- Tonkon Torp LLP (Rank 80)
- Greene Radovsky Maloney Share & Haan (Rank 81)
- Davis, Wright, Tremaine (Rank 82)
- Barran Liebman LLP (Rank 83)
The demand for lawyers in Portland is at an all-time high and local firms are not the only ones expanding into this niche market. Currently , the biggest legal market in the Pacific Northwest, Portland has the second-highest employment in paralegals and legal assistants in the U.S., with over 4,000 individuals currently working in this field. According to a recent job outlook provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for paralegals & legal assistants is projected to grow 12% from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. An estimated 18,300 openings for paralegals & legal assistants are projected each year, on average over the decade.
Largest Law Firms in Portland By Size and Reach
When gauging the "largest" law firms in Portland, a few factors come into play. The number of attorneys and practice areas are two primary metrics to look at. In addition to these, firm revenues, which shows how much money the firm is making, is another important factor. Firm revenue allows us to have a more subjective measurement of firm size. That being said, line drawing remains an inescapable feature of such listings. We hope to circumvent the problems associated with any line drawing by including full disclosures.
Portland’s largest law firms share the following criteria: at least 50 or more attorneys in Portland, a breadth of practice areas which include complex litigation. Here are the top 10 law firms which made our list:
- Inside a three way tie for fifth place with 55 attorneys in Portland: Stoel Rives. Overview: In some form or another, the firm has had a presence in Portland since its founding in 1892, and the firm’s growth over much of its history has been organic rather than through mergers, making it a somewhat unusual firm in today’s legal climate. The firm is among the top five largest for attorneys in the Portland area and the firm’s revenue is said to be north of $325 million. Although its largest market, Portland, has been struggling to recover in recent years, the firm still continues to thrive.
- Inside a close tie for seventh place with 53 attorneys in Portland: Schwabe. Overview: Schwabe was founded by two German young men from Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1883. Today the firm’s motto is "Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt delivers above and beyond". Its largest offices are in Portland and Seattle, the firm is said to generate $290+ million in annual revenue.
- Inside a close tie for eighth place with 52 attorneys in Portland: Smith & Sieber (also referred to as Davis Wright Tremaine). Overview: Founded in 1899 by Mr. Davis and Mr. Wright, Davis Wright Tremaine was started as a two-man law firm that operated out of a one-room suite in the Morgan Building in Portland’s downtown. Today, Davis Wright Tremaine has grown into one of the Pacific Northwest’s large law firms, they’ve expanded to include seven offices across the country and they’re also well known for their expertise in financial services. The firm’s Portland clients include Nike and Intel. Full disclosure, the firm partners include my mother-in-law, and we also represent them on hiring.
- Inside a close tie for ninth place with 50 attorneys in Portland: Immix. Overview: Immix Law Group, a certified minority-owned business, was founded in 2009 to provide innovative, cost-effective and first-rate counsel, tailored to each client’s needs and objectives. Immix Law Group represents leading companies in the U.S. and internationally. The firm is committed to diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. The firm’s Portland clients include Nike and Adidas.
Key Practice Areas of Prominent Portland Law Firms
The large national and international firms in Portland specialize in a variety of corporate and legal areas, and they offer both litigation and transactional practices to their clients. The firms mentioned above, if taken as one large entity, would have a substantial amount of our area’s firm-wide litigation experience (slightly over half) and more than half of our area’s transactional capability. Some of these firms have not been in the Portland area for a long time and some have only a few Portland attorneys (Bryan Cave is a good example of the latter). Other firms are headquartered in Portland and have a significant practice here, including Stoel Rives, Davis Wright Tremaine, Miller Nash Graham & Dunn and Perkins Coie Clark & Nuber, which was formerly Zeisler & Zeisler (Zeisler was a prominent Portland attorney for many years). Some important practice areas for large Portland firms are Corporate law (K&L Gates, Stoel Rives, Miller Nash Graham & Dunn, Portland JD), Real Estate law (Perkins Coie Clark & Nuber, K&L Gates, Stoel Rives), Environmental law (Perkins Coie Clark & Nuber, Stoel Rives) and Technology law (Stoel Rives, K&L Gates, and the now defunct Berger Kahn).
Prominent Portland Law Firms in Profile
Lane Powell
Founded in Seattle in 1887, Lane Powell has been a fixture on the West Coast legal scene for over a century. In addition to branch offices in Portland, Washington, and California, Lane Powell also has an office in Anchorage, Alaska—the only firm on this list to have an office outside of the continental US. Lane Powell offers robust commercial litigation, environmental and natural resources, employment, intellectual property, real estate, corporate, and securities practices. While of course they serve a full range of businesses from individuals to Fortune 500 companies, they have developed specialties in advising family businesses, nonprofits, closely-held businesses and emerging companies.
Stoel Rives
Stoel Rives was formed by a merger of two law firms that had operated in Oregon and Washington since the late nineteenth century. The two predecessors of Stoel Rives were the first and second law firms ever to open in the state of Washington. Today , Stoel Rives has become one of the largest law firms in the Pacific Northwest. Its lawyers have experience in a wide variety of practices, including environmental law, intellectual property, emerging companies, energy, real estate, tax, labor and employment, and complex litigation.
Perkins Coie
Perkins Coie is a very large national firm as evidenced by their offices not only in Portland but also in 18 other locations. Founded back in 1912, the firm has deep roots in the Pacific Northwest, but its reach today extends well beyond. Like many large firms, the firm’s size allows them to be highly specialized, and they have seen very rapid growth in their high-tech and Internet practice.
The Role of Large Law Firms in the Portland Business Community
The largest law firms play an influential role in shaping not only the legal landscape of Portland but also the broader economic and social fabric of the community. Attorneys at these firms are often key players in significant local transactions and cases, positioning themselves as industry leaders and fostering a business environment that expands and creates opportunities in the area.
These firms also invest in local initiatives through sponsorships, grants, and volunteer work. Their contributions to community service and pro bono work help to emphasize the importance of increased access to justice, something the Oregon State Bar (OSB) is committed to promoting year-round.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR), a business model in which companies balance their financial goals with social and environmental considerations, is another way the largest firms give back. Through CSR, they commit to ethical practices that benefit not only their clients and employees but the communities they operate in as well. This can involve everything from sustainable environmental practices to fostering inclusion and diversity both in the workplace and in legal representation.
The Oregon Business Council (OBC) consists of 50 of Oregon’s top business executives and convenes quarterly for statewide issues forums, focused on research and networking for data-driven research and public policy outcomes in all industries. In 2021, the OBC met in Portland for a forum on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Focusing on the progress made by the business community on DEI and what else needs to be done, the discussion included an exploration of innovative approaches to improving equality and access, identifying what it takes to achieve transformational change.
Outlook for Large Law Firms in Portland
The landscape of Portland’s legal sector is expected to evolve in several ways in the coming years, creating both opportunities and challenges for the city’s largest law firms. One notable trend that is likely to continue is the expansion of practice areas. As Portland grows, so does the demand for legal services in new sectors such as cannabis law, renewable energy, and data privacy. Law firms that are early to invest in these emerging areas can establish themselves as leaders in the market and capitalize on the expanding client base. The impact of technology on the legal sector is another area that may see significant change. With the rise of automation, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, the legal industry must adapt to stay competitive. This shift may result in a decrease in administrative tasks and a reduction in billable hour requirements , creating both opportunities and challenges for law firms and their employees. Remote work is also expected to shape the future of large law firms in Portland. While remote work was already becoming more common before the COVID-19 pandemic, it may now become a permanent fixture for many firms. This could have both positive and negative implications. For instance, remote work might allow firms to attract and retain top talent from outside the region, but it could also make it more difficult to build strong relationships with clients and colleagues. Overall, Portland’s legal sector is poised for growth and evolution in the coming years. While there may be some challenges ahead, firms that are willing to adapt and embrace new opportunities can thrive in this dynamic environment.