The firm that pays its partners $12 million a year just can't stop losing them. Here's why that paradox may be the most important story in Big Law right now.
Wachtell Lipton broke every profitability record in Am Law 100 history in 2026 — and watched nine partners walk out the door to rivals offering something the numbers alone couldn't match. What's really driving the exodus from Wall Street's most envied firm, whether the lockstep model can survive the age of the $80 million guarantee, and what it all means for the future of elite legal practice: it's all inside.
Log in to read the breaking Big Law story . .
Already subscribed? Log in
Summary
Description
Wachtell Lipton posted $230bn in M&A deals in one week — then lost two partners. The FT’s must-read analysis on ‘Kirklandisation,’ lockstep culture, and why the boutique model may be more resilient to AI than scale players. Strategic insights for law firm leaders.
