Latham & Watkins

What Latham & Watkins does

Latham & Watkins is a global law firm founded in 1934 and headquartered in Los Angeles, operating 30 offices across the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific with approximately 4,000 professionals. The firm provides comprehensive legal advisory services across corporate/M&A, capital markets, private equity, litigation and trial, regulatory, antitrust, restructuring, and specialty practices including technology, life sciences, energy, and data centers. Its primary client base comprises private equity sponsors, large public corporations, and financial institutions, with a particular concentration in advising on the world's largest transactions, including the SpaceX $75 billion IPO at a $1.78 trillion valuation, Caesars Entertainment's $17.6 billion sale to Fertitta Entertainment, and Broadcom's $35 billion AI infrastructure capital solution for Apollo.

The firm generates revenue through professional services billing — primarily hourly rates, fixed transaction fees, and success fees on large matters — across two principal streams: transactional work (M&A, capital markets, financing, PE) and litigation/advisory work. The firm has invested in proprietary digital products including the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Regimes App covering 13 jurisdictions, Crypto Policy Trackers for the EU/UK/US, the AI Academy training program, and dedicated practice platforms such as LathamTech and the Data Center Team. AI tools are integrated across virtually all matters to improve speed and quality, and the firm was recognized as Chambers USA 2026 Law Firm of the Year for AI. Latham is a Delaware limited liability partnership with no parent company, public listing, or external ownership.

Name

Latham & Watkins

Legal name

Latham & Watkins LLP

Website

https://lw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1934

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Latham & Watkins is a global law firm founded in 1934 with 30 offices and ~4,000 professionals, advising private equity sponsors, public corporations, and financial institutions on complex M&A, capital markets, litigation, and regulatory matters, including the SpaceX IPO and other mega-transactions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships Advisory (JVs, Alliances, Carve-outs) (BPAHAOAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Litigation Support & Expert Witness Services (BPAHALAG), Strategic Partnerships, Alliances & JVs Advisory (BPAHADAI)

Keywords

• Corporate legal services
• M&A advisory
• Capital markets law
• Private equity law
• Litigation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices31 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Transactional: The firm advises on major M&A transactions, capital markets offerings, financing transactions, and private equity deals. Revenue is generated through hourly billing, fixed fees for specific transactions, and success fees where applicable for large deal values.
2. Legal Services - Litigation & Advisory: The firm provides litigation, trial, regulatory, and compliance advisory services to clients across industries.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Latham & Watkins is a global law firm that provides legal advisory services across corporate/M&A, capital markets, private equity, litigation, regulatory, and specialty practices. The firm serves large enterprises, financial sponsors, and institutional clients on complex transactional matters, disputes, and regulatory issues through 30 offices worldwide. Revenue is generated primarily through professional service fees, including hourly billing, fixed fees for specific transactions, and success fees for high-value deals.

Product overview

Latham & Watkins is a global law firm providing comprehensive legal services across multiple practice areas including corporate/M&A, capital markets, private equity, litigation, and regulatory matters. The firm operates a platform of specialized practice areas and digital resources including LathamTech (technology-focused legal services), an interdisciplinary Data Center Team, and an AI Academy training program. Notable digital products include the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Regimes App (available on iOS and Android), Crypto Policy Trackers (covering EU, UK, and US regulatory developments), and publications such as the US IPO Guide and Global Pro Bono Guide. The firm has integrated AI capabilities across its deal practice, with virtually all transactions incorporating AI to improve speed and quality, supported by proprietary data from its 4,000-person global operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Regimes App Interactive mobile application providing an overview of FDI regimes in the United States and 12 other countries (Australia, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, UAE, UK). Summarizes national security review processes administered by CFIUS and global FDI regimes for clients navigating cross-border investment regulations.
• LathamTech Technology-focused practice partnering with clients across the tech ecosystem. Covers technology transactions, AI, software, semiconductors, and digital infrastructure legal services.
• AI Academy Comprehensive training program that helps Latham lawyers navigate the rapidly evolving AI landscape, covering AI applications in legal practice.
• Crypto Policy Trackers Cryptoasset policy trackers covering the EU, UK, and US that help innovators, investors, and other market participants stay up to date with the evolving legislative and regulatory landscape.
• The 2026 Latham US IPO Guide Insider's guide to the IPO process in the United States, providing high-level guidance for companies considering public offerings.
• 2026 Global Pro Bono Guide Sixth edition offering high-level guidance on the evolving pro bono landscape across more than 100 jurisdictions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Advised on 779 M&A transactions with US$790 billion combined value in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Road King Infrastructure - Independent Bondholder GroupminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2026Latham represents the Independent Bondholder Group in Road King's approximately $2.4 billion offshore debt restructuring, objecting to inadequate RSA terms.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• A&O Shearman: Global elite firm formed from Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling, competing with Latham in M&A, capital markets, and finance. Recently lost Bill Nelson to Latham, reflecting direct lateral talent competition.
• Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom: A premier M&A and corporate law firm and direct competitor to Latham on large-cap transactions, capital markets, and private equity mandates. Both firms anchor the upper tier of Am Law rankings with overlapping Fortune 500 and PE sponsor client bases.
• Kirkland & Ellis: The largest law firm in the world by revenue and Latham's closest direct competitor in private equity, M&A, and restructuring. Both firms serve overlapping PE sponsor clients on mega-deals and compete head-to-head for top talent and league table rankings.
• Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer: Magic Circle firm that partnered with Latham on SpaceX's historic IPO. Both firms compete in high-end cross-border M&A, antitrust, and capital markets, with overlapping PE sponsor and large-cap corporate client bases.
• Davis Polk & Wardwell: Premier corporate and litigation firm competing with Latham on capital markets, M&A, and financial services regulatory matters. Both serve top investment banks, PE sponsors, and Fortune 100 issuers.
• Cravath, Swaine & Moore: Historic Wall Street firm competing with Latham on the largest M&A, securities, and litigation mandates. Both target premium matters for sophisticated institutional and corporate clients.
• Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz: Elite M&A and corporate governance firm competing with Latham on the largest public company transactions, take-privates, and hostile defense matters. Known for premium M&A work, including executive compensation where Latham competes via recent lateral Erica Aho.
• Sullivan & Cromwell: Top-tier Wall Street firm and direct competitor to Latham in M&A, capital markets, and high-stakes litigation. Both firms serve financial institutions and lead on major IPOs and securities matters.
• Simpson Thacher & Bartlett: Direct competitor to Latham in M&A, private equity, and capital markets, particularly across PE sponsor and energy/infrastructure work. Recently hired Denny Lee from Latham, illustrating direct lateral competition.
• Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton: Elite global firm and direct competitor to Latham in M&A, capital markets, antitrust, and international transactions. Both firms have strong cross-border capabilities and serve large multinational and sovereign clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lathamwatkins
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/lathamwatkinsglobal
• Facebookfacebook.com/lathamwatkins
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/latham-
• Instagraminstagram.com/lathamwatkins

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments6 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Latham & Watkins