Spencer Fane LLP

What Spencer Fane LLP does

Spencer Fane LLP is a U.S. law firm headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, providing full-service legal counsel to enterprise and mid-market clients with nationwide and international footprints. The firm reports $321 million in 2024 revenue, 600+ attorneys, and 30 offices across 16+ states and Washington D.C., serving Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies, REITs, institutional investors, and closely held businesses across corporate transactions, litigation, intellectual property, real estate, labor and employment, healthcare, energy, financial services, and white-collar defense matters. Services are billed through professional services arrangements including hourly fees, fixed fees, and contingency, depending on practice area.

The firm's core technology footprint is limited: it has developed an internal AI governance framework and publishes thought leadership on responsible AI adoption in legal practice, but it does not operate a technology product platform, offer a public API, or list proprietary software products. Growth is delivered primarily through a programmatic strategy of strategic law firm combinations that add attorneys, practice areas, and geographies under a culture-first operating model. Since 2021, the firm has combined with Bone McAllester Norton, Pahl & McCay, Montgomery & Andrews, Holley Driggs, Global IP Counselors, and Conner & Winters, while opening new offices (including Chicago in 2026) and building international reach through the TAGLaw and The Bridge Group networks. The go-to-market motion is relationship-driven, enterprise B2B legal services with cross-jurisdictional delivery, anchored by repeat recognition as the fastest-growing AmLaw 200 firm and a top-rated workplace in U.S. News Best Companies to Work For.

Name

Spencer Fane LLP

Legal name

Spencer Fane LLP

Website

https://spencerfane.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Spencer Fane LLP is a Kansas City-headquartered AmLaw 200 law firm with 600+ attorneys and 30 offices across 16+ states, providing full-service corporate, litigation, IP, real estate, and regulatory legal counsel to Fortune 500, REIT, and mid-market enterprise clients, grown primarily through a programmatic strategy of strategic law firm combinations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Litigation Support & Expert Witness Services (BPAHALAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Trademark Prosecution & Brand Protection (BPAHAMAB)

Keywords

• Corporate legal services
• Commercial litigation counsel
• Intellectual property law
• Real estate legal services
• Labor and employment law

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices23 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 Revenue: Spencer Fane generates revenue through providing legal services to clients across various practice areas including corporate, litigation, IP, real estate, employment, and more. Services are billed through hourly fees, fixed fees, and contingency arrangements depending on practice area.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Spencer Fane LLP is a full-service U.S. law firm providing legal counsel to businesses across corporate transactions, commercial litigation, intellectual property, real estate, labor and employment, white collar defense, healthcare regulatory, environmental, and government investigation matters. The firm delivers these services through more than 600 attorneys operating from 30 offices across 16 states and Washington D.C., with engagements billed on hourly fees, fixed fees, or contingency arrangements.

Product overview

Spencer Fane LLP is a full-service law firm providing comprehensive legal services across multiple practice areas. The firm does not operate a technology product platform; its offerings consist of legal counsel and related professional services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corporate and Transactional Legal Services Legal counsel for corporate transactions including M&A, corporate governance, securities, restructuring, and commercial matters, delivered to public companies, closely held businesses, and institutional clients across multiple jurisdictions.
• Commercial Litigation Services Representation in commercial disputes across state and federal courts, including general commercial litigation, white collar defense, and government investigations, for businesses facing high-stakes disputes.
• Intellectual Property Legal Services Patent and trademark prosecution, IP litigation, and related IP counsel, with more than 60 patent and trademark attorneys, agents, and engineers after the Global IP Counselors combination. Includes former USPTO examiners and Japanese-language fluent international expertise.
• Real Estate Legal Services Full-service real estate legal counsel for transactions, finance, and development matters, including representation of REITs and institutional investors across multiple jurisdictions.
• Labor and Employment Legal Services Counsel for employers and business leaders on the full spectrum of labor and employment matters, including employment discrimination claims, ADA, Title VII, FMLA, and litigation before administrative agencies.
• Energy and Natural Resources Legal Services Regulatory and transactional counsel for energy and natural resources matters, including state regulatory work (e.g., Texas Energy: State Regulatory) and natural resources matters (e.g., New Mexico Natural Resources).
• Environmental Legal Services Counsel on environmental regulatory and compliance matters, including state-level environmental work (e.g., Missouri Environment).
• Insurance Legal Services Insurance-related legal counsel recognized at the Band 1 level in Colorado by Chambers USA 2026.
• Food and Beverages (Alcohol) Legal Services Legal counsel for the food and beverages industry, with particular focus on alcohol regulatory matters, recognized at the Nationwide Band 2 level by Chambers USA 2026.
• Employee Benefits Legal Services Counsel on employee benefits matters, recognized at the Missouri Band 2 level by Chambers USA 2026.
• Healthcare Regulatory Legal Services Regulatory counsel for healthcare industry clients on compliance and operational matters.
• Sports Law Services Legal services to clients in the sports industry, recognized on national lists of top sports law practices.
• AI Governance Advisory Services Advisory services for responsible AI adoption in law firm practice, covering risk management, vendor oversight, data protection, and enterprise technology controls, delivered through the firm's AI Governance Framework.

Quantifiable outcome

• Highest composite score across two-year history of U.S. News Best Companies to Work For: Law Firms rankings
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Conner & WinterscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2026Spencer Fane announced plans to combine with Conner & Winters, LLP, a firm with more than 75 attorneys and a strong reputation throughout the Southwest. Effective July 1, the combination meaningfully strengthens the Spencer Fane client platform while advancing the firm's strategy of delivering sophisticated legal services with industry-leading culture, efficiency, and collaboration.
• Global IP Counselors LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 January 2026Spencer Fane combined with Global IP Counselors LLP, a Washington, D.C. intellectual property boutique, effective January 5, 2026. The merger brings over a dozen patent and trademark attorneys, expanding Spencer Fane's IP practice to more than 60 attorneys, agents, and engineers. The combination enhanced capabilities in patent prosecution, former USPTO examiners, and international expertise including Japanese-language fluency.
• Holley DriggscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Spencer Fane combined with Nevada-based Holley Driggs, effective October 1, 2024. The combination increased Southwest office headcount by 14 attorneys and tripled Spencer Fane's regional presence in the Southwest. The merger broadens legal service offerings and increases support for clients across multiple practice areas.
• Montgomery & Andrews PAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 August 2024Spencer Fane acquired New Mexico-based Montgomery & Andrews PA, adding 11 attorneys to its network. The deal expands Spencer Fane's presence and was motivated by cultural similarities and a shared focus on providing solutions for businesses, expanding Spencer Fane's nationwide presence.
• Snow Christensen & MartineaucoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024Spencer Fane welcomed colleagues from Utah's Snow Christensen & Martineau, expanding into the Utah market. The combination brought additional attorneys and capabilities to Spencer Fane's growing national presence.
• Pahl & McCaycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 September 2023Spencer Fane combined with California-based Pahl & McCay, a full-service law firm specializing in real estate and financial sectors. The merger aims to expand Spencer Fane's geographic reach and practice areas, enhancing service capabilities for clients with nationwide and international footprints. The combination added 15 attorneys and established Spencer Fane's presence in California.
• The Bridge GroupminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 September 2023The Bridge Group is a network of law firms in the United States, England, France, Belgium and Germany. Each member provides clients with highest quality legal services and maintains a responsive and timely approach to each client's special needs. Members call upon the expertise and services of other group members in each geographic area to represent clients most efficiently and professionally.
• TAGLawminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 September 2023TAGLaw is a global alliance of 150 specially selected law firms practicing in over 90 countries. The alliance includes over 6,000 highly qualified lawyers in 300 offices who provide a full range of legal services to clients throughout the world. Membership delivers value by making available local knowledge, experience, and expertise wherever clients do business.
• Bone McAllester NortoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 August 2021Spencer Fane merged with Nashville-based Bone McAllester Norton, with the deal taking effect October 1, 2021. The merger added about 40 lawyers and expanded Spencer Fane's presence into Nashville, Tennessee. Cultural alignment and geographic expansion were cited as key reasons for the merger.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Polsinelli PC: AmLaw 200 firm with a comparable growth-by-combination strategy and similar practice-area breadth across corporate, litigation, healthcare, and real estate; one of the closest direct comparables in scale and trajectory.
• Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP: Formed through a major law firm combination, Faegre Drinker operates a similar multi-office national full-service platform with comparable practice breadth and cultural-alignment-driven M&A playbook.
• Husch Blackwell LLP: AmLaw 200 firm that has scaled aggressively through combinations; highly comparable on national footprint expansion, industry-focused practices, and culture-led talent strategy.
• Holland & Knight LLP: One of the largest U.S. full-service law firms; comparable on broad practice coverage, multi-jurisdictional reach, and Fortune 500 client base, though larger and longer-tenured than Spencer Fane.
• Kutak Rock LLP: AmLaw 200 firm with a similar combination-led national expansion strategy and overlapping public-finance, litigation, and corporate practices.
• Lathrop GPM LLP: Mid-sized national firm formed through combinations with comparable geographic strategy and full-service practice mix, including meaningful IP and litigation offerings.
• Foley & Lardner LLP: AmLaw full-service national firm with similar practice diversity and a comparable industry-focused approach to serving Fortune 500 clients across multiple jurisdictions.
• Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP: One of the fastest-growing AmLaw firms in the U.S., built through aggressive lateral hiring; comparable on growth velocity and litigation-heavy practice mix, though the growth model is lateral-hire-led rather than combination-led.
• Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP: International firm formed through a major combination, with comparable national full-service platform and cross-jurisdictional enterprise client capability.
• Akerman LLP: National AmLaw firm with a similar full-service orientation and overlapping practice strengths in real estate, litigation, and corporate work; comparable on breadth and Fortune 500 client coverage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SpencerFaneLLP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spencer-fane-llp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A5 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Spencer Fane LLP