Folger Levin
Folger Levin is a San Francisco-based boutique law firm with 25+ attorneys providing legal services across corporate, real estate, litigation, employment, estate planning, nonprofit, and educational organization matters, serving enterprises, nonprofits, independent schools, and high-net-worth individuals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1978
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Folger Levin does
Folger Levin LLP is a San Francisco-based boutique law firm co-founded in 1978 by John P. Levin and Peter M. Folger (originally as Folger & Levin) and organized as a California limited liability partnership. The firm employs over 25 attorneys operating across six interconnected practice groups: Corporate & Real Estate, Estate Planning, Labor & Employment, Litigation, Nonprofit & Charitable, and Schools & Educational Organizations. Services span corporate transactions, M&A, securities, real estate, employment litigation and counseling, complex commercial disputes, estate and charitable planning, and specialized counsel for nonprofit organizations and independent schools.
The firm serves enterprise corporations (including Lyft, Hyatt, Four Seasons, Northern Trust, Geolo Capital, Farallon Capital, Sephora, and Sight Machine), ~15 Bay Area independent schools, a base of nonprofit and cultural institutions (the Huntington, KQED, JCC SF, Jewish Home of San Francisco, American Institute of Architects, Canine Companions for Independence), and high-net-worth individuals and families. Its go-to-market is relationship-driven rather than marketed: client acquisition flows from referrals, long-tenured partner networks across Bay Area civic and educational boards, and a sustained pro bono practice coordinated with KIND, PFLAG, La Casa de las Madres, the Family Violence Appellate Project, and Bay Area Legal Aid.
The business model is professional services billing on an hourly basis with no minimum billable hour requirement for attorneys, differentiating the firm from Am Law competitors on service quality and continuity rather than utilization. There is no proprietary technology, no software product, no API, and no external investors — the firm is wholly owned and governed by its partnership, with Drew Davis serving as Managing Partner following the 2023 transition of co-founders John P. Levin (to Chair Emeritus and Of Counsel) and Peter M. Folger (to Of Counsel), after Adam Sachs completed a seven-year tenure as Managing Partner.
Folger Levin firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Folger Levin
- Legal name
- Folger Levin LLP
- Website
- https://folgerlevin.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1978
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Folger Levin is a San Francisco-based boutique law firm with 25+ attorneys providing legal services across corporate, real estate, litigation, employment, estate planning, nonprofit, and educational organization matters, serving enterprises, nonprofits, independent schools, and high-net-worth individuals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Folger Levin industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Legal Services
- NAICS
- Offices of Lawyers (54111), Legal Services (5411)
- SIC
- Services-Legal Services (8111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) & Securities Law (BPAHAAAI)
Keywords
Where Folger Levin is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Folger Levin business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Legal Services Billing: Folger Levin generates revenue through billable legal services across its practice areas. The firm bills clients for legal representation in corporate transactions, litigation, employment matters, estate planning, and nonprofit counseling. The firm differentiates itself by not imposing minimum billable hour requirements on attorneys, focusing instead on delivering quality service aligned with client interests.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Legal services billed at hourly rates |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Folger Levin product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Folger Levin LLP is a boutique law firm providing legal counsel across six core practice areas: Corporate & Real Estate, Estate Planning, Labor & Employment, Litigation, Nonprofit & Charitable, and Schools & Educational Organizations. The firm serves enterprise clients (corporations, hotels, financial firms, nonprofits, independent schools) as well as high-net-worth individuals and families requiring estate planning and wealth transfer counsel. Services are billed on an hourly basis without minimum billable hour requirements.
Product overview
Folger Levin is a boutique law firm offering legal services across six core practice areas: Corporate & Real Estate, Estate Planning, Labor & Employment, Litigation, Nonprofit & Charitable, and Schools & Educational Organizations. These practice areas operate as interconnected service lines that collaborate to provide comprehensive legal counsel, allowing attorneys to draw on expertise across departments to serve clients' diverse legal needs. The firm serves as trusted advisors to for-profit businesses, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and individuals.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Corporate & Real Estate Provides legal counsel on business formation, financing, commercial real estate transactions, complex commercial transactions, intellectual property, corporate governance, private equity, securities, mergers and acquisitions, and nonprofit counseling for for-profit and nonprofit entities.
- Estate Planning Offers counsel on all aspects of estate planning including trust formation, charitable planning, trust and estate administration, wealth transfer techniques, and pre-marital agreements for individuals, families, and private foundations.
- Labor & Employment Provides comprehensive employment litigation, preventive counseling, traditional labor law representation, and employment-related business counseling including contract negotiations and executive compensation.
- Litigation Offers strategic advocacy and trial representation in complex commercial disputes, trade secret misappropriation, fraud, employment litigation, trust litigation, creditor's rights, and class actions.
- Nonprofit & Charitable Provides legal services unique to the nonprofit sector including entity formation, corporate governance, taxation, commercial transactions, employment matters, real estate, and crisis management.
- Schools & Educational Organizations Offers legal representation for independent schools and educational organizations covering corporate transactions, governance, employment issues, student and parent relationships, real estate, and intellectual property matters.
Quantifiable outcome
- Most partners have worked together for more than twenty-five years on average
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Folger Levin
Customer profileNamed customers52 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Folger Levin technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Folger Levin partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- KIND (Kids In Need of Defense)minorFolger Levin coordinates pro bono representation of undocumented immigrant children seeking protection in the United States in collaboration with KIND. Attorneys volunteer their time to provide legal services to this vulnerable population.
- PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays)minorFolger Levin represented PFLAG in amicus briefing before circuit courts and the Supreme Court in cases leading to same-sex marriage legalization. The firm received PFLAG's National Flag Bearer Award for this work.
- La Casa de las MadresminorFolger Levin serves as counsel for La Casa de las Madres, a shelter for survivors of domestic violence. The firm represents La Casa in matters opposing efforts to compel production of records protected by the domestic violence counselor-victim privilege.
- Family Violence Appellate ProjectminorFolger Levin works with Family Violence Appellate Project in successfully representing survivors of domestic violence. The firm's work resulted in reversal of a trial court order denying a restraining order to a client. Drew Davis serves on the Board of Directors of this organization.
- Bay Area Legal AidminorFolger Levin works with Bay Area Legal Aid in representing domestic violence survivors and other individuals in need of legal assistance.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Folger Levin competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hanson Bridgett LLP: Hanson Bridgett is a San Francisco-based boutique full-service law firm with comparable size and a similar mix of corporate, employment, litigation, real estate, and nonprofit/education practices. The most directly comparable peer given overlapping geographies, client types, and practice areas.
- Farella Braun + Martel LLP: Farella Braun + Martel is a San Francisco and North Bay boutique firm of similar scale, offering corporate, litigation, employment, and real estate services to enterprise and HNW clients. Highly comparable in boutique positioning and Bay Area enterprise client base.
- Wendel Rosen Black & Dean LLP: Wendel Rosen is an East Bay boutique firm with strong real estate, corporate, employment, and litigation practices serving similar middle-market enterprise and real estate clients. Comparable boutique scale and Bay Area focus.
- Severson & Werson PC: Severson & Werson is a San Francisco boutique firm focused on commercial litigation, construction, employment, insurance, and real estate law. Comparable size and San Francisco-based boutique model serving enterprise clients.
- Sideman & Bancroft LLP: Sideman & Bancroft is a San Francisco boutique firm practicing corporate, employment, litigation, and nonprofit/charitable law with a similar enterprise and nonprofit client mix. Closely comparable in scale, geography, and nonprofit specialization.
- Buchalter: Buchalter is a California-based full-service law firm with offices including San Francisco, offering corporate, real estate, employment, litigation, and nonprofit services. Comparable practice breadth and regional enterprise focus, though larger.
- Nossaman LLP: Nossaman is a California-based boutique firm with strong litigation, corporate, employment, and public-policy practices. Comparable boutique positioning with specialty depth in litigation and regulated-industry work.
- Cox Castle & Nicholson LLP: Cox Castle is a California boutique firm with a leading real estate and land use practice serving hospitality, commercial, and residential real estate clients. Comparable boutique scale with a hospitality and real estate focus that overlaps Folger Levin's Corporate & Real Estate practice.
Broad incumbents
- Cooley LLP: Cooley is a major Bay Area-headquartered law firm serving technology, life sciences, and venture clients. Represents a broader incumbent against which Folger Levin's tech/startup work (Lyft, Sephora, Sight Machine) competes or co-exists.
- Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP: Orrick is a global law firm with a major San Francisco presence serving enterprise and technology clients. Broad incumbent competing for the same corporate, employment, and litigation work as Folger Levin, with greater scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Folger Levin social profiles
Digital presenceFolger Levin financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Folger Levin leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Folger Levin funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Folger Levin M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Folger Levin
What does Folger Levin do?
Folger Levin LLP is a boutique law firm providing legal counsel across six core practice areas: Corporate & Real Estate, Estate Planning, Labor & Employment, Litigation, Nonprofit & Charitable, and Schools & Educational Organizations. The firm serves enterprise clients (corporations, hotels, financial firms, nonprofits, independent schools) as well as high-net-worth individuals and families requiring estate planning and wealth transfer counsel. Services are billed on an hourly basis without minimum billable hour requirements.
Is Folger Levin a public or private company?
Folger Levin is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Folger Levin founded?
Folger Levin was founded in 1978. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Folger Levin based?
Folger Levin is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Folger Levin make money?
One revenue line is on record: legal Services Billing.
Who are Folger Levin's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hanson Bridgett LLP, Farella Braun + Martel LLP, Wendel Rosen Black & Dean LLP, Severson & Werson PC, Sideman & Bancroft LLP, Buchalter, Nossaman LLP and Cox Castle & Nicholson LLP. Broad incumbents are Cooley LLP and Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP.
Does Folger Levin have an API?
No public API is recorded for Folger Levin.
What industry is Folger Levin in?
Folger Levin's product category is Legal Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAAAK, Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law, with a secondary code of BPAHAAAI, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) & Securities Law. Its NAICS code is 54111 and its SIC code is 8111.