McDonald Hopkins LLC
McDonald Hopkins LLC is a privately held US business law firm founded in 1930, operating from six offices across the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast. It serves enterprise, mid-market, and SMB clients through 50+ practice groups covering corporate, litigation, employment, IP, franchising, automotive, and higher education matters.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1930
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What McDonald Hopkins LLC does
McDonald Hopkins LLC is a privately held business law firm founded in 1930 and headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. The firm operates from six US offices spanning the Midwest (Cleveland, Columbus, Chicago, Detroit), Mid-Atlantic (Baltimore), and Southeast (West Palm Beach) regions, employing between 251 and 500 professionals. It delivers legal services through more than 50 specialized service and industry practice groups covering corporate transactions, litigation, labor and employment, intellectual property, real estate, franchising and distribution, automotive, healthcare, and higher education. The firm represents enterprise, mid-market, and SMB clients including franchisors, franchisees, automotive suppliers and OEMs, colleges and universities, and manufacturers using third-party distribution.
The firm's service model is fee-for-service professional legal representation, billed at hourly rates or fixed fees depending on matter type, with multi-year engagement relationships typical. McDonald Hopkins does not develop or deploy proprietary technology products; its technology profile reflects standard law firm infrastructure including a website, payment processing via LawPay, and content channels such as the Legal Diagnosis podcast, email newsletters, and industry insights. The firm positions itself as a 'Destination Firm' with performance metrics that benchmark favorably against AmLaw 100 firms, and has earned sustained peer recognition including Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA, and Franchise Times Legal Eagle. No revenue figures, headcount growth rates, or external funding are disclosed, as the firm is self-funded through professional services revenue and operates as an Ohio LLC with no parent company or subsidiary structure.
McDonald Hopkins LLC firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- McDonald Hopkins LLC
- Legal name
- McDonald Hopkins LLC
- Website
- https://mcdonaldhopkins.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1930
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- McDonald Hopkins LLC is a privately held US business law firm founded in 1930, operating from six offices across the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast. It serves enterprise, mid-market, and SMB clients through 50+ practice groups covering corporate, litigation, employment, IP, franchising, automotive, and higher education matters.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
McDonald Hopkins LLC industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Business Legal Services
- NAICS
- Offices of Lawyers (541110), Offices of Lawyers (54111), Legal Services (5411)
- SIC
- Services-Legal Services (8111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Criminal Defense (BPAHAAAN)
Keywords
Where McDonald Hopkins LLC is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
McDonald Hopkins LLC business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Legal Services Fees: Fee-for-service legal representation and counsel. Revenue generated through professional legal services billed to corporate and individual clients across practice areas including litigation, corporate transactions, employment law, real estate, intellectual property, and regulatory compliance.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Professional legal services billed at hourly rates or fixed fees depending on matter type |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
McDonald Hopkins LLC product offering
Product offeringCore offering
McDonald Hopkins LLC is a business law firm providing comprehensive legal services across more than 50 service and industry practice areas. Core offerings include corporate transactions, complex commercial litigation, labor and employment counseling, trade secret and non-compete representation, franchising and distribution law, and industry-specific counsel for sectors such as automotive and higher education. The firm also delivers ancillary compliance services such as wage and hour audits and defense of collective and class actions.
Product overview
McDonald Hopkins LLC is a business law firm offering comprehensive legal services across more than 50 service and industry teams. The firm's core offerings include franchising, licensing and distribution legal services; labor and employment counseling; trade secret and non-compete legal services; wage and hour compliance; and industry-specific services for automotive, colleges and universities, and other sectors. The firm operates from offices in Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, and West Palm Beach. McDonald Hopkins also produces educational content through its Legal Diagnosis podcast series.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Franchising, Licensing, and Distribution Legal Services
- Labor and Employment Counseling
- Trade Secret, Non-Compete and Unfair Competition Legal Services
- Automotive Industry Legal Services
- Colleges and Universities Legal Services
- Wage and Hour Compliance Services
Companies that use McDonald Hopkins LLC
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
McDonald Hopkins LLC technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
McDonald Hopkins LLC partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
McDonald Hopkins LLC competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tucker Ellis LLP: Cleveland-headquartered mid-size business law firm with comparable headcount and full-service practice mix covering corporate, litigation, employment, IP, and real estate. Closest comparable in terms of geography, scale, and Midwest business-law positioning.
- Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP: Cleveland-based full-service business law firm with similar attorney count and overlapping practices in corporate transactions, litigation, employment, IP, and bankruptcy/restructuring. Directly competes for the same Midwest business clients.
- Calfee, Halsted & Griswold LLP: Cleveland-based mid-size firm with comparable practice breadth across business law, litigation, employment, and regulated industries. Same geographic anchor and similar positioning targeting Ohio-based corporate clients.
- Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP: Ohio-based full-service business law firm operating for more than a century with practice areas overlapping McDonald Hopkins' corporate, litigation, employment, and IP work. Closely comparable in longevity and Midwest business-law reputation.
- Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP: Ohio-rooted full-service business law firm with corporate, litigation, employment, and regulated industry practices comparable to McDonald Hopkins. Similar full-service business-law positioning with multi-state footprint.
- Ulmer & Berne LLP: Cleveland-headquartered business law firm with practice areas spanning litigation, corporate, employment, IP, and real estate that overlap directly with McDonald Hopkins' service mix and target client base.
- Roetzel & Andress LPA: Ohio-based full-service law firm with practice areas in business, litigation, employment, healthcare, and government relations that closely parallel McDonald Hopkins' industry-team structure.
- Dinsmore & Shohl LLP: Cincinnati-rooted full-service business law firm with comparable practice depth in corporate, litigation, employment, healthcare, and regulated industries, and a similar Midwest multi-office footprint.
- Frost Brown Todd LLP: Midwest/Great Lakes regional full-service business law firm with overlapping practices in corporate, litigation, employment, IP, and industry-specific work and a comparable multi-state footprint anchored in Ohio and adjacent markets.
Broad incumbents
- BakerHostetler LLP: Larger Ohio-anchored national law firm with substantially broader geographic reach and practice portfolio that includes the same core practice areas as McDonald Hopkins. Competes for the same Midwest corporate clients but with significantly deeper resources and national footprint.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
McDonald Hopkins LLC social profiles
Digital presenceMcDonald Hopkins LLC financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
McDonald Hopkins LLC leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
McDonald Hopkins LLC funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
McDonald Hopkins LLC 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 McDonald Hopkins LLC
What does McDonald Hopkins LLC do?
McDonald Hopkins LLC is a business law firm providing comprehensive legal services across more than 50 service and industry practice areas. Core offerings include corporate transactions, complex commercial litigation, labor and employment counseling, trade secret and non-compete representation, franchising and distribution law, and industry-specific counsel for sectors such as automotive and higher education. The firm also delivers ancillary compliance services such as wage and hour audits and defense of collective and class actions.
Is McDonald Hopkins LLC a public or private company?
McDonald Hopkins LLC is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was McDonald Hopkins LLC founded?
McDonald Hopkins LLC was founded in 1930. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is McDonald Hopkins LLC based?
McDonald Hopkins LLC is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does McDonald Hopkins LLC make money?
One revenue line is on record: legal Services Fees.
Who are McDonald Hopkins LLC's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tucker Ellis LLP, Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP, Calfee, Halsted & Griswold LLP, Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP, Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP, Ulmer & Berne LLP, Roetzel & Andress LPA, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP and Frost Brown Todd LLP. BakerHostetler LLP is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does McDonald Hopkins LLC have an API?
No public API is recorded for McDonald Hopkins LLC.
What industry is McDonald Hopkins LLC in?
McDonald Hopkins LLC's product category is Business Legal Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAAAN, Criminal Defense. Its NAICS code is 541110 and its SIC code is 8111.