Birmingham’s Legal Market Overview
Birmingham, Alabama, holds a unique significance in the Southern United States as a vibrant economic and legal services hub. The city’s strategic location, historically known for its pivotal role in the iron and steel industry, shifted towards being a magnet for investment in the attorney services sector as the demand for legal expertise grew. With its favorable business climate and a burgeoning demand for diversified legal services, Birmingham became home to some of the largest law firms in the region.
The legal landscape in Birmingham evolved as a result of the city’s wealth of natural resources and its central location, which positioned it as a commercial and industrial center that attracted both domestic and international investments . With the expansion of the city’s economic prospects, the need for legal assistance grew, leading to the emergence of several large law firms that catered to various industries.
Those exploring Birmingham’s legal market will find that the largest firms in the area come with diverse areas of expertise, including complex litigation, intellectual property, corporate law, and more. These firms offer a wealth of experience and are seen as leaders in their respective fields, providing an extensive range of legal services to their clients.
In conclusion, Birmingham, Alabama, continues to be a center for legal services within the Southeastern United States, with the presence of several large firms that provide a wide assortment of legal services. The city’s central location, diverse industries, and the abundance of opportunities contribute to its reputation as a legal services hub.
The 10 Largest Law Firms in Birmingham
Birmingham is known for a number of large law firms, most of which have full-service practice areas and a coast-to-coast reach. The two largest in Birmingham are Baker Donelson and Sirote & Permutt. Baker Donelson has 690 attorneys across 95 locations, and Sirote & Permutt has 155 attorneys across six offices in four states. Learn more about the Birmingham business and corporate lawyers at Baker Donelson, and the Birmingham estate planning and probate lawyers at Sirote & Permutt. Both firms have been in business for almost 100 years, boast multi-generational oral histories, and have reached "one firm" status through the employment of virtual offices.
Shook Hardy & Bacon L.L.P., a 950+ attorney firm specializing in litigation and regulatory counseling, is expanding into Birmingham in 2017. Five Birmingham lawyers from Balch & Bingham LLP, a 290-attorneys firm headquartered in Birmingham specializing in business, government affairs, litigation, intellectual property and labor and employment, will become the first Shook lawyers in Birmingham. Shook Hardy has 48 offices worldwide, including locations in Miami, New York City, London, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo. The firm has been around since 1889.
Almost all of the remaining large law firms in Birmingham are defense-oriented firms, with corporate specialties in litigation, government relations, intellectual property, business and financial management, human resources, privacy and data protection, and employment and labor.
Other large law firms operating in Birmingham:
Haskell Slaughter Young & Rediker, P.C. (80+ attorneys)
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP (550+ attorneys)
Lightfoot, Franklin & White, LLC (50+ attorneys)
Merrill, Davidson & Harris, P.C. (20+ attorneys)
Capell & Howard, P.A. (50+ attorneys)
Cabaniss, Johnston, Gardner, Dumas & O’Neal LLP (50+ attorneys)
Comfort Ingram Lee (50+ attorneys)
Cunningham Bounds, P.C. (20+ attorneys)
James H. Michael, III, PC (10+ attorneys)
Lloyd, Gray, Whitehead & Monroe, P.C. (20+ attorneys)
Practice Specializations
The major law firms in Birmingham, Alabama have a wide range of practice areas. A number of their major practice areas are in the corporate law and litigation fields. Many of them have a health care practice group, given the state’s emphasis on health providers and legal issues related to that field. As with many major United States cities, labor and employment is also a major practice area for these larger law firms in Birmingham, which is also reflective of the size of the city. Most also have a government relations group within their larger firm.
Many of these firms have fairly large environmental groups, which is also reflective of Alabama’s mining history and resources, including coal, timber and other resources that are legally protected under an array of federal and state laws. Family law is also a popular practice area for these law firms. Other common groups include litigation, alternative dispute resolution, tax and employee benefits, antitrust and trade regulation, intellectual property, financial services and corporate finance, real estate and public finance.
Impact on Community and Economy
The impact of the largest law firms in Birmingham, Alabama, goes beyond the office, as these firms are often at the forefront of efforts to strengthen the local economy and engage with the community. These law firms contribute significantly to the local economy, providing employment opportunities for a wide range of professionals, from attorneys to administrative staff, while also serving as hubs for innovation and commerce. Their investments in local initiatives, sponsorship of community events, and support for educational institutions not only foster a vibrant professional culture but also help build a robust local infrastructure that benefits all residents.
Pro bono work is another area where the largest Birmingham law firms shine. Many of these firms make a concerted effort to give back to the community by handling cases for low-income individuals and non-profit organizations, addressing critical legal needs that might otherwise go unmet. These efforts are increasingly crucial in today’s economy, where marginalized populations often struggle to access essential legal services. Through their pro bono work, the biggest law firms in Birmingham not only enhance their own legal expertise but also strengthen the social fabric of the communities they serve.
Moreover, large law firms in Birmingham often develop partnerships with local businesses, academic institutions, and non-profit organizations to promote economic growth and community well-being. By working together on various initiatives—ranging from talent development programs to corporate social responsibility efforts—these firms help create a synergistic environment that benefits everyone involved. Ultimately, the largest law firms in Birmingham play a critical role in shaping the city’s future, making them indispensable members of the local and professional community.
Leading Law Firms in Birmingham
In a state with over 7,000 lawyers, several law firms in Birmingham are nationally significant. Among those are Lightfoot Franklin & White, Maynard Cooper & Gale, Bradley, Balch & Bingham, and Jones Walker, a firm only recently expanded to include Birmingham. Lightfoot Franklin & White, one of the largest firms in Alabama, has been an important force in Alabama’s courts and its 150+ attorneys in five offices around the country handle "some of the country’s most challenging cases in the areas of products liability, commercial litigation, securities litigation, insurance coverage, and Medicare/Medicaid compliance." It also has a growing pipeline of young Black associates and has taken steps to create a pipeline of young lawyers that resemble the population of their clients faster than other firms that serve clients with diverse workforces. One of the nation’s largest law firms, Maynard Cooper & Gale began in Montgomery in 1894 (although William Maynard and John Cooper began their relationship in 1887 when Cooper was a law clerk for Maynard), when the two lawyers opened Maynard, Cooper and Gale—nearly a decade before Montgomery became the capital city. In 1951, the firm opened an office in Birmingham, and in 1962, Samuel Adair Gale, Jr. joined the firm as a third name partner. It has since grown to a firm of more than 225 lawyers and 86 marketing professionals and operates in seven cities and across three national practice groups—litigation, intellectual property and labor and employment—serving clients around the globe. Maynard Cooper & Gale is consistently listed among the BTI Client Service 100 Law Firms, and in 2013 it ranked among the top 25 "Law Firms with the Biggest Buzz," and soon thereafter it was awarded the following: BTI Client Service A-Team: Distinguished positions in four categories – Telephone Access, Keeping Clients Informed, Understand the Client’s Business, and Anticipate Client needs – as well as leading in the final overall category, overall client services VCard top law firm website awardee BTI Law Firm Complexity Score recipient (ranked #83 nationwide) American Lawyer: Top 200 Birmingham Business Journal: 50 Fastest Growing Companies The Birmingham Business Alliance has named Maynard Cooper & Gale as one of Jackson’s 2011, 2102 & 2013 fastest growing firms in Birmingham. Bradley has also been named one of the "Best Places to Work" and "Best Companies to Work For," and in 2021, it became the first law firm in Birmingham to serve as the presenting sponsor for Magic City Classic—the largest HBCU football game and one of the largest collegiate games in the country—and became the first law firm to be recognized by the Birmingham Business Alliance’s Minority Business Development Agency as the Best Advocate for Minority-Owned Businesses . One of the top 100 law firms in the United States, Balch & Bingham has served its clients nationally for over a century, and it serves its clients across miles and decades with the strength and depth of a single firm. It is headquartered in Birmingham and has 230 attorneys in a dozen cities across four states. The firm was founded in 1922 to assist clients with litigation. Today, it remains a vital business entity, supporting more than 700 companies with regulatory, litigation, real estate, tax, intellectual property, government relations, and environmental services. Balch is proud that a third of our shareholders are women and minorities; it employs a full-time officer for diversity and inclusion and earned a 100% score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index. Among the awards it has received are: DiversityInc. Top 10 Law Firms for Diversity (2019) BTI Brand Elite (2019) Fortune’s Best Workplaces for Millennials (2019) National Law Journal Mid-South Regional Litigation Department of the Year (2019) National Center for Women & Information Technology A-B Tech Award for Middle School Educator (2019) National Jurist: Best Law Firms for Women (2018) National Law Journal Mid-South Regional Litigation Department of the Year (2018) The American Lawyer: Best A-List Law Firm (2017) Alabama Law Foundation’s Civic Lawyer Award (2017) Jones Walker has a history that predates that of Clower Baker by over a decade, but it is only recently that it opened an office in Birmingham and became ranked among the top law firms in Birmingham. Founded in 1937, Alabama residents may know it primarily for its Baton Rouge and Mobile litigation groups. The Atlanta and New Orleans offices are also have a reputation for excellence. Now, its seven offices are recognized as a "top 10 law firm each year in Louisiana in Louisiana Business, New Orleans CityBusiness, and the National Law Journal based on revenue for the preceding year; and top-ranking law firm in Mississippi in Chambers USA." It serves its clients in a variety of industries: business and commercial, environmental law, intellectual property, labor and employment, litigation, products liability, redevelopment and economic development, public finance, regulatory and compliance, tax, and transportation. Its Major State Presence continues to expand as it opens new offices.
Future Trends in Birmingham
Several trends are indicative of the future of the legal industry in Birmingham, Alabama. For starters, the adoption of technology is still moving forward at an aggressive pace, allowing firms to drive down costs while improving client service.
More firms are using contract lawyers on an as-needed basis and some of the large firms in Birmingham have given up their conventional physical office space, opting instead for a highly efficient system that combines the use of cowork spaces and home offices for their attorneys. A few firms even have eliminated the physical office altogether, working strictly with their clients via online tools.
We continue to see shifts in the legal demands in Birmingham as well. The strong industrial sector in Alabama has helped support a number of firms in the Birmingham area as they build their energy and natural resources practices. Telecommunications and the entertainment industry are coming on strong, but all the while, the legal industry is expecting an overall downturn in corporate legal work as a result of both the global economic shifts and the move toward more contractual legal services.
Choosing a Law Firm in Birmingham
With over 80 law firms in Birmingham, how can potential clients know they are picking the right one? There are various factors that play a role in making this decision—first and foremost, determining the type of case that needs to be handled before searching for a law firm. There are firms specializing in personal injury, business litigation, patent and trademark law, divorce and family law, bankruptcy, estate planning, class action suits, medical malpractice, intellectual property, and more. Once you know the area in which your legal need exists, one must look for a firm that specializes in that particular area.
It’s essential to check the credentials of the firm you are considering. Are the attorneys there well-known? Have they received any awards or recognitions? Have they published work regarding the subject in which you require representation? Furthermore, for the client’s own benefit, it is best to research the firm online as well as peer reviews.
Another consideration is whether the client feels comfortable with the attorney. Often, lawyers will offer a free consultation so that the client can feel out the firm’s atmosphere and whether they feel comfortable with their proposed legal representation. This is a very personal process for many clients, so they want to be sure that the attorney they choose is the best fit for them.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Birmingham, Alabama is home to a diverse range of law firms, from long-established titans to smaller boutique firms. The largest law firms in the area are an integral part of the legal landscape, serving as a resource for both local and national clients. With their experience and expertise , they have helped shape the character of the legal industry in Birmingham. Whether you are a small business owner or a large corporation, the presence of these leading firms offers peace of mind that experienced counsel is never out of reach.