Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
| Company type | Limited liability partnership |
|---|---|
| Industry | Legal services |
| Founded | March 10, 1873 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Founder | Charles Eldridge Morgan, Jr., Francis Draper Lewis |
| Headquarters | Philadelphia , United States |
Area served | North America, Europe, Asia, Middle East |
Key people | Jami Wintz McKeon (Chair) |
Number of employees | Approximately 2,200 attorneys (2023) |
| Website | www |
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP—commonly referred to as Morgan Lewis—is a prestigious international law firm based in Philadelphia, recognized as a prominent American white-shoe firm. Established in 1873, the firm boasts a workforce of approximately 2,200 attorneys distributed among 31 offices spanning North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Its client base includes major players in sectors such as energy, finance, technology, and life sciences, with representation covering 75% of the Fortune 100 companies.
Renowned for its commitment to pro bono initiatives, Morgan Lewis notably submitted a significant amicus brief to the United States Supreme Court in 2015 on behalf of 379 corporations, supporting the legalization of same-sex marriage. The firm holds the distinction of being the largest law practice led by a female chairperson, Jami McKeon.
19th century
The origins of Morgan Lewis trace back to March 10, 1873, when Civil War veteran Charles Eldridge Morgan, Jr. founded the firm in Philadelphia. Morgan later assumed the role of vice president at the Philadelphia Law Academy.[1][2] His co-founder was Francis Draper Lewis, who was related to William Draper Lewis, then dean of the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
In 1883, the firm brought on Morris Rex Bockius, an alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania Law School.[3] He became a partner fifteen years afterward and steered the firm until his passing in 1939. The firm's name was updated to Morgan, Lewis & Bockius in 1908 but is still widely called "Morgan Lewis."
Starting in 1882, Morgan Lewis began its long-term representation of United Gas Improvement Company (which later became UGI), a corporation that evolved into the largest gas and electric utility provider in the United States and remained a client for over one hundred years. During the early decades of the twentieth century, the firm also represented prominent clients such as Philadelphia’s leading newspaper The Philadelphia Bulletin, Baldwin Locomotive Works—the state’s largest railroad company—Scott Paper Company, along with several major banks and trust institutions.[4][5]
20th century
The firm adopted the Cravath System, a widely recognized compensation framework used by top-tier BigLaw firms, where associate pay and bonuses rise systematically with tenure and correspond to industry standards.
In 1963, Morgan Lewis brought on its first female associate, Gail McKnight Beckman. Stephanie Abramson became the firm's first female partner in 1980 and subsequently served as an adjunct professor at New York University School of Law.
21st century
Originally, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius held ownership of the domain name MLB.com, which was transferred to Major League Baseball in 2000. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, who assumed office in 2015, is a former Morgan Lewis attorney.
In 2014, Jami Wintz McKeon—who joined the firm in 1981—was appointed as Morgan Lewis’s first female chair. She was reappointed in 2018 and advocated for flexible workplace arrangements such as remote work. Her leadership earned her distinctions including a 2017 "Client Service All-Star" award and recognition as a "Business Hall of Fame Icon" by The Philadelphia Inquirer. Under her guidance, the firm expanded internationally and consistently achieved Gold Standard Certification from the Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF), growing into one of the largest global law firms by profits per partner.
Partner Ted Cruz departed the firm in 2012 upon his election to the U.S. Senate.
In 2015, Morgan Lewis submitted a pivotal amicus brief to the Supreme Court for the case Obergefell v. Hodges, representing 379 corporations including Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Walmart, JPMorgan Chase, and the New England Patriots. The brief presented the business rationale supporting nationwide same-sex marriage legalization. Partner Susan Baker Manning authored this brief and later joined the firm's pro bono team in 2018 to focus on refugee and civil rights cases under chair Jami McKeon’s leadership. The firm maintains affiliation with the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA).
In 2018, Morgan Lewis conducted an investigation into sexual harassment allegations at NPR, which led to the resignation of NPR’s senior vice-president of news. The firm’s recommendations have served as comprehensive guidance for organizations revising their workplace policies. That same year, former Humane Society CEO Wayne Pacelle resigned following similar allegations uncovered during a Morgan Lewis inquiry. The firm has gained recognition for handling high-profile matters that have influenced workplace harassment reforms.
In April 2018, former partner John Ring was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve on the National Labor Relations Board, joining other alumni who have held positions there.
In March 2019, Chai Feldblum—former EEOC commissioner and principal drafter of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act—joined Morgan Lewis as a partner. She highlighted the firm’s critical role in assisting employers with implementing policies to prevent workplace harassment.
In November 2023, amid heightened tensions following the 2023 Israel-Hamas war, Morgan Lewis was among over two dozen firms that signed a letter addressed to American law school deans condemning anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and racism while reaffirming commitments to workplace anti-discrimination principles.
In February 2025, Morgan Lewis strengthened its intellectual property litigation team by recruiting five IP partners—Ali Razai, Benjamin Anger, Benjamin Everton, Brandon Smith, and Jacob Peterson—from Knobbe Martens.
Mergers and office locations
Morgan Lewis was among the pioneers in establishing a global legal presence, launching its inaugural overseas office in London in 1981. Currently, the firm boasts a workforce exceeding 2,000 legal experts distributed across 32 offices worldwide. These include major hubs such as Abu Dhabi; Beijing; Boston; Brussels; Century City, California; Chicago; Dallas; Dubai; Frankfurt; Hartford, Connecticut; Hong Kong; Houston; Kazakhstan (Almaty and Astana); London; Los Angeles; Miami; Moscow; New York; Palo Alto (Silicon Valley); Paris; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Princeton, New Jersey; San Francisco; Seattle; Shanghai; Singapore; Tokyo; Washington, D.C.; and Wilmington, Delaware.
A significant expansion occurred on November 14, 2014, when Morgan Lewis incorporated 227 partners from Bingham McCutchen LLP, resulting in the addition of 750 partners, attorneys, and staff members. This strategic merger elevated Morgan Lewis to one of the largest law firms on the international stage. Later, on March 15, 2015, the firm joined forces with Singapore’s Stamford Law Corporation to establish a fully integrated legal practice in Singapore. This alliance strengthened its capabilities in business transactions, litigation, and arbitration to better serve clients throughout Singapore and the broader Asian region.
Representation
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius provides legal services to 75% of all Fortune 100 companies, nearly 300 Fortune 500 corporations, 65 Fortune Global 100 entities, and close to half of the Fortune Global 500. The firm ranks within the top ten BigLaw firms for pro bono contributions, having assisted over 1,800 pro bono clients and dedicated 117,000 hours to 2,234 pro bono cases by its attorneys in 2018.
Among its notable pro bono achievements is the case of John Thompson, whose execution was halted in 1999 due to suppressed forensic evidence; he was ultimately exonerated and released in 2003. His journey inspired the book and film project Killing Time: An 18-year Odyssey from Death Row to Freedom. Attorneys Christina K. Harper and George Cumming secured Kelly Savage’s release after an extensive eleven-year legal effort, culminating in her sentence being commuted by California Governor Jerry Brown in 2017.
The firm has also been instrumental in precedent-setting citizenship cases involving children of same-sex couples. Partner Susan Baker Manning successfully contested the U.S. State Department’s refusal to grant birthright citizenship to children born abroad to married same-sex American couples. Following adverse federal court decisions, the State Department withdrew its appeals in October 2020.
Serving as external counsel, Morgan Lewis has represented Elon Musk, including managing a lawsuit filed in 2024 by former Twitter executives alleging that Musk and X Corp withheld severance payments.
U.S. presidents and presidential candidates
Morgan Lewis has provided legal representation to several high-profile political figures:
- Donald Trump – The firm advised both Trump and the Trump Organization from 2005 until January 2021. Critics have accused Morgan Lewis of facilitating Trump’s use of his presidential position for personal advantage, prompting the Wallace Global Fund to end its relationship with the firm. In May 2017, after reviewing Trump’s tax documents, Morgan Lewis asserted that no substantial financial ties to Russia were identified. Firm member Sheri Dillon acted as Trump’s former tax attorney.
- Partner James Hamilton served as assistant chief counsel for the United States Senate Watergate Committee during 1973–74, playing a role in President Nixon’s resignation. Hamilton is recognized as a key advisor on Democratic vice-presidential selections and has vetted running mates for:
- Hillary Clinton (2016)
- Barack Obama (2008), alongside Eric Holder and Caroline Kennedy
- John Kerry (2004)
- Al Gore (2000)
Awards and honors
In 2025, Vault recognized Morgan Lewis as the top firm for compensation and ranked it second among the best law firms to work for. The firm secured the 10th position in The American Lawyer's 2025 ALM AmLaw 200 rankings based on gross revenue. Additionally, Vault awarded Morgan Lewis the number one spot for pro bono efforts in 2024.
Morgan Lewis achieved 10th place in the 2024 Global 200 survey and was listed within the top ten international firms in The Lawyer’s Global Litigation 50 report. In 2023, it was ranked ninth worldwide by revenue among leading law firms and attained a flawless score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Corporate Equality Index, earning the Equality 100 Award. Since 2008, the firm has consistently appeared on the Human Rights Campaign’s list of "Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality."
In 2018, Morgan Lewis was honored with the Justice and Diversity Center’s "Outstanding Law Firm in Public Service Award" for its commitment to pro bono work and diversity programs. That same year, it also received Mansfield Certification recognizing its diversity-focused hiring practices.
Morgan Lewis was acknowledged as one of "America’s Best Corporate Law Firms" by NYSE Governance Service and FTI Consulting in both 2016 and 2017.
See also
- List of largest United States-based law firms by head count
- List of largest law firms by profits per partner
- List of largest law firms by revenue
External links
- ↑ Philomathean Society "Charles Eldridge Morgan (1844 - 1917)," PENN BIOGRAPHIES, University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
- ↑ Philomathean Society History of the Philomathean Society of the University of Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania, 1913. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
- ↑ University of Pennsylvania Catalogue and Announcements 1883 - 1884 Retrieved June 1, 2018.
- ↑ Company-Histories.com "Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP", 2012. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
- ↑ Vault.com "Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP", Vault.com Inc., 2018. Retrieved May 21, 2018.