Munger, founded in 1962, employs 190 lawyers. Its clients include Boeing Co., Verizon Communications Inc. and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. -- the holding company led by Warren E. Buffett and Charles T. Munger, a founder of the law firm.
Munger, who serves as vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, gave up practicing law in 1965 to focus on his investments.
The firm he helped establish has earned an unusual reputation as a place that prides itself on fostering an "owner mentality" among all employees. Munger partners famously have input on how much other partners make. Pro bono hours are not mandated, and all lawyers -- including associates -- get to vote on job candidates and have access to the firm's financials.
"It's a quirky system but it works well for us, and it says a little something about what our values are and how we govern ourselves," Helm said.
On Mondays the firm invites outside speakers to its downtown headquarters for lunch. Architects, scientists and politicians have been asked to participate; one session featured music by a string quartet.
In addition to revenue per lawyer and pro bono hours, American Lawyer judges firms on associate satisfaction and diversity. Most of the categories are self-reported and are designed to provide a ranking that is well-rounded, Editor in Chief Aric Press said.
"We thought that by developing this other scale it would contribute to changing the conversation about what law firms ought to be doing, that it wasn't just about the money," Press said.
Although associate satisfaction and diversity measures fell slightly at Munger in the 2008 rankings, revenue per lawyer and pro bono hours increased significantly.
Munger lawyers logged 15,941 pro bono hours in 2007, about 3,200 hours more than the previous year. More than 100 lawyers spent in excess of 20 hours on pro bono cases, up from 84 in 2006.
"Without that score, they wouldn't have been No. 1," Press said.
--
andrea.chang@latimes.com
