New Jersey's homegrown firms largely fell short of average attorney population growth rates in 2016, with many seeing head counts recede, according to a recent survey of the largest U.S.-based firms.
Of the 12 New Jersey firms included in the survey, seven saw year-over-year attorney population decrease to some degree last year. All but two of those had growth rates lower than 2 percent. (Nationally, lawyer head counts grew slightly more than 2 percent, compared with last year's overall growth of 0.6 percent.)
The survey, conducted annually by sibling publication The National Law Journal, includes 500 firms with 350 ranked by size, and 150 others grouped in tiers based on size. (Apart from the dozen New Jersey firms ranked in the group of 350, eight more are included in the tiered groups.)
Of course, sheer size doesn't always tell the tale. An example is the most populous of New Jersey's homegrown firms: Newark's McCarter & English which, over a five-year period, has decreased attorney head count by 2.9 percent but increased gross revenue by about 12 percent.
Still, nine of the 12 ranked New Jersey firms, including McCarter, lost ground since last year's rankings. Here's how they stacked up:
McCarter ranks 115th, a three-spot slide, with a 2 percent population decrease.
Lowenstein Sandler of Roseland ranks 160th, down from 156th, with a slight (0.4 percent) population decrease, to 274 total lawyers.
McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter of Morristown slid seven spots, to 174th. Its 249 total lawyers represent a 0.9 percent decrease.
Archer & Greiner of Haddonfield ranks 223rd, down six spots, with an attorney population steady at 178.
Gibbons of Newark ranks 226th, down seven spots, with 0.8 percent growth, to 177 attorneys.
Bressler Amery & Ross had by far the largest increase in ranking and population growth among the 12 New Jersey firms ranked by NLJ. The Florham Park-based firm vaulted 49 spots, to 257th, with an 18.2 percent population increase, to 156.
Riker Danzig Scherer Hyland & Perretti of Morristown had the third-largest slide and third-largest negative growth rate of the 12 New Jersey firms. It ranks 281st, down 23 spots, with a 5.3 percent population decline, to 143 lawyers.
Norris McLaughlin & Marcus climbed one spot, to 297th, with a 2.2 percent population increase, to 137 lawyers. At 2.2 percent, the Bridgewater-based firm had the second-highest growth rate.
Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi of West Orange ranks 306th, sliding nine spots, with a population decrease of 1.5 percent, to 133 lawyers.