Munger, Tolles, & Olson LLP is a prominent California law firm with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. It is consistently ranked among the most selective law firms in the United States with regard to hiring and regularly tops lists of the country's elite law firms. Charles Munger founded the firm in 1962 with six other attorneys.
Legal practice
Munger, Tolles & Olson is known for its defense of corporations in civil lawsuits and individuals in criminal trials and investigations. The American Lawyer described the firm as an "army of trial lawyers capable of waging war." Chambers and Partners noted that the firm is a "litigation powerhouse" known for its "intellectual excellence." The firm typically hires graduates of the most prestigious law schools with "impeccable grades, law review, and a federal clerkship" and promotes from within. Known for its egalitarian culture, Munger Tolles maintains a 1:1 partner to associate ratio where each lawyer gets an equal vote in hiring decisions. Nearly half of the attorneys who started at the firm in the last twenty years continue to practice there. About eighty percent of attorneys have clerked for federal judges, including 18 for justices of the Supreme Court of the United States. All but one of President Obama's appointments to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in California have been Munger Tolles alumni. Notable representations include:
The Getty Trust after allegations of wrongdoing in the acquisition of its antiquities collection;
Defense of AFTERMATH RECORDS regarding the percentage of royalties owed for digital downloads. Known as the "Eminem Decision".
Defense of ABC's reality show The Glass House in a lawsuit by CBS alleging copyright infringement.
Defended and lost the case of self-help speaker James Arthur Ray when he was convicted of criminally negligent homicide for the deaths of 3 people at a sweat lodge in Sedona, Arizona.
In 2008, Munger, Tolles & Olson ranked as the nation's top law firm on the American LawyerA-List based on financial performance, pro bono practice, associate satisfaction and workplace diversity. The firm topped the "A-List" of the nation's most elite law firms again in 2009 and 2010. After three years at the top of the list, the firm took second place in the 2011 rankings. In 2015, Vault ranked the firm first in the nation for selectivity, and sixth in transparency. Additionally, the firm ranked third on the American Lawyer's 2011 Diversity Scorecard, with 23.4% of the firm's attorneys and 16.1% of the firm's partners as minorities.
Lawyers
Attorneys
There are 170 lawyers at Munger, Tolles & Olson. In 2008, the Daily Journal named three attorneys to its list of the most Top 100 Lawyers in California. Attorneys include:
