''The Partners: Inside America's Most Powerful Law Firms'' (1983) is a non-fiction book by
James B. Stewart. The book is a product of two years of investigation of the role of prominent law firms in society. The book describes and discusses several famous cases. There have been five editions of the book as of 2008.
Contents
* Part One.
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
—
Shearman & Sterling
Shearman & Sterling was a White shoe multinational law firm headquartered in New York City, United States. In 2024 it merged with Allen & Overy to form A&O Shearman.
History Wall Street origins
Shearman & Sterling was founded in New York City ...
,
Davis Polk & Wardwell
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, commonly known as Davis Polk, is an American multinational corporation, multinational law firm headquartered in New York City with offices in Washington, D.C., Menlo Park, California, Menlo Park, London, Madrid, Brussel ...
* Part Two.
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation (using the trademark IBM), nicknamed Big Blue, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, and present in over 175 countries. It is ...
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Cravath, Swaine & Moore
Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP (known as Cravath; ) is an American white-shoe law firm headquartered in New York City. The firm has additional offices in London and Washington, D.C.
History
In 1854, former college classmates William H. Seward (la ...
* Part Three.
Genentech
Genentech, Inc. is an American biotechnology corporation headquartered in South San Francisco, California. It operates as an independent subsidiary of holding company Roche. Genentech Research and Early Development operates as an independent cent ...
—
Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro
* Part Four.
Westinghouse —
Kirkland & Ellis
Kirkland & Ellis LLP is an American multinational law firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1909, Kirkland & Ellis has been the largest law firm in the world by revenue since 2017 and, as of 2025, is the seventh-largest by number ...
* Part Five.
Chrysler
FCA US, LLC, Trade name, doing business as Stellantis North America and known historically as Chrysler ( ), is one of the "Big Three (automobile manufacturers), Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn H ...
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Debevoise, Plimpton, Lyons & Gates
* Part Six.
Kennecott —
Sullivan & Cromwell
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP is an American multinational law firm headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1879 by Algernon Sydney Sullivan and William Nelson Cromwell, the firm advised on the creation of Edison General Electric and the formation o ...
* Part Seven.
Rockefeller —
Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy
* Part Eight.
Kodak
The Eastman Kodak Company, referred to simply as Kodak (), is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in film photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorporated i ...
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Donovan, Leisure, Newton & Irvine
Donovan Leisure Newton & Irvine was an American white-shoe law firm, located in New York. It was founded in 1929 by General William "Wild Bill" Donovan, who was often referenced as the Father of the CIA. The firm dissolved in 1998. Its notable a ...
History
According to the ''New York Times,'' it covers instances in 1980s law firms such as "the story of how
Nelson Rockefeller
Nelson Aldrich "Rocky" Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979) was the 41st vice president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford. He was also the 49th governor of New York, serving from 1959 to 197 ...
's last will and testament was prepared and executed by the law firm of
Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy, and the embarrassment of the fact that
Megan Marshack's name appeared in it."
Noting the longevity of large law firms, ''The Economist'' wrote in 2023 that "with a few exceptions, the book’s starring firms remain in excellent health. Cravath, Swaine & Moore, Sullivan & Cromwell and Kirkland & Ellis are still some of Wall Street’s busiest limousine-chasers. Less fortunate firms have fizzled out, rather than blown up. One shop, Donovan, Leisure, Newton & Irvine, closed in 1998. Another, Shearman & Sterling, has announced a merger with a British rival."
Official information
*
References
External links
*, ''
Smart Money''
UCLA — James B. Stewartwww.librarything.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Partners, The
1983 non-fiction books
Business books
Law books
Simon & Schuster books
Books by James B. Stewart