Michael Best

This article is about the law firm. For people named Michael Best, see Michael Best (disambiguation).

Michael Best & Friedrich LLP (commonly, referred to as "Michael Best") is a U.S. national law firm with more than 400 legal professionals, including more than 300 attorneys in 19 domestic offices.^[1] Michael Best's primary practice areas include corporate, government relations, public policy, political law, intellectual property, labor and employment, litigation, privacy & cybersecurity, real estate, regulatory, tax, and estate planning.^[2]

Michael Best & Friedrich LLP

Headquarters	Milwaukee, Wisconsin
No. of offices	19
No. of attorneys	350
Major practice areas	General practice
Key people	David A. Krutz (Managing Partner)
Revenue	$156,964,000 (2021)[1]
Profit per equity partner	$677,000 (2021)[1]
Date founded	1848; 177 years ago (1848)
Founder	Edward George Ryan
Company type	Limited liability partnership
Website	www.michaelbest.com

History

Michael Best was founded in 1848 by Edward George Ryan, a Wisconsin trial attorney who later served as Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.^[3] Over the course of more than a hundred and seventy years, the firm expanded throughout Wisconsin and across the country through a series of expansions and mergers, eventually growing from a small legal practice to a full-service business law firm that serves clients in the United States and across the globe.^[3][4][5]

Michael Best is affiliated with various global law organizations, including Lex Mundi, a network of 160 law firms with over 21,000 attorneys in more than 100 countries;^[6] the Employment Law Alliance (ELA), a global network of employment and labor law firms;^[7] and the American Property Tax Counsel (APTC), a national affiliation of property tax law firms that provides major portfolio owners with a single source of tax advice.^[8]

Attorney compensation

Unlike most U.S. national law firms, Michael Best does not generally disclose compensation offered to Associates.^[9] However, as mandated by the Colorado Equal Pay Act, the lateral attorney job openings posted on the firm's website indicate that, "[f]or Colorado applicants only," the starting associate salary is $150,000 per year.^[10] Numerous sources further report that base salary of Michael Best Associates based in other major markets (i.e., Austin, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., where Associate salaries typically start at $205,000 for new law school graduates), also start at $150,000.^[11][12][13]

Notable alumni

• William A. Bablitch, Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court (1983-2003) ^[14]
• Steven M. Biskupic, former United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin ^[15]
• David J. Cannon, former United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin^[16]
• Reince Priebus, Chairman of the Republican National Committee (2011–2017)^[17][18] and White House Chief of Staff (2017) ^[19]
• Edward George Ryan, Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court (1874-1880) ^[20]