Editing Alston & Bird

{{Infobox Law Firm
| logo                      = [[Image:Alston & Bird_logo.jpg|200px]]
| headquarters              = Atlanta; GA
| num_offices               = 11
| offices                   = 
| num_attorneys             = 825
| num_employees             = 
| practice_areas            = Corporate and Litigation
| established               = 
| key_people                = 
| revenue                   = $730.5 million
| profit_per_equity_partner = 
| billable_hours            = 
| website                   = 
| nalp_profile              = 
| nickname                  = 
}}
{{Law Firm Pay Scale
| year            = 2017
| salary_1st_year = 155
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}}'''Alston & Bird LLP''' is an international global law firm with over 800 lawyers in 11 offices throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia.  The firm provides a full range of legal services to domestic and international clients who conduct business worldwide.  Alston & Bird advises major companies including Amazon.com Inc., The Coca-Cola Company, Microsoft Corporation, Bank of America Corporation, Starbucks, Toyota, Dell Inc., UPS, and Nokia Corporation.  For the past 18 years, FORTUNE has ranked Alston & Bird in the "The 100 Best Companies to Work For" list among other FORTUNE500 companies.  Core practices include intellectual property, complex litigation, corporate and tax, with national industry focuses in energy and sustainability, health care, financial services and public policy.  

In 2016, the firm reported a revenue increase of 6.2% reaching $730.5 million.  Profit per partner increased to $1,810,000.00 while revenue per lawyer increased to $935,000.00.  In March 2017, the firm boosted its west coast presence with the opening of its San Francisco office.

==History==
Founded in 1893, the firm has offices in Atlanta, [[New York City]], [[Washington, DC]], [[Brussels]], [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]], [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]], [[Dallas]], [[Los Angeles]], [[Beijing]], [[San Francisco]], and [[Silicon Valley]].  Through the roots of the Alston, Miller & Gaines’ predecessor firms, the merger with Jones, Bird and Howell formed Alston & Bird on December 1, 1982.  Expansion beyond Georgia began with the establishment of an office in Washington, DC, followed by the 1997 merger with intellectual property-focus Bell Seltzer Park & Gibson (Charlotte and Raleigh), [[Walter, Conston, Alexander & Green]] in 2001 (New York), and Crews, Shepherd & McCarty LLP in 2007 (Dallas). In August 2008, the firm opened a Silicon Valley office with attorneys from the national firm [[Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld]]. The next month, Alston & Bird acquired the 100-lawyer strong Weston Benshoof Rochefort Rubalcava and MacCuish LLP, launching in Los Angeles and Ventura County to reach 9 offices nationwide. Legal publications report that the Atlanta-based firm is seeking to launch additional overseas offices in London and Germany.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thelawyer.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=120977 |title=Alston raids Pillsbury for London, German growth |author=Matt Byrne |date=July 17, 2006 |work= |publisher=thelawyer.com |accessdate=26 September 2010}}</ref> Legacy firm Walter Conston operated a Munich liaison office before it was acquired by Alston & Bird.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thelawyer.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=104918 |title=Alston & Bird completes NY takeover |author= |date=January 15, 2001 |work= |publisher=thelawyer.com |accessdate=26 September 2010}}</ref>
 
Today, the firm headquartered in Midtown Atlanta on West Peachtree Street, in [[One Atlantic Center]], has more than 800 attorneys providing a full range of services to domestic and international clients conducting business all over the world. 

The former managing partner, Benjamin F. Johnson III, was named on Atlanta Business Chronicles list of the 100 Most Influential people in Atlanta.  (published June 28, 2007).  In addition, he serves on the board of trustees for several notable Atlanta institutions, including the [[Carter Center]], [[Emory University]], and [[Woodward Academy]].

Former U.S. Senator [[Bob Dole]], the 1996 Republican presidential nominee, is a Special Counsel at the firm's Washington, DC office.<ref>{{cite web|title=Senator Bob Dole|url=http://www.alston.com/professionals/senator-bob-dole/}}</ref>

== Offices ==
As of March 2017, Alston & Bird has 11 offices across three continents, with its largest office being in Atlanta, Georgia with over 400 attorneys.
* Atlanta 
* Beijing
* Brussels
* Charlotte
* Dallas
* Los Angeles
* New York
* Research Triangle 
* San Francisco
* Silicon Valley
* Washington, DC 

== Compensation ==
In June 2016, Alston & Bird announced that it would raise attorney salaries to match market rates set earlier that month by the New York based law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore.  Firm bonuses range from $15,000 - $100,000 depending on year and merit-based reviews. 
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Salary
|-
|1st year associate
|$180,000
|-
|2nd year associate
|$190,000
|-
|3rd year associate
|$210,000
|-
|4th year associate
|$235,000
|-
|5th year associate
|$260,000
|-
|6th year associate
|$280,000
|-
|7th year associate
|$300,000
|-
|8th year associate
|N/A 
|}

==Political contributions==
According to the [[Center for Responsive Politics]], Alston & Bird was one of the top law firms contributing to federal candidates during the 2012 election cycle, donating $1.26 million, 53% to Democrats.<ref name=topcontributors>{{cite web|title=Lawyers & Lobbyists: Top Contributors to Federal Candidates, Parties, and Outside Groups|url=http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/contrib.php?ind=K&Bkdn=DemRep&cycle=2012|website=OpenSecrets.org|publisher=Center for Responsive Politics}}</ref>  By comparison, during that same period [[Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld]] donated $2.56 million, 66% to Democrats,<ref name=topcontributors/> while oil conglomerate [[ExxonMobil]] donated $2.66 million, 88% to Republicans.<ref>{{cite web|title=Energy/Natural Resources: Top Contributors to Federal Candidates, Parties, and Outside Groups|url=http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/contrib.php?ind=E&Bkdn=DemRep&cycle=2012|website=OpenSecrets.org|publisher=Center for Responsive Politics|accessdate=9 June 2016}}</ref>  Since 1990, Alston & Bird contributed $5.1 million to federal campaigns.<ref>{{cite web|title=Organizations: Alston & Bird|url=http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000021817&cycle=A|website=OpenSecrets.org|publisher=Center for Responsive Politics}}</ref>

==Notable mandates==
*Counsel to German media group [[Bertelsmann AG]] (a long-time client of legacy firm [[Walter, Conston, Alexander & Green|Walter, Conston]]) with [[Clifford Chance]] and [[Slaughter & May]] as UK co-counsel in Bertelsmann's $2.74 billion acquisition of Zomba Music Group in 2002.
*Represented [[Cingular Wireless]] in its purchase of 34 wireless licenses from NextWave Media in 2003
*Advised [[Regions Financial Corporation]] alongside [[Sullivan & Cromwell]] in its purchase of Union Planters Corporation in 2004, a transaction valued at $5.8 billion.
*Issuer's counsel with [[Simpson Thacher & Bartlett]] for [[Assurance Insurance]] in its $2.024 billion [[initial public offering|IPO]] in 2004.
*Represented Koch Forest Products Inc., a subsidiary of Koch Industries, alongside [[Latham & Watkins]] in its $21 billion purchase of the [[Georgia-Pacific Corporation]] in 2005
*Advised longstanding client [[IndyMac]], its executives and directors the [[FBI]] investigation into the California bank's collapse in 2008. Alston also advised the bank on the transfer of its assets to government control under the auspices of the [[Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation]].
*Representing [[Toyota]] in the economic loss [[class action]]s arising from the [[2009–2010 Toyota vehicle recalls]].<ref name="bronstad3">Amanda Bronstad, [http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202458266849 "Judge Agrees to Expand Plaintiffs Committees in Toyota MDL,"] ''The National Law Journal'', 17 May 2010.</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.alston.com Official website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alston and Bird}}
[[Category:Law firms established in 1893]]
[[Category:Law firms based in Atlanta]]
[[Category:1893 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)]]