NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 5, 2006--The American Lawyer(R) magazine published its 2006 "A-List" ranking today, naming Debevoise & Plimpton of New York City as the leader of the nation's law firm elite for the third consecutive year. Four firms joined The A-List(TM) for the first time, while three others regained a position on this year's list. Drawn from four different ALM rankings of the nation's largest firms, the 20-member A-List looks beyond simple business results to identify firms that set the standard for their peers in areas including economic performance, pro bono work and diversity. Complete rankings for The A-List are featured in the July issue of the magazine and are available on the Web at www.americanlawyer.com.

Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler ranked second on the The A-List for the second year. The three firms returning to the A-List are Bingham McCutchen (number 16); Hughes Hubbard & Reed (number 14); and Jenner & Block (number 17). The four firms making their debut on the list are Dickstein Shapiro (number ten); Hogan & Hartson (number 18); Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy (number 19); and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher (number 20).

Only eight firms have been named to The A-List in each of the four years of its existence: Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton; Covington & Burling; Davis Polk & Wardwell; Debevoise & Plimpton; Heller Ehrman; Latham & Watkins; Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler; Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison; and Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr.

The A-List is created through a composite ranking of four objective firm dimensions, based on data collected for various surveys throughout the year:

-- Revenue Per Lawyer, as a measure of the success of a firm's practice and an approximation of client quality and satisfaction

-- Associate Satisfaction, as a measure of each firm's training and development commitment

-- Diversity, as a measure of each firm's track record in hiring and retaining minority lawyers

-- Pro Bono, as a measure of each firm's fulfillment of its professional requirement to contribute high-quality, free legal services to indigent clients and community service and non-profit organizations.

A weighted ranking of firms is created from these factors for all Am Law 200(TM) firms. The top 20 firms comprise The A-List.

The American Lawyer is the legal industry's leading monthly magazine. Read by partners at corporate law firms, in-house counsel, government lawyers, and litigators at firms of all sizes, its trailblazing features about attorneys and the work they do has led to 23 National Magazine Award nominations and five coveted awards for general excellence, essays and criticism, and single-topic issues. The magazine is published by ALM, a leading media company serving legal and business professionals.

Headquartered in New York City, ALM is a leading integrated media company, focused on the legal and business communities. ALM currently owns and publishes 39 national and regional magazines and newspapers, including The American Lawyer, Corporate Counsel(R), The National Law Journal(R) and Real Estate Forum(R). ALM's Law.com(R) is the Web's leading legal news and information network, while ALM's GlobeSt.com(R) is the Web's leading information source for commercial real estate professionals. Other ALM businesses include book and newsletter publishing, court verdict and settlement reporting, production of professional trade shows, conferences and educational seminars, market research and content distribution. ALM was formed by U.S. Equity Partners, L.P., a private equity fund sponsored by Wasserstein & Co., LP. More information on ALM's businesses and services is available on the Web at www.alm.com.