Munger, Tolles, & Olson LLP (MTO) is an American law firm founded in 1962 with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington D.C. The firm is known for handling litigation and corporate matters across multiple industries, including entertainment, technology, energy, healthcare, and financial services. MTO has been recognized by legal industry publications The American Lawyer and Chambers & Partners. The firm employs a notable percentage of former Supreme Court clerks compared to other U.S. law firms. As of 2024, MTO employs approximately 200 attorneys across its three offices.

History

Munger, Tolles & Hills was established in Downtown Los Angeles' Tishman Building at the intersection of Flower Street and Wilshire Boulevard on February 1, 1962. The firm was founded by three former partners from Musick, Peeler & Garrett: Charlie Munger, E. Leroy Tolles, and Roderick M. Hills. The founding group included two additional Musick attorneys, Richard Esbenshade and Frederick B. Warder Jr. as well as Carla Anderson Hills, who was serving as an assistant U.S. attorney at the time and was married to Roderick Hills. James T. Wood, a sole practitioner with connections to the Hills family, also joined the founding team. In 1965, Charles Munger departed the firm to focus on investment management, forming a partnership with Warren Buffett and later becoming vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, which remained a client of the firm. The addition of Charles E. Rickershauser Jr., a former clerk to Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, strengthened the firm's corporate practice and led to its renaming as Munger, Tolles, Hills & Rickershauser. Ronald Olson joined as an associate in 1968 and was elevated to partner in 1970. MTO expanded and opened an office in San Francisco in 1991. In 2016, the firm employed former Solicitor General of the United States Donald B. Verrilli Jr. to establish its Washington, D.C. office. In 2019, the MTO underwent a leadership transition, appointing Malcolm Heinicke and Hailyn Chen as co-managing partners, succeeding Brad Brian and Sandra Seville-Jones. Brian was named as firm chair. At the time of her election, Chen was only the second Asian woman to assume a leadership position at a major law firm.

Legal practice

MTO has represented various clients in complex litigation and corporate transactions. The firm's client portfolio includes major corporations across various sectors, such as technology (Google, Intel), entertainment (The Walt Disney Company), financial services (Bank of America, Fortress Investment Group), transportation (BNSF Railway), utilities (Pacific Gas & Electric), and conglomerates (Berkshire Hathaway). MTO employs a democratic management structure in which associates participate in firm operations and committee decisions. The firm's hiring practices emphasize candidates with judicial clerkship experience, particularly those who have clerked for federal judges and Supreme Court justices. In 2005, MTO reported that 19 of its attorneys had previously served as clerks for U.S. Supreme Court justices.

Industry ranking

MTO has appeared on The American Lawyer's A-List rankings multiple times between 2008 and 2024. The A-List evaluates U.S. law firms based on several metrics: revenue per lawyer, pro bono work, associate satisfaction, racial diversity, and gender diversity in equity partnerships. The firm ranked first in the publication for 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Notable representations

Litigation

Investigations

Pro Bono

The firm's pro bono representation includes:

Lawyers

Attorneys

Alumni

Former summer associate