Mispronouncing names, especially in professional settings, can be awkward. With lawyers and law firms frequently in the news, getting their names right is crucial. This guide focuses on how to pronounce law firm names, offering a resource for anyone interacting with the legal world, from aspiring law students to seasoned professionals.
Decoding BigLaw: A Pronunciation Guide
This guide provides phonetic spellings and audio clips (where available) to help you master the pronunciation of often-mispronounced law firm names. The pronunciations are based on thorough research, including consulting with individuals within these firms and accessing publicly available resources.
A&O Shearman
A and O SHER-min
“Shearman” is pronounced like “Sherman,” similar to the “Sherman Antitrust Act.” Avoid pronouncing it as “SHEER-min” or “SHEER-man.”
Alston & Bird
ALL-stin and BIRD
Boies Schiller Flexner
BOYS SHILL-er FLEX-ner
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings
BRAD-lee AY-rant BOLT CUM-mings
The “AY” in “Arant” sounds like “bay” or “jay.” The “u” in “Boult” is silent.
Buchalter
BUCK-all-ter
Cozen O’Connor
KOH-zin o-CON-ner
Cravath Swaine & Moore
kruh-VATH / kra-VATH SWAIN and MOORE
“Cravath” is the trickiest part. “Swaine” is often misspelled due to the silent “e.”
Most people simply say “Cravath.”
Crowell & Moring
CROHL / CROW-ull and MORE-ing
“Crow” rhymes with the bird “crow.” “Moring” rhymes with “boring.”
Debevoise & Plimpton
DEH-beh-voys / DEH-buh-voys and PLIMP-tin
The “voise” in “Debevoise” rhymes with “noise.”
Dechert
DECK-ert
Faegre Drinker
FAY-gree DRINK-er
Irell & Manella
eye-RELL and muh-NEH-la
Kobre & Kim
KOH-bray and KIM
Knobbe Martens
keh-NO-bee MAR-tins
Like Obi-Wan Kenobi from Star Wars.
Latham & Watkins
LAY-thim / LAY-thum and WAT-kins
Lewis Brisbois
LEW-iss BRIZ-boy
Avoid the French pronunciation “BRIZ-bwah.”
Lowenstein Sandler
LOW-en-stine SAND-ler
Think “Frankenstein” for the “stine” sound.
Manatt Phelps & Phillips
muh-NAT PHELPS and PHIL-lips
Miller & Chevalier
MILL-er and chev-uh-LEER
Don’t Frenchify it; it’s not chev-al-YAY.
Munger Tolles & Olson
MUNG-ger TOLLS and OL-sin
“Munger” rhymes with “hunger.”
Offit Kurman
OFF-it KER-min
Perkins Coie
PER-kins COO-eee
“Coie” rhymes with “gooey.” It’s not “KWAH.”
Proskauer Rose
PROS-cow-er ROSE
“Pros” sounds like the beginning of “prosecutor.”
Selendy Gay
se-LEN-dee GAY
Seyfarth Shaw
SIGH-farth SHAW
Avoid “SAY-farth.”
Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom
SKAD-din ARPS SLATE MAR and FLAHM
“Meagher” rhymes with “car,” and “Flom” rhymes with “bomb.”
Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz
wock-TELL / WOCK-tell LIP-tin ROH-zin and CATS
“Wach” rhymes with “clock.”
Weil Gotshal & Manges
WILE GOT-tchyal and MAN-jeez
“Manges” rhymes with the river “Ganges.”
Why Proper Pronunciation Matters
Using the correct pronunciation shows respect and attention to detail. In the legal profession, where precision is paramount, getting a name right can make a significant difference in building relationships and demonstrating professionalism.
Continuous Improvement and Updates
This guide serves as a dynamic resource, regularly updated with new entries and corrections. Your feedback is invaluable in maintaining its accuracy and comprehensiveness. If you encounter a law firm name not listed or spot a mispronunciation, please share your insights. This collaborative approach will ensure this guide remains the go-to source for How To Pronounce Guider legal names.
