McDermott Will & Schulte
McDermott Will & Schulte combines a prominent U.S. private-client practice with substantial private-capital, investment-management, tax, corporate, healthcare, and transactional capabilities. The current firm was launched in 2025 through the combination of McDermott Will & Emery and Schulte Roth & Zabel.
- Highest 2026 tier: Tier I
- Family Office Legal & Structuring Advisors
- 3 ranking categories
Overview
McDermott Will & Schulte combines a prominent U.S. private-client practice with substantial private-capital, investment-management, tax, corporate, healthcare, and transactional capabilities. The current firm was launched in 2025 through the combination of McDermott Will & Emery and Schulte Roth & Zabel.
Its family-office work includes estate and tax planning, private trust companies, family investment entities, governance, business succession, philanthropy, executive compensation, fund structuring, direct investment, and regulatory matters. The combination is especially relevant to offices that operate as active investment institutions rather than solely as administrators of inherited wealth.
McDermott Will & Schulte is included in 3 2026 ranking categories. The highest recorded classification is Tier I. Ranking status is editorial evidence rather than a substitute for client diligence.
Firm facts
| Public identity | McDermott Will & Schulte |
| Founded | 2025 through merger; predecessor roots to 1934 |
| Institution type | Family Office Legal & Structuring Advisors institution |
| Headquarters | Chicago / New York, United States |
| Primary focus | Family Office Legal & Structuring Advisors |
| Official website | mcdermottlaw.com |
| Highest 2026 ranking tier | Tier I |
Principal activities
McDermott Will & Schulte belongs in Tier I because it can connect the ownership and succession structure of a wealthy family with the investment, fund, and operating activities conducted through the office. Its U.S. depth, private-capital platform, and experience engaging with family-office principals and investment teams give it a distinctive institutional position.
Core capability
Family Office Legal & Structuring Advisors
Client relevance
Category-specific expertise, institutional credibility and the ability to serve demanding private or professional clients.
Execution and verification
Current mandate fit, leadership, geographic coverage, legal entities and regulated activities should be confirmed directly.
Sector and mandate coverage
Primary category
Family Office Legal & Structuring Advisors
Institutional context
Coverage reflects the organization’s role in the ranking categories listed below. The precise service, product, investment, jurisdictional and client scope should be verified for each engagement.
Market position
McDermott Will & Schulte belongs in Tier I because it can connect the ownership and succession structure of a wealthy family with the investment, fund, and operating activities conducted through the office. Its U.S. depth, private-capital platform, and experience engaging with family-office principals and investment teams give it a distinctive institutional position.
McDermott Will & Schulte is assessed through public institutional information and Ranking News editorial research. Its strongest 2026 result is Tier I.
Competitive context
The relevant peer set varies by category, geography, client segment and mandate. McDermott Will & Schulte should be compared on current category-specific capability, senior involvement, evidence of comparable work, operating resilience and any applicable regulatory permissions.
Comparable firms are shown for navigation and market context. Inclusion does not imply identical scale, ownership, geographic coverage, service model or regulatory status.
Leadership and governance
Leadership, ownership, governance and senior-team responsibilities may change. Current information should be verified through the official institutional source.
| Area | Current source |
|---|---|
| Leadership and governance | Current official information |
Corporate and public information
The public-facing organization is identified here as McDermott Will & Schulte. Contracting entities, regulated affiliates, offices and legal permissions may differ by service and jurisdiction.
Corporate and disclosure information
| Organization | McDermott Will & Schulte |
| Headquarters | Chicago / New York, United States |
| Public source | https://www.mcdermottlaw.com/ |
| Verification note | Confirm legal entity, licenses, offices and engagement terms directly before appointment. |
Rankings and recognition
Ranking inclusion and tier classification are editorial determinations. They should be read as category-specific assessments rather than universal league-table positions. The existence or maintenance of this Wiki profile does not influence ranking eligibility, tier or position.
Related Economy analysis
Selected reporting and market analysis from The Economy provides context for the institution’s operating environment:
- Jurisdiction Arbitrage: Why Borders Have Become the New Yield in Private Wealth
- How Competition and Global Expansion Are Reshaping Private Wealth
- Private Banking vs Wealth Management: What the 2026 Rankings Show
Related institutions and subjects
Sources and data transparency
The official website is the primary source for public identity and current capabilities. Ranking pages document 2026 category and tier status. Economy articles provide market context rather than firm-specific endorsement.
- McDermott Will & Schulte — official website — current public description, services and institutional information.
- Wealth Ranking — Top 30 Family Office Legal & Structuring Advisors 2026 — 2026 inclusion and tier classification.
- Wealth Ranking — Top 30 Private Client & Wealth Structuring Law Firms 2026 — 2026 inclusion and tier classification.
- Wealth Ranking — Top 30 Cross-Border Tax Law Specialists 2026 — 2026 inclusion and tier classification.
- The Economy — Jurisdiction Arbitrage: Why Borders Have Become the New Yield in Private Wealth — market and sector context.
- The Economy — How Competition and Global Expansion Are Reshaping Private Wealth — market and sector context.
- The Economy — Private Banking vs Wealth Management: What the 2026 Rankings Show — market and sector context.
