Industries › Professional, scientific and technical services
Industry · Form 5500 business code 541110
Offices of Lawyers: retirement plans
Plans whose sponsor entered this principal business activity code on Form 5500.
Form 5500 information is as filed by the plan administrator with the Department of Labor and may be amended. Figures reflect the plan year shown, not current balances. The business code is chosen by the filer from the list in the Form 5500 instructions.
1,395 retirement plans in offices of lawyers with 100 or more participants filed Form 5500 for plan year 2024 (1,238 defined contribution, 157 defined benefit). All Form 5500 pension filers in the group reported 757,201 participant records and $207.3B in net assets.
The median defined contribution plan held $237,794 per participant, well above the national median of $53,031, and its employer put in $7,023 per active participant (national: $2,174). Among plans reporting Schedule C compensation the median was $215 per participant against $123 nationally.
Employers contributed $5.92B and participants $5.05B during the year, and the plans paid out $17.4B in benefits.
In 2009 the same group numbered 1,462 plans with $68.8B; by 2024 it was 1,395 plans (down 5%) and $207.3B (up 201%). From plan year 2023 the 100-participant line counts participants with account balances, which moved many plans to the short form.
Medians compared with all US plans
| Median plan, plan year 2024 | Industry: DC | US: DC | Industry: DB | US: DB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $237,794 | $53,031 | $224,225 | $86,234 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $7,023 | $2,174 | $49,899 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $215 | $123 | $516 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.10% | 0.26% | 0.25% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $195 | $116 | $532 | $527 |
Medians across plans with 100 or more participants (1,176 DC and 156 DB plans with a Schedule H here). Fee medians cover plans reporting an amount. DC: defined contribution, such as 401(k) and 403(b). DB: defined benefit pension.
Distribution of DC plans
| Measure | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile | Plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $105,356 | $237,794 | $388,889 | 1,176 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $3,118 | $7,023 | $12,852 | 1,109 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $92.00 | $215 | $412 | 1,076 |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $69.94 | $195 | $384 | 1,123 |
Trend by plan year
| Plan year | Plans 100+ | Participants | Net assets | Employer contributions | Participant contributions | Median DC assets / participant | Median DC Sch. C / participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025partial | 134 | 72,133 | $13.8B | $367M | $396M | $184,610 | $226 |
| 2024 | 1,395 | 757,201 | $207.3B | $5.92B | $5.05B | $237,794 | $215 |
| 2023 | 1,396 | 751,351 | $186.9B | $5.70B | $4.70B | $217,151 | $192 |
| 2022 | 1,421 | 743,660 | $161.5B | $5.27B | $4.30B | $189,538 | $200 |
| 2021 | 1,400 | 717,885 | $190.6B | $4.82B | $3.97B | $237,802 | $201 |
| 2020 | 1,385 | 698,704 | $172.6B | $4.55B | $3.67B | $224,804 | $186 |
| 2019 | 1,381 | 709,051 | $151.0B | $4.52B | $3.54B | $202,398 | $185 |
| 2018 | 1,362 | 694,769 | $127.0B | $4.38B | $3.29B | $176,568 | $174 |
| 2017 | 1,350 | 691,579 | $133.9B | $4.18B | $3.11B | $189,668 | $165 |
| 2016 | 1,351 | 684,176 | $116.2B | $4.10B | $2.98B | $167,096 | $149 |
| 2015 | 1,374 | 720,918 | $109.2B | $3.97B | $2.91B | $157,210 | $133 |
| 2014 | 1,393 | 721,028 | $109.0B | $3.81B | $2.75B | $158,920 | $123 |
| 2013 | 1,400 | 721,679 | $103.2B | $3.68B | $2.68B | $152,468 | $106 |
| 2012 | 1,393 | 720,861 | $88.1B | $3.66B | $2.58B | $131,814 | $89.13 |
| 2011 | 1,399 | 725,952 | $78.5B | $3.61B | $2.50B | $116,671 | $80.26 |
| 2010 | 1,437 | 751,831 | $77.7B | $3.37B | $2.45B | $115,456 | $74.72 |
| 2009 | 1,462 | 792,754 | $68.8B | $3.38B | $2.48B | $100,278 | $62.54 |
Plan year is the year in which the plan year began. The drop in large plans from 2023 follows a rule change: the 100-participant line now counts participants with account balances, so many plans moved to the short form.
Provider share
Service provider organisations named most often on the Schedule C of the 1,358 plans on this page's list, by number of plans. A plan usually names several providers.
Largest plans
The 40 largest by participants of 1,358 plans with a page on this site.
| Plan | Sponsor | State | Type | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer / active | Sch. C / participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirkland & Ellis LLP Defined Contribution 401(k) Savings Plan | Kirkland & Ellis LLP | IL | DC | 9,265 | $2.67B | $288,338 | $12,707 | $89.92 |
| Latham & Watkins 401(k) Savings and Profit Sharing Plan | Latham & Watkins LLP | CA | DC | 8,625 | $3.59B | $416,455 | $10,882 | $159 |
| Sidley Austin LLP Savings and Investment Plan | Sidley Austin LLP | IL | DC | 6,029 | $1.93B | $320,456 | $4,096 | $116 |
| Greenberg Traurig 401(k) Plan | Greenberg Traurig, PA | FL | DC | 5,543 | $1.64B | $296,241 | $13,989 | $61.99 |
| Holland and Knight Profit Sharing Plan & Trust | Holland & Knight LLP | FL | DC | 5,258 | $1.98B | $377,338 | $11,255 | $114 |
| Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP Tax Saver Retirement Plan | Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP Lisa Solley | PA | DC | 5,179 | $1.47B | $282,919 | — | $3.65 |
| Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom Savings Plan | Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom, LLP | NY | DC | 4,854 | $1.47B | $302,126 | $5,571 | $40.14 |
| Real Estate Commission Retirement Savings Plan | Burke Capital VI, Inc. | NY | DC | 4,713 | $7.7M | $1,627 | — | $34.90 |
| Ropes & Gray LLP Retirement Savings Plan | Ropes & Gray LLP | MA | DC | 4,579 | $1.37B | $299,280 | $7,121 | $147 |
| Dla Piper LLP (US) Profit Sharing and 401(k) Savings Plan | Dla Piper LLP (US) | MD | DC | 4,436 | $1.74B | $392,467 | $14,473 | $123 |
| Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP Retirement Plan | Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP | CA | DC | 4,194 | $1.46B | $347,337 | $8,941 | $59.71 |
| Troutman Pepper Defined Contribution Plan | Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP | GA | DC | 4,115 | $1.19B | $288,476 | $9,718 | $69.22 |
| Cooley LLP Salary Deferral and Profit Sharing Plan | Cooley LLP | CA | DC | 4,094 | $1.32B | $321,914 | $12,468 | $167 |
| Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP Employees 401(k) Plan | Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP | CA | DC | 4,089 | $301M | $73,732 | $1,473 | $155 |
| Jones Day Supplemental Savings Plan | Jones Day | OH | DC | 3,978 | $507M | $127,354 | $3,122 | — |
| Paul Hastings LLP Defined Contribution Retirement Plan | Paul Hastings LLP | CA | DC | 3,941 | $1.09B | $275,950 | $16,344 | $225 |
| Goodwin Procter LLP Partnership Profit Sharing Savings Plan | Goodwin Procter LLP | MA | DC | 3,883 | $1.55B | $399,676 | $6,178 | $25.90 |
| Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP Cash Or Deferred Plan | Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP | NY | DC | 3,833 | $636M | $165,982 | $1 | $75.51 |
| Savings and Investment 401(k) Plan of White & Case LLP | White & Case, LLP | NY | DC | 3,651 | $1.05B | $288,687 | $13,104 | $92.12 |
| Morrison & Foerster LLP Retirement Plan Part I | Morrison & Foerster LLP | CA | DC | 3,593 | $1.41B | $391,622 | $10,619 | $53.47 |
| Foley & Lardner LLP Defined Contribution Retirement Plan | Foley & Lardner LLP | WI | DC | 3,511 | $1.70B | $484,400 | $13,407 | $253 |
| Fragomen, del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan | Fragomen, del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP | NJ | DC | 3,450 | $345M | $100,105 | $1,457 | $151 |
| Hogan Lovells US LLP Retirement Savings Plan | Hogan Lovells US LLP | DC | DC | 3,434 | $1.91B | $555,012 | $14,303 | — |
| Reed Smith 401(k) Plan | Reed Smith LLP | PA | DC | 3,414 | $1.19B | $348,305 | $13,273 | $69.89 |
| Covington & Burling Retirement Savings Plan | Covington & Burling LLP | DC | DC | 3,400 | $1.71B | $501,741 | $13,782 | $180 |
| Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP 401(k) Retirement Plan | Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP | CA | DC | 3,394 | $450M | $132,447 | $3,903 | $64.88 |
| Mayer Brown LLP USA Savings Plan | Mayer Brown LLP | IL | DC | 3,355 | $1.23B | $367,321 | $9,980 | $162 |
| Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP Defined Contribution Plan | Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP Lisa Solley | PA | DC | 3,332 | $781M | $234,530 | $18,464 | $0.39 |
| King & Spalding LLP Profit Sharing - 401(k) Plan | King & Spalding LLP | GA | DC | 3,265 | $1.42B | $433,468 | $9,467 | $292 |
| McGuirewoods LLP Retirement Savings Plan | McGuirewoods LLP | VA | DC | 3,238 | $1.16B | $359,524 | $11,617 | $125 |
| Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart 401(k) Savings Plan | Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart | SC | DC | 3,227 | $398M | $123,461 | $889 | $61.96 |
| Mw&e Savings and Retirement Plan | McDermott Will & Emery LLP | IL | DC | 3,180 | $1.39B | $436,231 | $15,454 | $173 |
| WSGR 401(k) and Profit Sharing Plan | Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, PC | CA | DC | 3,146 | $1.00B | $318,146 | $10,956 | $177 |
| Arnold & Porter Profit-Sharing and 401(k) Plan and Trust | Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP | DC | DC | 3,061 | $1.58B | $516,020 | $12,944 | $193 |
| Carr, Riggs & Ingram Capital, LLC 401(k) Plan & Trust | Carr, Riggs & Ingram Capital, LLC | AL | DC | 3,040 | $389M | $128,068 | $4,247 | $56.34 |
| Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP Retirement Plan | Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP | WV | DC | 3,040 | $1.18B | $387,201 | $14,983 | $696 |
| Employee Savings Plan of Winston & Strawn LLP | Winston & Strawn LLP | IL | DC | 3,005 | $1.25B | $416,660 | $16,319 | $69.72 |
| Norton Rose Fulbright US L.L.P. 401(k) and Profit Sharing Plan | Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP | TX | DC | 2,911 | $1.07B | $367,893 | $6,563 | $51.10 |
| Seyfarth Shaw LLP 401(k) Savings and Retirement Plan | Seyfarth Shaw LLP | IL | DC | 2,908 | $926M | $318,404 | $13,841 | $284 |
| Weil, Gotshal & Manges Section 401(k) Savings and Investment Plan | Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP | NY | DC | 2,887 | $786M | $272,216 | $9,217 | $4.67 |
By plan size
By state
Questions and answers
How many retirement plans are there in offices of lawyers?
1,395 plans with 100 or more participants filed Form 5500 for plan year 2024, out of 3,332 pension plans on the full form. Smaller plans file Form 5500-SF and are counted separately where shown.
What is the typical 401(k) balance in offices of lawyers?
The median defined contribution plan reported $237,794 in net assets per participant (middle half of plans: $105,356 to $388,889); nationally it was $53,031. This is a plan-level average that includes former employees, not a typical person's balance.
What do employers contribute in offices of lawyers?
The median defined contribution plan received $7,023 in employer contributions per active participant, against $2,174 nationally. Plans with no employer contribution are included at zero.
What are average 401(k) fees in offices of lawyers?
Among defined contribution plans that report any Schedule C compensation, the median was $215 per participant and 0.10% of net assets (nationally $123 and 0.26%). Schedule C leaves out fund expense ratios and fees the employer pays, so it understates total cost.
Where does this come from?
Form 5500 annual reports in the EBSA research files, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. Medians are computed by this site across plans with 100 or more participants.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 research files, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. Totals count every pension plan on the full form; medians and the plan list cover plans with 100 or more participants. See the methodology.