Top 10 Richest Lawyers in the World 2025

Although the legal profession has always been linked to status and high incomes, a small number of attorneys have accumulated fortunes comparable to those of celebrities and business moguls. These people have amassed significant money in 2025 by using their experience in high-stakes litigation, entertainment agreements, business investments, and media endeavors. Based on their varied investments and legal careers, the top 10 wealthiest attorneys in the world are highlighted in this list, which is ordered by estimated net worth. These lawyers are notable for their financial success and influence, even though net worth numbers might change depending on private holdings and market conditions.

List Of Top 10 Richest Lawyers in the World 2025:

1. Wichai Thongtang:

With an estimated net worth of $2.2 billion, Wichai Thongtang is the richest lawyer in the world as of 2025. His wealth comes from his dual careers as a shrewd investor and corporate lawyer. Thongtang, who was born in Thailand in 1947, earned a law degree from Thammasat University in 1970 and started his career by defending well-known clients, such as former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a historic asset concealment case in 2001 that made him a celebrity attorney. Thongtang moved into business endeavors while still serving as chairman of his own international law firm. He amassed wealth through media holdings, including a now-defunct cable TV company, and strategic healthcare investments, including the 2011 merger of his Phyathai Hospital Group with Bangkok Dusit Medical Services. His low-key strategy for accumulating riches, which is sometimes referred to as "low profile but high profit," has made him a Southeast Asian tycoon, and his investments in renewable energy and hospitality have only served to increase his fortunes. Thongtang is a key player in Thailand's economic scene because of his success, which serves as an example of how legal knowledge can support entrepreneurial enterprises.

2. Charlie Munger:

With a net worth of almost $2.7 billion at the time of his death in 2023, Charlie Munger was rated second among the wealthiest lawyers in the world. He graduated from Harvard Law School, and his legal education had a significant impact on his illustrious investing career. In the 1950s, Munger—who was born in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1924—shifted his focus to investment management, co-founding Wheeler, Munger & Company and eventually joining Warren Buffett as vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway. Although he acquired it through real estate and business transactions after practicing law, his fortune, which was mostly composed of Berkshire shares and accounted for over 80% of his total wealth, was based on value investment ideas refined through legal analytical rigor. Munger's book "Poor Charlie's Almanack" summed up his multidisciplinary "mental models" approach, and he made multimillion-dollar donations to organizations like the University of Michigan Law School, demonstrating his influence in philanthropy. As Buffett's intellectual equal, Munger's legacy lives on after his passing, showing how a lawyer's perspective can transform finance and create lasting riches.

3. Bill Neukom:

With an estimated net worth of $450 million, Bill Neukom made his wealth as the top attorney for Microsoft for almost 25 years, helping the computer giant navigate through significant intellectual property challenges and antitrust battles. Born in 1941 and a graduate of Stanford Law School, Neukom joined Seattle's Preston Gates & Ellis in the 1970s at Bill Gates Sr.'s request. He later rose to the position of executive vice president of law and corporate affairs at Microsoft, where he oversaw the company's legal, governmental, and charitable operations during its rapid expansion. His image as a corporate legal force was cemented throughout his tenure, which included defending Microsoft in the historic United States v. Microsoft antitrust lawsuit. After leaving Microsoft, Neukom led the San Francisco Giants to their first World Series victory since moving to California in 2010 while serving as managing general partner from 2008 to 2011. He also started the World Justice Project to advance the rule of law around the world. Before his death in 2025, Neukom, the former president of the American Bar Association, accumulated wealth through astute investments and high-stakes court cases. His career spanned corporate law, sports administration, and philanthropy.

4. Judge Judy:

Based on her renowned television arbitration career that lasted for decades, Judge Judy, whose real name is Judith Sheindlin, has a net worth of approximately $440 million as of 2025. Sheindlin, a former judge of the New York Family Court, began her syndication hit "Judge Judy" in 1996. It continued for 25 seasons until 2021, attracting millions of people every day and peaking at $47 million yearly, making her the highest-paid TV host according to Forbes in 2018. In addition to revolutionizing courtroom television, her tough decisions on real-life issues brought in extra cash from spin-offs like "Hot Bench" and the $100 million sale of "Judge Judy" repeats to CBS. Her $71 million real estate holdings, which include opulent homes in Connecticut, Florida, and New York, round out Sheindlin's riches, while her ongoing media appearances on "Judy Justice" and the 2025 Prime Video series "Justice on Trial" ensure that her profits remain strong. Sheindlin is a pioneering female producer and arbitrator whose combination of legal knowledge and entertainment savvy has made her one of the most lucrative personalities in the history of legal television.

5. Robert Shapiro:

Robert Shapiro's high-profile criminal defense work and legal tech business endeavors have contributed to his around $100 million net worth as of 2025. Shapiro was born in New Jersey in 1942. He became well-known as a member of O.J. Simpson's "Dream Team" during the 1995 murder trial and as an attorney for Erik Menendez. This helped him become a celebrity and land lucrative media opportunities, such as acting and legal commentary. A UCLA law graduate, he co-founded LegalZoom in 2001, upending the market for reasonably priced legal services and increasing his wealth as the business, together with initiatives like ShoeDazzle, attained a multibillion-dollar valuation. In addition to handling civil and criminal cases at Glaser Weil Fink Howard Jordan & Shapiro LLP, Shapiro's personal tragedies—such as the death of his son Brent from addiction in 2005—inspired the Brent Shapiro Foundation to promote drug prevention. His career is a prime example of how defense lawyers may use notoriety to achieve long-term financial success, since it has been characterized by smart high-stakes litigation and corporate innovation.

6. Willie E. Gary:

Known as the "Giant Killer," Willie E. Gary has a net worth estimated at between $50 million and $100 million in 2025, which he has amassed through significant verdicts against corporate giants in civil rights and personal injury cases. Born into a family of sharecroppers in 1947, Gary climbed out of poverty on a football scholarship to attend North Carolina Central University School of legal. In 1979, he founded Florida's first Black-owned legal business and won judgments totaling more than $150 million. The annual revenue of his business, Gary, Williams, Parenti, Watson, Gary & Gillespie, is from $5 to $10 million. Notable victories include the $500 million punitive penalties (settled at $175 million) against Loewen Group in a funeral home dispute, which was portrayed in the 2023 movie "The Burial." Gary's flamboyant manner, complete with a Boeing 737 plane, and philanthropy through The Gary Foundation highlight his groundbreaking effect as one of America's leading trial lawyers, despite controversies that include a 2013 asset seizure over loans.

7. John Branca:

John Branca's $150 million 2025 net worth is a testament to his expertise in entertainment law, especially in music contracts that have influenced titans of the industry. Born in 1950 as a UCLA Law graduate, Branca was the first to represent rock 'n' roll at Ziffren Brittenham. He managed over 30 members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, including Michael Jackson, Aerosmith, and The Rolling Stones, for whom he arranged the acquisition of the Beatles' rights to the 1985 ATV catalog for $47.5 million, a deal now valued at billions of dollars. Since 2009, Branca has served as co-executor of Jackson's estate, turning $500 million in debt into almost $2 billion in wealth through record deals, tours such as "Michael Jackson: The Immortal," and the 2025 biopic "Michael." In addition to setting valuation milestones with his more than $200 million sales of catalogs like Rodgers & Hammerstein, his philanthropic work through the John Branca Institute of Music at Occidental College and his board positions at MusiCares demonstrate his wider impact. Branca's career serves as an example of how creative industries can benefit greatly from specialist legal knowledge.

8. Roy Black:

Roy Black, who died in 2025, amassed a net worth of $85 million through his defense of famous people in high-profile criminal cases. Born in 1945, Black is a graduate of the University of Miami Law School. He excelled on the Florida Bar Exam and began his career as a public defender before starting Black Srebnick, which gained notoriety for its 1991 rape acquittal of William Kennedy Smith and its representation of Rush Limbaugh in a narcotics case. His clientele included Kelsey Grammer, Jeffrey Epstein, and Justin Bieber. He handled cases ranging from fraud to murder, and his television appearances on "The Law Firm" and as an NBC legal consultant raised his notoriety. Since 1994, he has been married to Lea Black, a juror who is now a Real Housewives star. He has managed to balance his family with honors like being inducted into the Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame. Black's wealth came from elite representation and public commentary, and his careful appellate work and influence on high-stakes defense tactics made him a legal icon.

9. Jane Wanjiru Michuki:

With a net worth of over $250 million in 2025, Jane Wanjiru Michuki is the wealthiest lawyer in Kenya. She combines her expertise in business law with astute investments on the Nairobi Securities Exchange. She founded Kimani & Michuki Advocates, which represents high-profile clients like Equity Group Holdings, and has over 40 years of experience as a High Court attorney. She holds degrees from the University of Nairobi and Warwick University. Her holdings, which include a 9.5% share in Britam through Equity Holdings valued at over KSh 5 billion ($38 million+) in 2018, have contributed to her riches as the wealthiest female investor on the NSE. She also chairs the National Construction Authority and serves on boards such as British American Tobacco Kenya. Michuki is a force in East Africa's legal and financial industries, exemplifying resilient entrepreneurship through her leadership in international transactions and support of women in the legal profession through organizations like the Federation of Women Lawyers.

10 Alan Dershowitz:

With a $20 million net worth in 2025, Alan Dershowitz completes the list thanks to his knowledge of constitutional law, writing, and well-known defenses. Born in 1938 in New York, the Harvard Law professor emeritus (the youngest full professor at 28) wrote more than 30 books, including "The Case for Israel," and served on Claus von Bulow's appeal team, defending clients like O.J. Simpson, Mike Tyson, and Jeffrey Epstein. Although his defamation lawsuits with accuser Virginia Giuffre (settled in 2022) attracted attention, his speaking fees and media comments on issues ranging from Trump impeachments to Epstein controversies boosted earnings. Dershowitz's academic legacy includes influencing civil liberties issues, while his real estate includes a Miami condo and a Manhattan co-op. His combination of litigation, study, and public intellectualism maintains his financial and important status despite political changes, such as his departure from the Democratic Party in 2024 due to Israel policy.