white-shoe

American  

[hwahyt-shoo, wahyt] / ˈʰwaɪtˈʃu, ˈwaɪt /

adjective

1. of or relating to members of the upper class who own or run large corporations.

   white-shoe bankers; a conservative white-shoe image.

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Etymology

Origin of white-shoe

First recorded in 1975–80; apparently from the white shoes popular as moderately formal wear among suburban men c1980

Example Sentences

Meta and Google each had multiple partners from white-shoe firms at the defense table every day for eight weeks in Los Angeles, attorneys who can command thousands of dollars per billable hour.

From Los Angeles Times

In fact, Nixon left California and moved to the East Coast, taking a job at a white-shoe law firm and using New York City as his political base of operations.

From Los Angeles Times

Colleagues said his successes propelled his L.A. firm to become a white-shoe powerhouse, with offices around the globe.

From Los Angeles Times

These involve some of the big white-shoe conservative law firms, Consovoy McCarthy and others in D.C.

From Salon

It turns out that one of America’s best known white-shoe law firms, WilmerHale, was intricately involved.

From New York Times