Keeping captive killer whales isn’t cheap. The animals can devour up to 300 pounds of salmon and sardines in a day, and they require full-time handlers.

Thanks to regulatory challenges and lawsuits tied to SeaWorld Entertainment’s famous orca shows, the company has also had to rely on professionals that can’t be paid in sardines: lawyers. Several top Am Law 100 firms have been glad to jump through legal hoops for SeaWorld’s whales—but those days may be fading.