Nearly 200 Attorneys Recognized by 2026 The Best Lawyers in America, ‘Ones to Watch’

Best Lawyers uses an extensive peer review process to capture a consensus opinion of the leading lawyers in each geographic area. The “Lawyer of the Year” recognition goes to the attorney who received the highest overall peer feedback for his or her area of specialty, and only one is recognized in each specialty and location each year.

The 2025 “Lawyers of the Year” are:

• Amy Antoniolli - Litigation - Environmental
• David C. Blickenstaff - Litigation – Trusts and Estates

The lawyers listed among the “Best Lawyers” for 2026, and their areas of practice are:

Advertising Law

• Pamela M. Deese
• D. Reed Freeman, Jr.
• Brian P. Waldman

Antitrust Law

• Robert J. Wierenga

Appellate Practice

• Frederick J. Sperling

Banking and Finance Law

• Scott E. Pickens
• Alexis J. Schostak

Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law

• George P. Angelich
• Mary Joanne Dowd
• Todd A. Feinsmith
• Eric J. Fromme
• Scott B. Lepene
• Aram Ordubegian
• Andrew I. Silfen

Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law

• Susan T. Bart

Commercial Litigation

• Terree A. Bowers
• Randall A. Brater
• Victor P. Danhi
• Howard Graff
• Lawrence H. Heftman
• Bernice K. Leber
• Andrew R. Levin
• Malcolm S. McNeil
• Frederick J. Sperling
• Barbara S. Wahl
• Jay Williams

Communications Law

• Alan G. Fishel
• Jeffrey E. Rummel

Construction Law

• Mark A. Bloom
• Andrew Ross

Copyright Law

• Joseph M. Maraia
• Michelle Mancino Marsh
• Anthony V. Lupo

Corporate Law

• Jack R. Bierig
• Jay L. Halpern
• Alexis J. Schostak

Criminal Defense: White-Collar

• Terree A. Bowers
• Craig Engle
• Maggie Hickey
• Michelle J. Shapiro
• Peter R. Zeidenberg
• William P. Ziegelmueller

Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

• William R. Charyk
• David S. Greenberg
• Quana C. Jew
• Edward Spacapan, Jr.

Employment Law – Individuals

• Henry Morris, Jr.
• Jennifer A. Yelen

Employment Law – Management

• Robert K. Carrol
• Darrell S. Gay
• Henry Morris, Jr.
• Julie Furer Stahr
• Jennifer A. Yelen

Energy Law

• Owen E. MacBride

Entertainment Law – Motion Pictures and Television

• Matthew Mills

Environmental Law

• Stanley H. Abramson
• Amy Antoniolli
• Daniel J. Deeb
• Francis X. Lyons
• Jane E. Montgomery

Equipment Finance Law

• J. Mark Fisher

FDA Law

• Stanley H. Abramson
• Karen Ellis Carr
• Brian P. Waldman
• Wayne H. Matelski

Franchise Law

• Ann H. MacDonald

Government Relations Practice

• Craig Engle
• Dan H. Renberg

Health Care Law

• Jack R. Bierig
• Gerald J. Billow
• Lowell C. Brown
• Thomas E. Jeffry, Jr.
• Anne M. Murphy

Insurance Law

• Antony S. Burt
• Everett J. Cygal
• Richard G. Liskov
• Catherine M. Masters
• David M. Spector

International Arbitration – Commercial

• Lee M. Caplan

International Arbitration – Governmental

• Lee M. Caplan

International Mergers and Acquisitions

• Nicholas M. Tipsord

International Trade and Finance Law

• Kay C. Georgi
• John Gurley
• David R. Hamill
• Matthew Nolan
• Nancy A. Noonan
• Diana Dimitriuc Quaia

Litigation – Antitrust

• Jessica Sprovtsoff

Litigation – Bankruptcy

• Mary Joanne Dowd
• Scott B. Lepene
• Aram Ordubegian

Litigation – Construction

• Mark A. Bloom

Litigation – Environmental

• Amy Antoniolli

Litigation – ERISA

• Alison Lima Andersen
• Caroline Turner English

Litigation – Intellectual Property

• Imron T. Aly
• Laura L. Carroll
• Anthony V. Lupo
• Joseph M. Maraia
• Sailesh K. Patel

Litigation – Labor and Employment

• Darrell S. Gay
• Linda M. Jackson
• Lauren C. Schaefer
• Michael L. Stevens

Litigation – Patent

• Anthony V. Lupo
• Sailesh K. Patel

Litigation – Real Estate

• Frederick J. Sperling

Litigation – Trusts and Estates

• Tom W. Abendroth
• David C. Blickenstaff

Litigation and Controversy – Tax

• Patricia A. Pileggi

Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants

• Thomas M. Crispi
• Joseph J. Krasovec III
• Ann H. MacDonald
• Catherine M. Masters
• Charles H.R. Peters
• Jay Williams

Mergers and Acquisitions Law

• Scott Adamson
• Alexis J. Schostak

Nonprofit / Charities Law

• Jack R. Bierig

Patent Law

• Bruce D. Jobse
• Anthony V. Lupo
• Joseph M. Maraia
• Kevin M. Nelson
• Sailesh K. Patel

Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants

• Thomas M. Crispi

Privacy and Data Security Law

• D. Reed Freeman, Jr.

Product Liability Litigation – Defendants

• Jonathan Judge
• Joseph J. Krasovec III
• Andrew R. Levin

Public Finance Law

• David L. Dubrow
• Sean W. Glynn
• Les Jacobowitz
• Richard J. Krainin
• Paul C. Marengo
• Richard A. Newman
• Bruce P. Weisenthal

Real Estate Law

• Anne-Carmene Almonord
• Richard L. Brand
• David L. Dubrow
• Bryson M. Filbert
• Richard N. Gale
• Sean W. Glynn
• Russel T. Hamilton
• Mindy Pittell Hurwitz
• Kenneth S. Jacob
• Janet M. Johnson
• Mark M. Katz
• Faige P. Klein
• Paul G. Mackey
• David M. Martin
• Gerald L. Mitchell
• Richard A. Newman
• M.J. Pritchett
• David S. Sattelberger
• Kimberly A. Wachen
• Eleanor D. Zappone

Sports Law

• Richard L. Brand
• Frederick J. Sperling

Tax Law

• Tom W. Abendroth
• William R. Charyk
• Quana C. Jew

Trade Secrets Law

• Nicholas J. Nesgos
• Matthew F. Prewitt

Trademark Law

• Cristina A. Carvalho
• Michelle Mancino Marsh

Trusts and Estates

• Tom W. Abendroth
• Susan T. Bart
• Holly M. Bastian
• Jessica J. Birnbaum
• Molly F. James
• Brian K. Janowsky
• Kevin Matz
• Michael K. Moyers
• Lynn K. Pearle
• Robert R. Pluth, Jr.
• Christine R. W. Quigley
• Sarah Kerr Severson

The lawyers listed among the “Ones to Watch” for 2026 and their areas of practice are:

Alternative Dispute Resolution

• Gregory S. Paonessa

Banking and Finance Law

• Peter T. Butler

Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law

• Christopher K.S. Wong

Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law

• Sarah Roscioli

Commercial Litigation

• Katia Asche
• Gary D. Brophy
• Andrew Dykens
• Douglas E. Hewlett, Jr.
• Laurel LaMontagne
• Robert A.H. Middleton
• Michael K. Molzberger
• Pascal F. Naples
• Nadia Patel
• Lee A. Pepper
• Sonul Rao
• Antonio J. Rivera
• Leah Scarpelli
• Sara T. Schneider
• Daniel J. Schufreider
• Anthony-Ray Sepúlveda
• Brittany H. Sokoloff
• Elise H. Yu

Corporate Governance and Compliance Law

• Paul A. Schmid

Corporate Law

• Gary D. Brophy
• Dean A. Roy
• Paul A. Schmid
• Yusra Siddique

Criminal Defense: White-Collar

• Douglas E. Hewlett, Jr.
• Anthony-Ray Sepúlveda

Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

• Rebecca W. Foreman
• Katie Heilman
• Oluwaseun (Shay) Wells

Energy Law

• Christina Campbell Rather

Entertainment and Sports Law

• Danielle W. Bulger
• Zachary D. Welsh

Environmental Law

• Alex Garel-Frantzen
• Robert A.H. Middleton
• Pascal F. Naples

Family Law

• Sarah Roscioli

Government Relations Practice

• Yusra Siddique

Health Care Law

• Katie Heilman
• Annie Chang Lee
• Emily M. Leongini
• Kathryn L. Steffen
• Laura Zell

Insurance Law

• Karl Fisher

Intellectual Property Law

• Diana S. Bae
• Peter T. Busch
• Ehsun Forghany
• Helen H. Ji
• Kamanta C. Kettle
• B. Thorne Maginnis
• Ariel Peikes
• Anthony D. Peluso
• Ahmed M.T. Riaz
• Brian J. Stevens

Labor and Employment Law – Management

• Limore Torbati

Land Use and Zoning Law

• Pascal F. Naples

Litigation – Environmental

• Katie Heilman

Litigation – Intellectual Property

• Christine Wilson Feller
• Katie Heilman
• Helen H. Ji

Litigation – Labor and Employment

• Andrew Baskin
• Kelly Kirby Ballentine
• Oluwaseun (Shay) Wells

Litigation – Patent

• Helen H. Ji
• Ehsun Forghany
• Ahmed M.T. Riaz

Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants

• Michael K. Molzberger
• Sonul Rao

Mergers and Acquisitions Law

• Paul A. Schmid

Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants

• Katia Asche

Privacy and Data Security Law

• Michelle Bowling

Product Liability Litigation – Defendants

• Katia Asche
• Sonul Rao

Public Finance Law

• Carlos Estevez
• Sterling Johnson
• Ria M. Williams
• Justin M. Yourko

Real Estate Law

• Carlos Estevez
• Brooke A. Fodor
• Sterling Johnson
• Michael Lengel
• Pascal F. Naples
• Karoline Nunez
• Douglas W. Pyle
• Dean A. Roy
• Christina Campbell Rather
• Angele C. Solano
• Zachary D. Welsh
• Ria M. Williams
• Justin M. Yourko

Securities / Capital Markets Law

• Matthew Berlin

Tax Law

• Raida Lopez
• Evgeny Magidenko

Trusts and Estates

• Raida Lopez
• Kristen Hosack Pace
• Xiang Qu
• Sarah Roscioli