Author: Anne Szustek
The leading litigators and litigation firms in the US convened the evening of January 31 at the Essex House on New York’s Central Park South to celebrate and recognize their achievements at the first-ever nationwide US Benchmark Annual Awards.
Sheila Birnbaum of Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom picking up her Lifetime Achievement Award, January 31 at the Essex House on New York’s Central Park South
New York City Councilmember Dan Garodnick, who represents a large swath of Manhattan’s East Side and is a former litigator at the law firm of Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison delivered the pre-dinner keynote address, with the second half of the ceremony opened by a speech from retired New York State Supreme Court Justice Bernard Fried.
Product liability litigator Sheila Birnbaum, the co-chairperson of the mass torts and insurance litigation group of Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom, picked up the Lifetime Achievement Award for her accomplishments during her nearly half-century-long career. She was introduced by Judith Kaye, the retired chief judge of the New York Court of Appeals and presently of counsel at Skadden.
The coveted Case of the Year Award went to the law firms and in-house counsel teams litigating on either side of the smartphone war battle Apple v. Samsung, won at the trial level by Apple and presently being appealed by Samsung. Outside counsel for Apple includes Morrison & Foerster and WilmerHale; arguing on behalf of Samsung is Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan. The corporate counsel group at Pfizer won the In-House Team of the Year award in recognition of the breadth and its handling of legal matters potentially bound for litigation, as well as its innovation in liaising with external counsel. Other national awards went to Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton in honor of the firm’s diversity practices and to Schiff Hardin for its extensive pro bono legal work.
Firms in all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia were recognized for the gravitas of their case matters during 2012, including potential precedent set or verdicts with notably high dollar amounts at stake. In addition, five Regional Impact Cases won awards in recognition of their immediate economic and legislative influence. Regional-level awards went to firms recognizing excellence in one of 10 practice areas and to individuals named Litigator of the Year and Female Litigator of the Year.
A full list of winners follows below. For more information about the Benchmark Annual Awards or about the Benchmark Litigation publication in general, contact deputy editor Anne Szustek at aszustek@euromoneyny.com.
STATE AWARDS
Alaska Firm of the Year: Feldman Orlansky & Sanders
Alabama Firm of the Year: Bradley Arant Boult Cummings
Arkansas Firm of the Year: Quattlebaum Grooms Tull & Burrow
Arizona Firm of the Year: Beus Gilbert
California Firm of the Year: Morrison & Foerster
Colorado Firm of the Year: Holland & Hart
Connecticut Firm of the Year: Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder
District of Columbia Firm of the Year: Dickstein Shapiro
Delaware Firm of the Year: Grant & Eisenhofer
Florida Firm of the Year: Akerman Senterfitt
Georgia Firm of the Year: Alston & Bird
Hawaii Firm of the Year: Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing
Iowa Firm of the Year: Nyemaster Goode West Hansell & O’Brien
Idaho Firm of the Year: Stoel Rives
Illinois Firm of the Year: Kirkland & Ellis
Indiana Firm of the Year: Taft Stettinius & Hollister
Kansas Firm of the Year: Foulston Siefkin
Kentucky Firm of the Year: Fultz Maddox Hovious & Dickens
Louisiana Firm of the Year: Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver
Massachusetts Firm of the Year: McDermott Will & Emery
Maryland Firm of the Year: Saul Ewing
Maine Firm of the Year: Preti Flaherty Beliveau & Pachios
Michigan Firm of the Year: Dickinson Wright
Minnesota Firm of the Year: Robins Kaplan Miller & Ciresi
Mississippi Firm of the Year: Bradley Arant Boult Cummings
Missouri Firm of the Year: Husch Blackwell
Montana Firm of the Year: Crowley Fleck
Nebraska Firm of the Year: Baird Holm
Nevada Firm of the Year: Pisanelli Bice
New Hampshire Firm of the Year: Sheehan Phinney Bass & Green
New Jersey Firm of the Year: Gibbons
New Mexico Firm of the Year: Rodey Dickason Sloan Akin & Robb
North Carolina Firm of the Year: Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson
New York Firm of the Year: Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison
North Dakota Firm of the Year: Crowley Fleck
Ohio Firm of the Year: Tucker Ellis
Oklahoma Firm of the Year: Crowe & Dunlevy
Oregon Firm of the Year: Stoll Stoll Berne Lotking & Shlachter
Pennsylvania Firm of the Year: Hangley Aronchick Segal Pudlin & Schiller
Rhode Island Firm of the Year: Adler Pollock & Sheehan
South Carolina Firm of the Year: Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough
South Dakota Firm of the Year: Johnson Heidepriem & Abdallah
Tennessee Firm of the Year: Bass Berry & Sims
Texas Firm of the Year: Susman Godfrey
Utah Firm of the Year: Holland & Hart
Vermont Firm of the Year: Dinse Knapp McAndrew
Virginia Firm of the Year: LeClairRyan
Washington Firm of the Year: Lane Powell
West Virginia Firm of the Year: Bowles Rice
Wisconsin Firm of the Year: Foley & Lardner
Wyoming Firm of the Year: Hirst Applegate
REGIONAL IMPACT CASES
Corre Opportunities Fund et al. v. Emmis Communications; Taft Stettinius & Hollister, Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison
Genzyme Corp. v. Seikagaku Corp.; McDermott Will & Emery
League of Women Voters Minnesota et al. v. Ritchie (Minnesota voter identification amendment); Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand on behalf of plaintiffs; Winthrop & Weinstine on behalf of defendant
SEC v. BankAtlantic Bancorp; Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson
Tax Appeal Court, State of Hawaii No. T.A. 11-1-0020 (Hotel tax assessment reversal for online travel companies); Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing
REGIONAL INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Female Litigator of the Year-Midwest: Maja Eaton, Sidley Austin
Female Litigator of the Year-Northeast: Kathleen Sullivan, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
Female Litigator of the Year-South: Kathy Patrick, Gibbs & Bruns
Female Litigator of the Year-West: Annette Hurst, Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe
Litigator of the Year-Midwest: George Lombardi, Winston & Strawn
Litigator of the Year-Northeast: Brad Karp, Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison
Litigator of the Year-South: Douglas Cawley, McKool Smith
Litigator of the Year-West: Harold McElhinny, Morrison & Foerster
REGIONAL PRACTICE AREA AWARDS
Antitrust Firm of the Year-Midwest: McDermott Will & Emery
Antitrust Firm of the Year-Northeast: Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom
Antitrust Firm of the Year-South: Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod
Antitrust Firm of the Year-West: Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe
Appellate Firm of the Year-Midwest: Mayer Brown
Appellate Firm of the Year-Northeast: Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
Appellate Firm of the Year-South: Bradley Arant Boult Cummings
Appellate Firm of the Year-West: Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe
Bankruptcy Firm of the Year-Midwest: Kirkland & Ellis
Bankruptcy Firm of the Year-Northeast: Davis Polk & Wardwell
Bankruptcy Firm of the Year-South: White & Case
Bankruptcy Firm of the Year-West: Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy
General Commercial Firm of the Year-Midwest: Winston & Strawn
General Commercial Firm of the Year-Northeast: Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison
General Commercial Firm of the Year-South: Bradley Arant Boult Cummings
General Commercial Firm of the Year-West: Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
Insurance Firm of the Year-Midwest: Jenner & Block
Insurance Firm of the Year-Northeast: Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
Insurance Firm of the Year-South: Sutherland Asbill & Brennan
Insurance Firm of the Year-West: Dickstein Shapiro
Intellectual Property Firm of the Year-Midwest: Robins Kaplan Miller & Ciresi
Intellectual Property Firm of the Year-Northeast: WilmerHale
Intellectual Property Firm of the Year-South: McKool Smith
Intellectual Property Firm of the Year-West: Morrison & Foerster
International Arbitration Firm of the Year-Midwest: Dorsey & Whitney
International Arbitration Firm of the Year-Northeast: Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
International Arbitration Firm of the Year-South: Fulbright & Jaworski
International Arbitration Firm of the Year-West: Dan Tan Law
Product Liability Firm of the Year-Midwest: Shook Hardy & Bacon
Product Liability Firm of the Year-Northeast: Kirkland & Ellis
Product Liability Firm of the Year-South: Butler Snow O’Mara Stevens & Cannada
Product Liability Firm of the Year-West: Sidley Austin
Securities Firm of the Year-Midwest: Sidley Austin
Securities Firm of the Year-Northeast: Cravath Swaine & Moore
Securities Firm of the Year-South: Gibbs & Bruns
Securities Firm of the Year-West: Munger Tolles & Olson
White-Collar Criminal Defense Firm of the Year-Midwest: Kirkland & Ellis
White-Collar Criminal Defense Firm of the Year-Northeast: Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello
White-Collar Criminal Defense Firm of the Year-South: Podhurst Orseck
White-Collar Criminal Defense Firm of the Year-West: Keker & Van Nest
NATIONAL AWARDS
Lifetime Achievement: Sheila Birnbaum, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom
Diversity Firm of the Year: Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
Pro Bono Firm of the Year: Schiff Hardin
In-House Legal Counsel Team of the Year: Pfizer
Case of the Year: Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics (for Apple: Morrison & Foerster, WilmerHale; for Samsung: Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
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| NYC Councilmember Dan Garodnick |
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| Ret. New York State Supreme Court Justice Bernard Fried |
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| Alabama Firm of the Year: Bradley Arant Boult Cummings |
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| California Firm of the Year: Morrison & Foerster |
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| DC Firm of the Year: Dickstein Shapiro |
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| Florida Firm of the Year: Akerman Senterfitt |
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| Hawaii Firm of the Year: Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing |
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| Illinois Firm of the Year: Kirkland & Ellis |
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| Massachusetts Firm of the Year: McDermott Will & Emery |
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| Maryland Firm of the Year: Saul Ewing |
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| Maine Firm of the Year: Preti Flaherty Beliveau & Pachios |
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| Minnesota Firm of the Year: Robins Kaplan Miller & Ciresi |
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| Mississippi Firm of the Year: Bradley Arant Boult Cummings |
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| New Jersey Firm of the Year: Gibbons |
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| New York Firm of the Year: Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison |
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| Ohio Firm of the Year: Tucker Ellis |
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| Oklahoma Firm of the Year: Crowe & Dunlevy |
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| Texas Firm of the Year: Susman Godfrey |
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| Virginia Firm of the Year: LeClairRyan |
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| Washington Firm of the Year: Lane Powell |
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| Corre Opportunities Fund et al. v. Emmis Communications; Taft Stettinius & Hollister; Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison |
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| Genzyme Corp. v. Seikagaku Corp.; McDermott Will & Emery |
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| Tax Appeal Court, State of Hawaii No. T.A. 11-1-0020 (Hotel tax assessment reversal for online travel companies); Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing |
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| Female Litigator of the Year-Midwest: Maja Eaton, Sidley Austin |
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| Female Litigator of the Year-Northeast: Kathleen Sullivan, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan |
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| Female Litigator of the Year-South: Kathy Patrick, Gibbs & Bruns |
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| Female Litigator of the Year-West: Annette Hurst, Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe |
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| Litigator of the Year-Northeast: Brad Karp, Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison |
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| Litigator of the Year-South: Doug Cawley, McKool Smith |
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| Litigator of the Year-West: Harold McElhinny, Morrison & Foerster (accepting on his behalf: Michael Jacobs) |
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| Antitrust Firm of the Year-Midwest: McDermott Will & Emery |
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| Antitrust Firm of the Year-Northeast: Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom |
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| Antitrust Firm of the Year-West: Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe |
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| Appellate Firm of the Year-Northeast: Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan |
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| Appellate Firm of the Year-South: Bradley Arant Boult Cummings |
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| Appellate Firm of the Year-West: Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe |
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| Bankruptcy Firm of the Year-Midwest: Kirkland & Ellis |
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| Bankruptcy Firm of the Year-Northeast: Davis Polk & Wardwell |
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| Bankruptcy Firm of the Year-West: Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy |
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| General Commercial Firm of the Year-Northeast: Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison |
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| General Commercial Firm of the Year-South: Bradley Arant Boult Cummings |
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| General Commercial Firm of the Year-West: Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan |
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| Insurance Firm of the Year-Midwest: Jenner & Block |
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| Insurance Firm of the Year-West: Dickstein Shapiro |
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| Intellectual Property Firm of the Year-Midwest: Robins Kaplan Miller & Ciresi |
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| Intellectual Property Firm of the Year-South: McKool Smith |
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| Intellectual Property Firm of the Year-West: Morrison & Foerster |
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| International Arbitration Firm of the Year-West: Dan Tan Law |
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| Product Liability Firm of the Year-Midwest: Shook Hardy & Bacon |
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| Product Liability Firm of the Year-Northeast: Kirkland & Ellis |
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| Product Liability Firm of the Year-South: Butler Snow O'Mara Stevens & Cannada |
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| Product Liability Firm of the Year-West: Sidley Austin |
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| Securities Firm of the Year-Midwest: Sidley Austin |
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| Securities Firm of the Year-Northeast: Cravath Swaine & Moore |
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| Securities Firm of the Year-South: Gibbs & Bruns |
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| White-Collar Criminal Defense Firm of the Year-Midwest: Kirkland & Ellis |
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| White-Collar Criminal Defense Firm of the Year-Northeast: Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello |
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| Lifetime Achievement Award: Sheila Birnbaum, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom |
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| Diversity Firm of the Year: Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton |
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| In-House Legal Counsel Team of the Year: Pfizer |
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Case of the Year: Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics (pictured: for Apple: Michael Jacobs, Morrison & Foerster; for Samsung: Kathleen Sullivan, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, Samsung USA General Counsel Cindi Moreland)
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