Chambers USA Awards 2022 Shortlist:

Lifetime Achievement Award
Winner: Evan Chesler
Cravath’s Evan Chesler has made an incredible contribution to the law over the course of a storied career as a litigator and trial lawyer, taking on some of the most high-profile cases on behalf of household-name clients across almost every major industry.  He’s been noted by Chambers interviewees in recent years as “one of New York’s great litigators,” in fact, with abilities extending far beyond the courtroom, his peers have described him as “maybe the best lawyer in New York.” Recently stepping down as firm Chairman, he continues to be at the forefront of legal practice, he has been named only this year as an attorney who is “unsurpassed in terms of his expertise in litigation, antitrust and business advice.”  One of the most talented lawyers in America, he has commanded the respect of peers and clients alike throughout his career, and his 20 plus years of Chambers rankings. He was perhaps best described in this comment: â€œHe is a formidable presence, and clients have the utmost confidence in him bringing him into the most difficult cases. He is plainly in the top 1%, if not higher, of all lawyers in the country. He’s absolutely spectacular.” Perhaps best known for his remarkable defence of American Express in the Supreme Court, he is an attorney known simply as “a legend.”  

Outstanding Contribution Award
Winner: Mary Jo White
Mary Jo White needs no introduction in legal circles. As former Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and current Senior Chair of Debevoise & Plimpton, she sports one of the most enviable résumés in the country. Her track record of immense success in business-critical matters speaks for itself and continues to attract an unrivaled client base of the nation’s leading companies, who seek her out for representation in moments of significant crisis. Her preeminent status in the market is perhaps summed up best by one impressed source, who simply notes: “Mary Jo is a lawyer in a league of her own.”

Antitrust Law Firm of the Year 
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP 
Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP 
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP 
Latham & Watkins LLP 
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP 

Winner: Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP
With its nationally recognized team, Clearly Gottlieb is renowned for its coast-to-coast antitrust strength. Coupling transactional and litigious capabilities, Cleary consistently remains at the forefront of market developments from big tech merger control to billion-dollar disputes. Housing a bench of dedicated cartel experts, the firm is the full package for clients facing complex antitrust allegations. Its well-rounded expertise has earned the firm a reputation as “simply the best.”

Banking & Finance Law Firm of the Year  
Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP 
Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP  
Kirkland & Ellis LLP 
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP 
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP  

Winner: Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
The team has considerable strength in the space and an impressive array of clients. The group has handled excellent deals, such as the Blackstone and Carlyle financing for the investment into Medline Industries. The team is also respected throughout the space, with market commentators stating, "Simpson Thacher is a remarkable firm," and others noting: "The team contains incredibly smart lawyers." 

Bankruptcy Law Firm of the Year 
Brown Rudnick LLP 
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP 
Kirkland & Ellis LLP 
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP 
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP

Winner: Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
Davis Polk & Wardwell is a longstanding bankruptcy heavyweight with experience in foremost multijurisdictional matters. Its lawyers are routinely engaged to advise on the market’s most sophisticated in- and out-of-court restructurings, and are utilized by a number of prominent creditor and debtor clients. The firm’s work on behalf of Purdue Pharma in its ongoing Chapter 11 proceedings evidences the quality of its offering. One client highlights that “it is the most responsive and service-oriented legal team I have ever worked with.”

Cannabis Law Firm of the Year 
Dentons 
Duane Morris LLP 
Foley Hoag LLP 
Fox Rothschild LLP 
Vicente Sederberg LLP 

Winner: Vicente Sederberg LLP
The team is widely respected throughout the market, with interviewees stating: â€œThey're prolific across the US. They are one of the leading firms because of the number of transactions they do and the level of professionalism and sophistication with which they approach transactions.” The group has handled an impressive range of work throughout the past year, notably the team's work with the Scottsdale Research Institute regarding its challenge to the five-part test DEA used has been very strong. 

Capital Markets Law Firm of the Year 
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP 
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP 
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP 
Latham & Watkins LLP 
Sidley Austin LLP 

Winner: Davis Polk & Wardell LLP
Davis Polk is a capital markets powerhouse. Offering a blue-ribbon service, the firm is premier choice for clients across the space. Regularly acting for leading corporates and Wall Street institutions, Davis Polk seamlessly handles both debt and equity transactions. It consistently leads on the market’s most prolific IPOs, as well as on transactions involving SPACs. The strong practice is complimented by a wide range of expertise, with knowledge that spans derivatives, structured products, convertible, and high yield debt. Sources are quick to give praise to its “top-class advice” and the “24/7 access to a wealth of subject matter experts.” Its US capabilities are only strengthened by the firm’s global network, which allows it to remain at the forefront of complex cross-border transactions.

Commercial Litigation Law Firm of the Year 
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP 
Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP 
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP 
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP  
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP 
Williams & Connolly LLP

Winner: Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
Perennial powerhouse Paul Weiss wins the Commercial Litigation award on the back of another year of phenomenal success. The firm houses a laundry list of the nation’s most sought-after litigators, including near household names such as Brad Karp and Ted Wells, and is called upon by America’s biggest corporations for representation in their most high-stakes business disputes. Sources consider the firm to be “at the top of the profession”, a view evidenced by the group’s stellar recent caseload, with major matters including a significant win for Blackstone in a high-profile derivatives claim.

Corporate Crime Law Firm of the Year 
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP  
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP 
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP 
King & Spalding LLP 
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP  

Winner: Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
Major corporate clients turn to Sullivan & Cromwell for representation in high-stakes, bet-the-company investigations and enforcement proceedings. An already outstanding team has been bolstered by the recent returns of Karen Seymour and Steve Peikin, former general counsel of Goldman Sachs and Co-Director of the SEC’s enforcement division, respectively. The group’s “magic combination of strategy, technical precision and commerciality” attracts impressive scope and breadth of work, with major mandates including the representation of BP as national coordinating counsel in investigations and litigation relating to the February 2021 Texas winter storm

Corporate Law Firm of the Year  
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP 
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP 
Kirkland & Ellis LLP 
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP 
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP  
White & Case LLP 

Winner: Kirkland & Ellis LLP
 The Kirkland & Ellis corporate team offers top-flight legal advice in market-defining transactions. The firm has a formidable track record in high value deals, and its deep bench positions it well to work across a spectrum of industries. Recent examples of work include their role representing NortonLifeLock in its $25 billion merger with Avast, as well as advising Bristol Myers Squibb on its acquisition of MyoKardia for $13.1 billion. Clients are quick to praise the firm’s top calibre service, with one reporting: “It is the best firm we have ever worked with.”

Energy & Projects Law Firm of the Year 
Latham & Watkins LLP 
Vinson & Elkins LLP 
Mayer Brown LLP 
Norton Rose Fulbright 
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

Winner: Latham& Watkins LLP
A formidable presence in the Energy & Projects space, Latham is regularly called upon to handle large and complex transactions and project developments in the energy industry. The firm is outstanding across the full spectrum of energy assets, from oil and gas to traditional power to renewables, leveraging their expertise to provide top-draw representation to their clients. One source describes Latham attorneys as “sharp, commercial lawyers who have a very strong understanding of the market.” Another comments: “Latham are a top-notch firm and one of the top players in the oil world.”

Environment Law Firm of the Year 
Baker Botts LLP 
Beveridge & Diamond PC 
Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP 
Latham & Watkins LLP 
Sidley Austin LLP 

Winner: Latham & Watkins LLP
Home to a deep bench of nationally recognized practitioners, Latham & Watkins is a force of nature in the environment space. Marrying transactional experts, leading trial lawyers and regulatory specialists, the firm is a one stop shop for all things environment. Additionally, the practice is complimented by strong expertise on climate change matters, where the firm has been involved in a number of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Projects. Clients of the firm agree “Latham's environmental team offers uniquely sophisticated, multi-disciplinary and business-savvy counsel to its clients.”

Healthcare Law Firm of the Year  
Epstein Becker & Green, P.C. 
King & Spalding LLP 
Latham & Watkins LLP 
McDermott Will & Emery 
Ropes & Gray LLP 

Winner: McDermott Will & Emery
McDermott Will & Emery has a preeminent healthcare practice demonstrating significant expertise across the full scope of matters in the industry. The firm’s top-tier attorneys are sought out by clients for their ability to handle complex A&D, mergers and private equity investments. The firm has impressive capabilities in litigation, government investigations and also offers considerable regulatory strength. A source comments: "They are consistently business-savvy and solutions-oriented while also possessing in-depth expertise and understanding of the issues." Another says: "McDermott Will & Emery has an incredible platform with really deep expertise on really big issues."

Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year 
ArentFox Schiff LLP 
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP 
Kirkland & Ellis LLP 
Latham & Watkins LLP 
WilmerHale 

Winner: Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
Debevoise & Plimpton is synonymous with success in complex trademark and copyright work. The group has profound depth of expertise in all areas of soft Intellectual Property, and counts such heavy hitters as leading litigator David Bernstein among its impressively broad bench. The firm's IP team has recently been involved in a major, multi-jurisdictional trademark dispute between Merck KGaA and MSD.

Labor & Employment Law Firm of the Year 
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP 
Epstein Becker & Green, P.C. 
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP 
Greenberg Traurig, LLP 
Proskauer Rose LLP 

Winner: Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Gibson Dunn & Crutcher fields a highly accomplished team of labor and employment lawyers with a strong track record handling high-stakes litigation for employers. In recent years, the firm has been at the forefront of wage and hour litigation, handling novel class and collective actions involving the classification of independent contractors, including recently for DoorDash and Lowe's. Other recent highlights include the representation of Amazon in high-profile litigation challenging its safety policies related to COVID-19. Clients commend the firm's "uniformly excellent level of expertise and service," while peers note that "there is no better firm in the country for complex wage and hour work."

Privacy & Data Security Law Firm of the Year 
Hogan Lovells US LLP 
Fenwick & West LLP 
Linklaters LLP 
Morrison & Foerster LLP 
Perkins Coie LLP 

Winner: Hogan Lovells US LLP
Hogan Lovellsis hailed as a leader in privacy and data security. The firm houses "tremendous lawyers" and "are definitely thought leaders in this area," according to interviewees. It is a go-to firm for clients in the healthcare, technology and financial services sectors, among others. Recently, the team advised Equifax on a high-profile consumer data breach affecting approximately 147 million consumers, which included negotiating and defending a multi-stakeholder coordinated settlement that was ultimately affirmed by the Eleventh Circuit.

Private Equity Law Firm of the Year 
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP 
Kirkland & Ellis LLP 
Latham & Watkins LLP 
Ropes & Gray LLP 
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP 

Winner: Kirkland & Ellis LLP
The private equity team at Kirkland & Ellis boasts market-leading capabilities across the full spectrum of transactions in the space. Its deep bench of highly-ranked attorneys, in tandem with its extensive network of offices, makes it a destination practice for private equity clients seeking counsel in their most sophisticated cross-border deals. An impressed client says: “In transactional representation, knowledge of the market and response time they are the gold standard.”

Real Estate Law Firm of the Year 
DLA Piper 
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP 
Goodwin Procter LLP 
Greenberg Traurig LLP 
Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP  

Winner: Greenberg Traurig LLP
Greenberg Traurig LLP has a preeminent real estate practice that handles the full spectrum of work in the area. The firm`s lawyers regularly advise on matters such as high-value acquisitions, developments and financings, and the firm is a go-to for clients such as lenders, developers and investment managers. With offices in all corners of the country, Greenberg Traurig LLP “has the depth to address anything we throw at them” according to impressed clients.

White-Collar Lawyer of the Year  
Alexandra Shapiro (Shapiro Arato Bach LLP) 
Amy Jeffress (Arnold & Porter) 
Brian Heberlig (Steptoe & Johnson LLP) 
Barry Berke (Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP) 
Douglas Axel (Sidley Austin LLP) 
Helen Cantwell (Debevoise & Plimpton LLP) 

Winner: Amy Jeffress
Amy Jeffress of Arnold & Porter continues to go from strength to strength, recently handling a host of major mandates including the representations of Anne Sacoolas and Lisa Page in two separate, high-profile matters with major media interest. Amy is considered a go-to for work including internal investigations, FCPA and cross-border criminal matters, with sources considering her “one of the leading white-collar lawyers in D.C.” and highlighting her “experience in dealing with complex and intricate matters.”