More than 200 firms have been recognised in the latest batch of US elite rankings, unveiled by Legal 500 today (29 October), with a record 933 individual rankings across key markets in Texas and the Midwest.
The new rankings recognise lawyers from a total of 227 firms, including 204 that have never before been ranked by the Legal 500.
Distinct from the core Legal 500 US guide, which launched in June, the US elite recognises the top lawyers at firms outside of the global elite in markets across the United States.
The latest rankings following the launch of the project with the inaugural New York, Chicago and Washington DC rankings in February, the Boston, Miami and Charlotte rankings in April, and the Philadelphia, Atlanta and Ohio rankings in June.
The rankings cover a total of 19 practice areas, tailored to the strengths of each individual market and selected to highlight the most important and high-value work in each city.
The latest Legal 500 US elite rankings include:
- Austin: commercial disputes
- Austin: corporate and M&A
- Austin: energy litigation
- Dallas: commercial disputes
- Dallas: corporate and M&A
- Dallas: energy (transactions and litigation)
- Dallas: real estate (transactional)
- Houston: commercial disputes
- Houston: corporate and M&A
- Houston: energy litigation
- Houston: energy transactions
- Indianapolis: commercial disputes
- Indianapolis: corporate and M&A
- Minneapolis: commercial disputes
- Minneapolis: corporate and M&A
- Missouri: commercial disputes
- Missouri: corporate and M&A
- Chicago: banking and finance
- Chicago: intellectual property
Top performers
Dallas-headquartered Texas stalwart Jackson Walker was the best performing firm across the entire cohort, with 49 ranked lawyers across the Texas rankings, including ten in real estate transactions in Dallas, six in energy in Dallas, and five each corporate and M&A in Austin, corporate and M&A in Dallas, and energy transactions in Houston.
The firm was also the strongest performer across all of the Texas rankings, with Austin-headquartered McGinnis Lochridge in second place with 16 rankings across Austin and Houston, and third place shared between Dallas firms Bell Nunnally & Martin and Winstead PC, with 12 rankings each.
St Louis-founded UB Greensfelder scored highest in Missouri, with four rankings each in commercial disputes and corporate and M&A. While in Indianapolis, two firms achieved the same feat: Indianapolis-founded Bose McKinney & Evans, and Taft Law, a Cincinnati-headquartered firm also among the top performers in Minneapolis.
Also at the top of the pile in Minneapolis were local firms Antony Ostlund and Ciresi Conlin, as well as San Francisco-headquartered Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani (GRSM). Each of the firms had three rankings apiece in commercial disputes and corporate and M&A.
The rankings also included two new practice areas in Chicago, building on the commercial disputes and corporate and M&A rankings for that city released in February.
In banking and finance, Chapman and Cutler and Goldberg Kohn shared the top spot with four rankings each; specialist patent and IP firm Marshall, Gerstein & Borun was the best performer in intellectual property, also with four rankings.
Legal 500 is continuing to build out its US elite coverage, with rankings covering key markets across the country. Check the US elite page to learn more.
Top performing firms by ranking
| Location | Practice | Firm | Rankings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin | Commercial disputes | Reid Collins | 6 |
| Corporate and M&A | Jackson Walker | 5 | |
| Energy litigation | McGinnis Lochridge | 5 | |
| Energy litigation | McElroy, Sullivan, Miller & Weber | 5 | |
| Dallas | Commercial disputes | Bell Nunnally & Martin | 6 |
| Commercial disputes | Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann | 6 | |
| Corporate and M&A | Jackson Walker | 5 | |
| Energy (transactions and litigation) | Jackson Walker | 6 | |
| Real estate (transactional) | Jackson Walker | 10 | |
| Houston | Commercial disputes | Susman Godfrey | 5 |
| Corporate and M&A | BoyarMiller | 3 | |
| Corporate and M&A | Bradley Arant Boult Cummings | 3 | |
| Corporate and M&A | Jackson Walker | 3 | |
| Corporate and M&A | Porter Hedges | 3 | |
| Energy litigation | Gibbs & Bruns | 3 | |
| Energy litigation | McGinnis Lochridge | 3 | |
| Energy litigation | Yetter Coleman | 3 | |
| Energy transactions | Jackson Walker | 5 | |
| Indianapolis | All | Bose McKinney & Evans | 8 (four each in commercial disputes and corporate and M&A) |
| All | Taft Law | 8 (four each in commercial disputes and corporate and M&A) | |
| Minneapolis | All | Antony Ostlund | 6 (three each in commercial disputes and corporate and M&A) |
| All | Ciresi Conlin | 6 (three each in commercial disputes and corporate and M&A) | |
| All | Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani | 6 (three each in commercial disputes and corporate and M&A) | |
| All | Taft Law | 6 (three each in commercial disputes and corporate and M&A) | |
| Missouri | All | UB Greensfelder | 8 (four each in commercial disputes and corporate and M&A) |
| Chicago | Banking and finance | Chapman and Cutler | 4 |
| Banking and finance | Goldberg Kohn | 4 | |
| Intellectual property | Marshall, Gerstein & Borun | 4 |
The top lawyers in Philadelphia, Ohio, and Atlanta revealed in latest Legal 500 US elite rankings
