Best Lawyers in America

Best Lawyers® provides a trusted directory of top legal professionals in the United States. Whether you're a potential client or a legal professional, this is your resource to find the best legal expertise.

Select a location or practice area from the list below to find the best legal talent for your needs.

State

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Practice Areas

Administrative / Regulatory Law Admiralty and Maritime Law Advertising Law Agriculture Law Alternative Dispute Resolution Antitrust Law Appellate Practice Arbitration Art Law Artificial Intelligence Law Aviation Law Banking and Finance Law Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law Bet-the-Company Litigation Biotechnology and Life Sciences Practice Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) Cannabis Law Civil Rights Law CleanTech Law Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law Collaborative Law: Civil Collaborative Law: Family Law Commercial Finance Law Commercial Litigation Commercial Transactions / UCC Law Communications Law Community Association Law Construction Law Consumer Law Consumer Protection Law Copyright Law Corporate Compliance Law Corporate Governance and Compliance Law Corporate Governance Law Corporate Law Criminal Defense: General Practice Criminal Defense: White-Collar Derivatives and Futures Law DUI / DWI Defense Economic Development Law Education Law Elder Law Electronic Discovery and Information Management Law Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law Employment Law - Individuals Employment Law - Management Energy Law Energy Regulatory Law Entertainment and Sports Law Entertainment Law - Motion Pictures and Television Entertainment Law - Music Entertainment Law - Theater Environmental Law Equipment Finance Law Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law Family Law Family Law Arbitration Family Law Mediation Family Law: Arbitration and Mediation FDA Law Financial Services Regulation Law FinTech Practice First Amendment Law Food and Beverage Law Franchise Law Gaming Law Government Contracts Government Relations Practice Health Care Law Immigration Law Information Technology Law Insurance Law Intellectual Property Law International Arbitration - Commercial International Arbitration - Governmental International Mergers and Acquisitions International Trade and Finance Law IT Outsourcing Law Juvenile Practice Labor and Employment Law - Employee Labor and Employment Law - Management Labor Law - Management Labor Law - Union Land Use and Zoning Law Legal Malpractice Law Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants Legal Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs Leisure and Hospitality Law Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law Life Sciences Practice Litigation - Antitrust Litigation - Banking and Finance Litigation - Bankruptcy Litigation - Construction Litigation - Environmental Litigation - ERISA Litigation - First Amendment Litigation - Health Care Litigation - Insurance Litigation - Intellectual Property Litigation - Labor and Employment Litigation - Land Use and Zoning Litigation - Mergers and Acquisitions Litigation - Municipal Litigation - Patent Litigation - Real Estate Litigation - Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy) Litigation - Securities Litigation - Trusts and Estates Litigation and Controversy - Tax Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs Media Law Mediation Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs Mergers and Acquisitions Law Mining Law Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law Municipal Law Mutual Funds Law Native American Law Natural Resources Law Nonprofit / Charities Law Oil and Gas Law Patent Law Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs Privacy and Data Security Law Private Funds / Hedge Funds Law Product Liability Litigation - Defendants Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs Professional Malpractice Law Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants Professional Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs Project Finance Law Public Finance Law Qui Tam Law Railroad Law Real Estate Law Reinsurance Law Securities / Capital Markets Law Securities Regulation Securitization and Structured Finance Law Sports Law Tax Law Technology Law Timber Law Trade Secrets Law Trademark Law Transportation Law Trusts and Estates Utilities Law Venture Capital Law Water Law Workers' Compensation Law - Claimants Workers' Compensation Law - Employers

About the 2026 Edition

The 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® marks 45 years of our organization's research into the top legal practitioners in the country. Since our founding in 1981, our mission has remained the same: to showcase the most distinguished attorneys in law across various practice areas in the United States.

This edition upholds the tradition of recognizing outstanding legal talent through a rigorous peer-review process, ensuring that each awarded lawyer in the USA meets the highest standards of professional excellence. In a saturated market, clients need confidence that the very best in the industry are handling their most critical matters.

As a reputable resource for both clients and legal professionals, this edition not only highlights individual achievements but also reflects the evolving nature of the legal industry, emphasizing the importance of integrity, skill and dedication in legal practice.

Highlights

Participation Highlights
“Best Lawyers and Best Law Firms awards provide an easily understood standard for rating practitioners in the legal profession. It gives me what I need to know in my initial sort of firms.”
-Rowland Thompson, Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington

Research Methodology

Best Lawyers employs a robust and confidential peer review methodology to identify the most respected attorneys practicing in the United States. Prominent lawyers are asked to evaluate their peers in the same geographic regions and practice areas, providing comprehensive assessments of professional skills and ethical standards.

Each candidate undergoes a comprehensive vetting process to verify that they meet the highest benchmarks of legal excellence. This meticulous method ensures authentic acknowledgment from professional colleagues, spotlighting those who truly stand out in their fields.

Best Lawyers 2026 Statistics
Statistics from the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America
“When looking to hire a law firm for my personal legal needs, I consider recommendations from friends as well as those listed as Best Lawyers and Best Law Firms.”
-Larry Benator

Note From Research

As we unveil the 32nd edition of The Best Lawyers in America, we are proud to celebrate a new benchmark in our peer review process. This year, 30,000 attorneys participated in the voting, contributing over 3.4 million confidential evaluations of their legal peers. This extraordinary level of engagement made the 2026 edition our most selective and competitive to date.

The dramatic increase in participation not only intensified the rigor of the selection process but also elevated the distinction of being recognized. Those included in this year's edition stood out in an exceptionally crowded field and earned the respect of a larger, more discerning group of their professional peers. Their inclusion is a true testament to excellence in practice and reputation within the legal community.

Headshot of Elizabeth Petit
Elizabeth Petit
Vice President of Research & Development

Convert Recognition into Real-World Opportunities

As a recognized lawyer in The Best Lawyers in America, you can be prominently featured on our online directory. Activate your profile to enhance your visibility and ensure potential clients and referring attorneys easily find you.

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Latest Insights

“These awards help clients make informed decisions by highlighting firms and lawyers who consistently deliver exceptional results. They also foster a competitive environment, encouraging legal professionals to maintain high standards of practice.”
-Matt Brooke, City of Clinton, Iowa, City Administrator

Upcoming Research

Nominations are currently open for the 2027 edition of Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch. Further details on our research timeline as available online. If you need any assistance submitting a nomination, contact us at: nominations@bestlawyers.com.

Headshot of Kimberly Welsh
Kimberly Welsh
Research Analyst Manager