2018 EDITION
The extensive research process used in the creation of Benchmark’s Top 250 Women in Litigation 2018 involves six months of investigation into individual litigators’ professional activities as well as client feedback surveys and one-on-one interviews, and has culminated in the selection of the most distinguished women in the world of litigation. These women have earned their place amongst the leading female litigators by participating in some of the most impactful litigation matters in recent history as well as by earning the hard-won respect of their peers and clients. Though they hail from widely different practice areas, they all share the distinction of being recognized as top players in their respective fields.
Attorneys named in the publication were chosen through several phases of research: review of their recent case work, consideration how attorneys at peer legal institutions might rank them, and client feedback on their performances.
The Top 250 Women in Litigation (US), Top 25 Women in Litigation: Canada; Top 25 Women in Litigation: Latin America for 2018 as decided by the Benchmark Litigation research staff can be found on the regional links below, with hyperlinks to individual press releases for our featured honorees who provided profiles for the online and print versions.
Congratulations to all of the honorees!
TOP 10 FEMALE LITIGATORS
The partners below were recipients of the most robust and vocal "best-in-class" nominations through Benchmark`s 2018 research cycle.
| Beth Wilkinson | Wilkinson Walsh & Eskovitz |
| Dale Cendali | Kirkland |
| Elizabeth Cabraser | Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein |
| Heidi Hubbard | Williams & Connolly |
| Joan Lukey | Choate |
| Juanita Brooks | Fish & Richardson |
| Lori Cohen | Greenberg Traurig |
| Nina Gussack | Pepper Hamilton |
| Roberta Kaplan | Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP |
| Sharon Nelles | Sullivan & Cromwell |
Northeast
West
Midwest
South
Top 25 Women in Litigation Canada
Top 25 Women in Litigation Latin America
Featured Top 250 Women in Litigation Press Releases
| Jennifer Haworth McCandless | Sidley Austin | Northeast | District of Columbia |
| Karen Popp | Sidley Austin | Northeast | District of Columbia |
| Kristin Koehler | Sidley Austin | Northeast | District of Columbia |
| Marinn Carlson | Sidley Austin | Northeast | District of Columbia |
| Alexandra Walsh | Wilkinson Walsh Eskovitz | Northeast | District of Columbia |
| Beth Wilkinson | Wilkinson Walsh Eskovitz | Northeast | District of Columbia |
| Lori Alvino McGill | Wilkinson Walsh Eskovitz | Northeast | District of Columbia |
| Cheryl Scarboro | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett | Northeast | District of Columbia |
| Lisa Jose Fales | Venable | Northeast | District of Columbia |
| Renata Hesse | Sullivan & Cromwell | Northeast | District of Columbia |
| Elizabeth Papez | Winston & Strawn | Northeast | District of Columbia |
| Heather Lamberg | Winston & Strawn | Northeast | District of Columbia |
| Helen Maher | Boies Schiller & Flexner | Northeast | New York |
| Jennifer S. Recine | Kasowitz Benson Torres | Northeast | New York |
| Irena Royzman | Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler | Northeast | New York |
| Shari Brandt | Richards Kibbe & Orbe | Northeast | New York |
| Bindu Donovan | Sidley Austin | Northeast | New York |
| Maria D. Melendez | Sidley Austin | Northeast | New York |
| Lori E. Lesser | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett | Northeast | New York |
| Lynn Neuner | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett | Northeast | New York |
| Mary Beth Forshaw | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett | Northeast | New York |
| Christine Varney | Cravath Swaine & Moore | Northeast | New York |
| Julie North | Cravath Swaine & Moore | Northeast | New York |
| Karin DeMasi | Cravath Swaine & Moore | Northeast | New York |
| Rachel Skaistis | Cravath Swaine & Moore | Northeast | New York |
| Elaine Golin | Wachtell | Northeast | New York |
| Ilene Knable Gotts | Wachtell | Northeast | New York |
| Rachelle Silverberg | Wachtell | Northeast | New York |
| Faith Gay | Selendy & Gay PLLC | Northeast | New York |
| Landis Best | Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP | Northeast | New York |
| Penny Windle | Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP | Northeast | New York |
| Hannah Ross | Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann | Northeast | New York |
| Sharon Nelles | Sullivan & Cromwell | Northeast | New York |
| Penny Shane | Sullivan & Cromwell | Northeast | New York |
| Yvonne Quinn | Sullivan & Cromwell | Northeast | New York |
| Gayle Rosenstein Klein | McKool Smith | Northeast | New York |
| Elizabeth Sherwin | McKool Smith | Northeast | New York |
| Robin Cohen | McKool Smith | Northeast | New York |
| Catherine Amirfar | Debevoise & Plimpton | Northeast | New York |
| Helen Cantwell | Debevoise & Plimpton | Northeast | New York |
| Maeve O'Connor | Debevoise & Plimpton | Northeast | New York |
| Mary Beth Hogan | Debevoise & Plimpton | Northeast | New York |
| Mary Jo White | Debevoise & Plimpton | Northeast | New York |
| Maura Monaghan | Debevoise & Plimpton | Northeast | New York |
| Natalie Reid | Debevoise & Plimpton | Northeast | New York |
| Shannon Selden | Debevoise & Plimpton | Northeast | New York |
| Eileen McCabe | Mendes & Mount | Northeast | New York |
| Stephanie Resnick | Fox Rothschild | Northeast | Pennsylvania |
| Elizabeth Cabraser | Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein | West | California |
| Nancy Sher Cohen | Lathrop Gage | West | California |
| Kelly Dermody | Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein | West | California |
| Jennifer L. Keller | Keller Anderle | West | California |
| Debra Pole | Sidley Austin | West | California |
| Kimberly A. Dunne | Sidley Austin | West | California |
| Sara Brody | Sidley Austin | West | California |
| Deborah L. Stein | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett | West | California |
| Kathi Vidal | Winston & Strawn | West | California |
| Maja Eaton | Sidley Austin | Midwest | Illinois |
| Sara Gourley | Sidley Austin | Midwest | Illinois |
| Linda Coberly | Winston & Strawn | Midwest | Illinois |
| Cassandra Collins | Hunton Andrews Kurth | South | Virginia |
| Yvette Ostolaza | Sidley Austin | South | Texas |
| Lea Pauley Goff | Stoll Keenon Ogden | South | Kentucky |
| Melanie Gray | Winston & Strawn | South | Texas |
| Natalie L. Arbaugh | Winston & Strawn | South | Texas |
| Paula Hinton | Winston & Strawn | South | Texas |
Featured Canada Top 25 Women in Litigation Press Releases:
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Canada |
Calgary |
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Canada |
Winnipeg |
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Canada |
Vancouver |
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Canada |
Toronto |
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Canada |
Toronto |
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Canada |
Toronto |
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Canada |
Toronto |
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Waddell Phillips |
Canada |
Toronto |
Featured Latin America Top 25 Women in Litigation Press Releases:
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Albagli Zaliasnik |
Latin America |
Chile |
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Baker McKenzie |
Latin America |
Colombia |
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Posse Herrera Ruiz |
Latin America |
Colombia |
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Brigard Urrutia |
Latin America |
Colombia |