40 and Under Northeast

Connecticut  

Wiggin and Dana 

Robyn Gallagher advises Spectrum Brands in a trademark infringement suit brought against Arrow Merchants. Gallagher joins fellow 40 & Under stars David Norman Schiff and Laura Ann Froning. Froning was recently involved in a trial victory on behalf of Legacy ECHN in a complex litigation matter against Prospect Medical Holdings before the Connecticut Superior Court stemming from a tax controversy. Schiff, meanwhile, played a key role in the firm’s representation of ExxonMobil in a high-profile consumer protection case brought by Connecticut Attorney General William Tong. 

Delaware 

Abrams & Bayliss LLP  

Delaware-based firm Abrams & Bayliss boasts two partners on the Benchmark 40 & Under List. Partners Wade Houston and Eric Veres lead the charge advising on a variety of complex matters. Houston recently served as co-lead counsel, representing two plaintiffs in an advancement action against Unisys Corporation for purported trade secret infringement. Currently, Eric Veres represents Planet Art Holdings and Société Commune Européenne de Participation in an action in the Delaware Court of Chancery. 

District of Columbia 

Axinn Veltrop & Harkrider 

Axinn Veltrop & Harkrider partner Bradley Justus plays a central role as one of the lead attorneys in the landmark Google ad tech litigation. At trial, he led the charge conducting the direct examination of Yale economist Judith Chevalier, whose testimony challenged the Department of Justice’s claims that Google engaged in monopolistic pricing in the online advertising space.  

Dunn Isaacson Rhee 

Dunn, Isaacson and Rhee is a Washington, DC-headquartered spin-off boutique making a splash in the litigation industry. Martha L. Goodman and Kyle Smith are two DC-based partners with extensive trial experience. Both Goodman and Smith routinely find themselves in high-stakes, high-profile matters for clients across diverse industries.  

Hecker Fink 

Hecker Fink partner Joshua Matz represents an Australian climate scientist in a federal lawsuit against Meta (Facebook). The suit alleges that Meta failed to prevent fraudulent ads on its platform that misused the scientist’s name and likeness to lure users into fraudulent investment schemes. 

Mololamken 

Mololamken partner Jennifer Fischell remains active in the corporate and appellate litigation spaces. She is working on the teams that represented A-CAP and Nokia Corp., as well as the team that represented both Versata Software and Versata Development group against Ford Motors in an appeal to the Federal Circuit of a breach of contract and theft of trade secrets case.  

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP partner Sutton Ansley is lead counsel in patent litigation matters, winning multimillion-dollar verdicts and guiding investigations. Lina Dagnew is a rising star in regulatory and white-collar defense, handling high-profile cases for Citigroup and QA Inc. 

Proskauer 

Antitrust litigator Stephen Chuk was a member of the lead counsel team defending Major League Soccer and its co-defendant US Soccer Federation in an antitrust suit brought by the North American Soccer League (NASL). The action claimed that US Soccer conspired with MLS to exclude NASL from Division I and Division II professional soccer and to monopolize those claimed markets. Following a three-week trial, a 10-person jury delivered a full defense verdict, rejecting NASL’s proposed claim. 

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett 

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett partners Preston Miller and Karen Porter have once again secured their spots on the 40 & Under list. Both attorneys remain active across key practice areas including competition and antitrust, government and regulatory affairs, and white-collar crime. Karen Porter continues to bolster her reputation through her work advising high-profile clients such as Deutsche Bank. Preston Miller was a member of the lead counsel team who, in January 2025, secured a win for Mattress Firm Group when the FTC’s motion for preliminary injunction was denied. The FTC aimed to block Mattress Firm’s acquisition by Tempur Sealy International, which the court rejected. The FTC declined to seek an injunction pending appeal, allowing the acquisition to close in February 2025.  

Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom 

Parker Rider-Longmaid of Skadden continues to make waves in the Supreme Court and appellate practice. Known for his sharp legal acumen and strategic advocacy, Rider-Longmaid has played a pivotal role in high-stakes litigation, representing prominent clients such as Getty Images, Viking USA, and Southwest Airlines.  

Sullivan & Cromwell 

Sullivan & Cromwell partners Morgan Ratner and Samantha Hynes have been recognized for their standout litigation work, each playing a lead role in high-profile cases. Ratner was one of the lead attorneys representing the Internet & Television Association, USTelecom – The Broadband Association, and the Ohio Telecom Association, in a significant matter involving major players in the broadband and telecommunications sectors. Hynes served as one of the lead partners in a landmark antitrust lawsuit challenging the Ivy League’s longstanding policy of offering only need-based financial aid.  The firm secured a major victory for Harvard University and the Ivy League institutions named in the suit. 

Wilkinson Stekloff  

Wilkinson Stekloff partners Sarah Neuman and Cali Arat have emerged as standout leaders in both antitrust battles and meaningful pro bono work. Sarah Neuman has helped steer Medtronic ’s defense in a major antitrust case, co-leading trial strategy as the company faces claims of monopolizing the market for advanced bipolar surgical devices. She also successfully led a team to victory in an asylum case for a gay man from Colombia, securing protection after years of persecution. Cali Arat has played a pivotal role in reshaping the legal landscape of collegiate athletics, co-leading the defense of the NCAA in a sweeping antitrust class action brought by hundreds of thousands of student-athletes. The resulting $2.8 billion settlement stands as one of the most significant in sports and antitrust history.  

Williams & Connolly 

Williams & Connolly continues to showcase the strength of its emerging talent, with four standout partners earning recognition on this year’s 40 & Under list. Benjamin Graham is one of the leads in the firm’s representation of the Kingdom of Spain in over ten actions before the US District Court for the District of Columbia. Graham notably argued the motion to dismiss on Spain’s behalf. Katherine Kayali has built a strong practice in pharmaceutical litigation, advising Pfizer and contributing to a case involving Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. Joshua Podoll serves as one of the lead partners representing Albertsons and SuperValu in a long-running False Claims Act case in the US District Court for the Central District of Illinois. Elise Baumgarten is among the lead attorneys advising AstraZeneca in a series of antitrust class actions.  

New York 

Axinn Veltrop & Harkrider 

Axinn Veltrop & Harkrider partner Craig Reiser earned recognition for his pivotal role in two major litigation fronts, displaying his versatility across both tech and pharmaceutical sectors. Reiser was deeply involved in Google’s ongoing ad technology litigations, helping steer the company’s legal strategy in a series of complex and closely watched cases that sit at the intersection of digital advertising and antitrust scrutiny. He also served as lead partner advising Alvogen in connection with a wave of lawsuits tied to the marketing, sale, and distribution of opioid products. This litigation, one of the largest and most consequential in the country, addresses the devastating impact of the opioid crisis and involves hundreds of plaintiffs and defendants across the pharmaceutical supply chain. 

Boies Schiller Flexner

Boies Schiller Flexner partner Marc Ayala helped lead the first US class action against Sam Bankman-Fried and celebrity endorsers over FTX’s alleged deception of customers. The suit claimed users were misled about asset security and unregistered securities and, in 2024, the team reached a global settlement with the FTX estate. Thomas Sosnowski was active in securities litigation where he was co-lead counsel representing RedBird Capital Partners Platform in a suit against subsidiaries of Brookfield corporation. The issue centers around Brookfield’s multibillion-dollar acquisition of Compass Datacenters from RedBird and other investors.    

Cohen Ziffer Frenchman & McKenna 

Cohen Ziffer’s rising stars are making waves in high-stakes insurance litigation, with several of its partners earning recognition for their standout work. Jillian Raines served as lead counsel for Viacom Inc. and has also represented major clients including Revlon Group Holdings, Oracle Corporation and Oracle America, showcasing her versatility across industries. Meredith Elkins advised Cox in a dispute against its multimedia liability insurers and is currently involved in a precedent-setting case representing Walmart in an insurance battle notable for its scale, its ties to a national crisis, and its significance to the world’s largest retailer. Cynthia “Cindy” Jordano was one of the lead attorneys for Conduent State Healthcare LLC in a landmark case where a Delaware Superior Court judge reversed a jury verdict in a high-profile insurance coverage dispute with AIG Specialty Insurance Company; Jordano has also represented Syngenta and AMC Entertainment. Orrie Levy, who also played a lead role in the Conduent case, has worked with heavyweight clients including Walmart and Madison Square Garden. Rounding out the group, Alexander Sugzda has been active in the insurance space, representing IVP in complex coverage matters. 

Cravath Swaine Moore 

Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP continues to set the benchmark in elite litigation, boasting a powerhouse bench of partners whose achievements resonate across the legal landscape. Brittany Sukiennik has swiftly become a standout in high-stakes mass torts and commercial defense, having represented Robinhood in the “meme stock” multidistrict litigation and defending utilities like PG&E and Xcel Energy in complex wildfire claims. David Korn, a litigation strategist with a focus on antitrust and media disputes, has successfully defended companies like American Express and Disney, earning him recognition among top media lawyers globally. Helam Gebremariam brings intellectual and trial finesse to shareholder and antitrust matters, with a docket that includes representing Tesla’s board and Warner Bros. in pivotal disputes. Lauren Rosenberg has built a reputation in appellate litigation, recently securing a key Second Circuit win for Morgan Stanley and representing Yale New Haven Health and Blackstone in securities and commercial cases. Michael Zaken has played a lead role in defending clients like Epic Games and IBM in antitrust matters. Sharonmoyee Goswami combines technical sophistication with advocacy flair, emerging as a trailblazer in patent law with an increasing reputation for making dense scientific arguments accessible and compelling. Recent clients include Abiomed and ADT. Lauren Roberta Kennedy is co-lead counsel representing the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and several member plans in an ongoing antitrust litigation brought by a medical device company alleging the Association and its members conspired to keep plaintiff’s AxiaLIF technology for performing spinal fusions out of the market. 

Dunn Isaacson Rhee 

New to the firm is New York-based partner Erin J. Morgan who focuses on complex civil litigation and arbitration. She also manages an active pro bono practice that centers around family law and anti-hate cases.

Groombridge Wu Baughman & Stone  

Jennifer Rea Deneault is an experienced intellectual property litigator and a member of the lead counsel team for plaintiffs 10x and Stanford University in litigation in the District of Delaware asserting six patents on key technology relating to single-cell sequencing. Additionally, she is on the lead counsel team for Amicus in a Hatch-Waxman matter with complaints filed against Teva, Aurobindo, and Lupin. 

Harris St. Laurent & Wechsler

Hecker Fink 

John Quinn routinely represents clients in public interest trials, appellate litigation, and crisis management investigations and disputes. Most recently, Quinn represented the New York Voter/Petitioners Backed by Democrat-Aligned Political Action Committee Clear Choice in a four-day bench trial. A ruling was secured striking former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. off the November Ballot in New York. Petitioners successfully brought a residency challenge finding that the address candidate RFK Jr. listed on his nominating petition was not his true residence for the purposes of New York election law.  

Hoguet Newman Regal & Kenney 

Employment and commercial litigator Miriam Manber is on the plaintiff’s counsel team representing disability rights advocates in a civil right class action lawsuit alleging that the elevators in the NYC subway system are not in compliance with the ADA, and other applicable antidiscrimination lawsuits. 

Holwell Shuster & Goldberg 

Holwell Shuster & Goldberg’s 40 & Under stars Daniel M. Horowitz, Gregory Dubinsky, Jayme Jonat, and Priyanka Timblo, continue to distinguish themselves through their leadership on some of the firm’s most demanding and high-profile matters. Daniel Horowitz has been involved in steering Chubb through a sprawling portfolio of more than 20 insurance coverage disputes tied to the opioid epidemic, reflecting his command of complex commercial litigation. Gregory Dubinsky has taken center stage in major corporate defense, serving as co-lead counsel for IBM in a significant litigation and leading the firm’s representation of the NBA in a headline-grabbing RICO suit. Jayme Jonat has brought strategic insight to financial services litigation, advising Visa and co-leading a key matter for AmTrust Financial Services. Priyanka Timblo has also emerged as a force in commercial disputes, co-leading the firm’s representation of Melody Business Finance and London Luxury in a contentious battle against Walmart.  

Hunton Andrews Kurth 

Hunton Andrews Kurth partners Armin Ghiam and Jeremy S. Boczko have been recognized for their impactful work in the intellectual property space, particularly in high-stakes trademark and copyright litigation. Armin Ghiam has built a robust practice spanning trademarks, patents, and copyright disputes acting as lead attorney for defendants in Shenzhen Lai Xing Cheng Furnishings Co., Ltd, v. Shenzhen Chenbei Tech Co. Jeremy Boczko has led significant matters in the pharmaceutical sector, including his role as lead counsel representing Hisamitsu America in a complex trademark and copyright case with elements that meet at the intersection of IP and life sciences.  

Kaplan Martin 

Newly established litigation boutique Kaplan Martin partner D. Brandon Trice is a new addition to the 40 & Under list. Trice serves as co-lead counsel in the high-profile litigation challenging the MTA’s congestion pricing plan, a case with sweeping implications for transportation policy and urban equity. He is also co-leading an ongoing case on behalf of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, a nonprofit that publishes research on topics like COVID-19 vaccines, reproductive rights, and climate change. In that matter, they are defending against claims by X Corp over its research on online misinformation and hate speech. 

Levine Lee

Allison Bonelli and Chad Albert of Levine Lee continue to advise on high-stakes legal matters. Bonelli played a key role in defending Gregoire Tournant, former Chief Investment Officer at Allianz Global Investors US in a white collar case stemming from the $7 billion collapse of Allianz funds during the COVID-19 pandemic. Probation was secured despite a 7-year sentence push from the prosecution. Both Bonelli and Albert also represented Alphabet Inc.’s Board in a landmark securities matter, assessing company-wide changes in response to Trump-era executive orders and their impact on shareholder agreements.  

MoloLamken  

Sara Margolis worked on the legal team representing Nobel Prize winning scientists in a pivotal appellate case involving a pioneering scientific discovery, CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing. The dispute centers on patent rights and could redefine innovation credit, favoring rapid implementation over discovery. If upheld, the decision may undermine true scientific breakthroughs and blur inventorship standards, impacting future intellectual property recognition in biotechnology. 

Patterson Belknap 

Patterson Belknap partners Jane Metcalf, Lauren Schorr Potter, Clint Morrison, and Lachlan Campbell-Verdduyn have standout work across high-stakes litigation and complex legal matters. Jane Metcalf has played a pivotal role in defending The Coca-Cola Company in major environmental lawsuits brought by the City of Baltimore and the County of Los Angeles, while also advising InComm in a significant fraud case and representing Clorox in a false advertising dispute involving its disinfecting wipes. Lauren Schorr Potter has built a formidable white-collar practice, including her work advising the US Trustee’s Office in the high-profile FTX bankruptcy proceedings, alongside a range of other complex and confidential matters. Clint Morrison has been active in intellectual property and entertainment litigation, notably representing clients such as Seraphina Therapeutics in cutting-edge disputes. Lachlan Campbell-Verdduyn has made his mark in patent litigation, including his work on a major case involving Janssen Pharmaceuticals.  

Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison 

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison’s Janus Schutte has garnered attention for his expert navigation of internal investigations, notably advising Credit Suisse’s board through its high-stakes probe into the $5.5 billion Archegos Capital Management collapse. In the realm of antitrust, Brette Tannenbaum secured a sweeping settlement for the UFC in a closely watched class action earning accolades as a top young litigator. Similarly, David Friedman has become a go-to for institutions facing reputational risk, leading the Boston Bruins’ independent review in the wake of the Mitchell Miller signing controversy. The firm’s expertise also extends to ERISA and complex deal litigation, where Nina Kovalenko guided DST Systems through a labyrinthine global resolution involving over 500 arbitrations and federal enforcement.  

Pomerantz 

Justin D’Aloia is a New-York based securities litigator who was co-lead counsel to Davion Holdings Limited in a class action brought against Nano-X, alleging the company misled investors about the regulatory readiness and commercial potential of its imaging device, the Nanox.ARC. The case reinforced investor protections in the regulatory approval process and ultimately received final approval of an $8 million settlement in February 2024. 

Proskauer 

Proskauer partners Lee Popkin and Jeff Warshafsky have made significant contributions to high-stakes litigation across multiple industries. Lee Popkin, a key figure in the firm’s antitrust and product liability practices, has played a pivotal role in defending Monsanto in numerous cases involving allegations that its products caused non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Jeff Warshafsky has been instrumental in advising the National Football League on litigation matters and is currently representing SoClean, Inc. in a major multidistrict litigation pending in the Western District of Pennsylvania. 

Sanford Heisler Sharp

Carolin Guentert is co-managing partner of the firm’s New York office. Guentert is part of the lead plaintiff’s counsel team in an administrative complaint against the Army and the Department of Defense on behalf of patients of a former Army doctor who in January 2025 was sentenced to more than 13 years in prison for sexually abusing patients. The matter continues to draw increased media attention. Firm managing partner David Tracey is co-lead counsel for the plaintiffs in a bellwether federal civil rights class action lawsuit against State Farm Fire and Casualty alleging that State Farm’s use of algorithmic tools in its claims-processing methods discriminates against Black policyholders by disproportionately flagging their claims for greater scrutiny compared to those of white policyholders, in violation of the Fair Housing Act. The matter is ongoing. Nicole Wiitala represents the former department chair and surgeon-in-chief at the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine in litigation against UM alleging that UM launched a vengeful campaign against her after she became vocal about discrimination in her pay, as well as about safety violations in the University of Miami Health System. 

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett 

In the high stakes world of corporate litigation, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett continues to distinguish itself through the sharp strategic minds shaping its future. Two standouts are Meredith Karp and Alison Sher whose excellent work in securities, M&A trademark infringement, anti-trust, insurance, and government investigations litigation speaks for itself. Meredith has been instrumental in defending the Federal Reserve banks of New York and San Francisco, while Alison Sher recently won a preliminary injunction in a federal trademark case for Zest Dental, and successful dismissals in shareholder litigation for J.P. Morgan.

Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom 

Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom’s continued dominance in the New York legal market is underscored by their talented bench of litigation attorneys such Leslie Demers and Tansy Woan. Leslie Demers, a partner in the IP litigation group, has carved out a reputation for navigating complex IP disputes across vital industries ranging from biotechnology to cybersecurity. Her recent work includes a significant courtroom victory, successfully defending Universal Alloy Corporation against trade secret theft allegations brought by Alcoa. Tansy Woan has been at the forefront of securities and antitrust litigation and advising on AI- related litigation risks and ESG disclosures. Most recently she was co-lead counsel in a landmark decision, in which the Southern District of New York dismissed with prejudice a securities class action against Paradigm LP and other investors in Uniswap Labs, the1 developer of the decentralized Un90-8eavcxziswap protocol.  

Sullivan & Cromwell 

Sullivan & Cromwell partners Benjamin Beller, Beth Newton, Jacob Croke, Julia Malkina, Leonid Traps, and Nicholas Menillo have each earned recognition for their leadership in some of the most closely watched and high stakes matters. Benjamin Beller has played a central role in two of the most complex Chapter 11 proceedings, serving as a lead partner for FTX Trading Ltd. in its high-profile bankruptcy and for Major League Baseball and four clubs in the Diamond Sports Group restructuring, which included a pivotal trial win. Jacob Croke, who supported Beller on the FTX matter, has also been at the forefront of securities litigation, representing Barclays Bank PLC and Barclays PLC in multiple actions tied to the over-issuance of securities from its SEC-registered shelves. Julia Malkina has emerged as a key figure in the digital assets space, leading the defense of Coinbase in a landmark SEC enforcement action that has drawn intense industry and media scrutiny. Leonid Traps has been a driving force in antitrust litigation, representing Volkswagen in a series of disputes brought by European auto parts supplier Prevent Group. Beth Newton and Nicholas Menillo round out the group with their broad litigation practices. Newton has a strong presence in complex commercial disputes, and Menillo maintains a diverse docket spanning securities and antitrust matters.

Updated August 2025