District of Columbia

Proskauer

Firm overview

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The world’s leading organizations and global players choose Proskauer to represent them when they need it the most. With 800+ lawyers in key financial centers around the world, we are known for our pragmatic and commercial approach. Proskauer is the place to turn when a matter is complex, innovative and game-changing. We work seamlessly across practices, industries and jurisdictions with asset managers, private equity and venture capital firms, Fortune 500 and FTSE companies, major sports leagues, entertainment industry legends and other industry-redefining companies.

Proskauer lawyers are at the cutting edge of contentious matters and have extensive trial experience in virtually every major forum across the globe. Proskauer has established itself as the go-to litigation and labor & employment firm for Fortune 100 companies, titans of the sports and cultural world, industry leaders in consumer products, and even commonwealths in times of existential crisis. We represent clients in challenging circumstances, address novel critical issues, and have a strong track record of success, securing landmark victories in the most high-profile of matters.

Our litigators have the depth, breadth and experience to handle disputes across industries and practice areas, including antitrust, products liability, asset management, sports, labor & employment, bankruptcy, copyright, false advertising, trademark, insurance recovery, international arbitration, patents, privacy and cybersecurity, real estate, securities, and white collar. Our clients turn to us for all aspects of litigation: trials, appeals (including at the Supreme Court), investigations, counseling, and government contractor issues.

Proskauer is consistently ranked for its litigation capabilities throughout the United States and abroad. We have earned top rankings from The American Lawyer (including regional publications), Benchmark Litigation, U.S. News Best Lawyers, Daily Journal, Los Angeles Business Journal, and Chambers, among others. The Firm was also previously noted in the New York Law Journal as a General Litigation Finalist for Litigation Department of the Year.

Clients called on us throughout the year to help them navigate their most challenging disputes, and we met the moment. Recent representations include:

Lead outside counsel to the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico. The Oversight Board was created under PROMESA, a federal statute enacted in 2016, to oversee the restructuring of Puerto Rico’s finances. The Oversight Board represents the Commonwealth and related public entities in the largest ever series of municipal restructurings in the United States. At the height of its crisis, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico had approximately $74 billion of bond debt and $55 billion of under (or un-) funded public pension liabilities. The litigations surrounding Puerto Rico’s fiscal crisis, pending in the District of Puerto Rico, likely represent the single most active docket in the federal courts over the last seven years, and perhaps the most consequential matter in decades involving municipal and territorial restructurings.
Secured a complete defense verdict victory for Sanderson Farms in a case alleging a nationwide conspiracy to reduce the supply of broiler chicken. Thirteen other defendants settled for hundreds of millions; our client Sanderson was the sole defendant to go to trial. Following a six-week trial, an Illinois jury delivered a full defense verdict, rejecting claims that our client participated in a supply reduction conspiracy with other producers in the industry. The Proskauer team defeated a damages claim totaling more than $7 billion, which – had the jury ruled against Sanderson – would have been automatically tripled by statute to $21 billion.
Lead trial counsel for Netflix, director/writer Ava DuVernay, and writer Attica Locke in a defamation case in federal court in New York brought by Linda Fairstein, former head of the Manhattan DA's sex crimes unit. The matter related to the defendants’ series “When They See Us,” which recounts the wrongful convictions of the Central Park 5. The plaintiff alleged that the series’ portrayal of her by actress Felicity Huffman depicted her in a false and defamatory light. We obtained an extremely successful resolution when the plaintiff decided to walk away from the case on the eve of trial, settling with no payment to her or her lawyers and no confidentiality provision related to the settlement. Netflix agreed to move one sentence of the existing disclaimer from the end credits to the opening credits as part of the settlement and will voluntarily donate $1 million to the Innocence Project.
Lead trial counsel for Gilead Sciences in various California state and federal product liability actions brought by ~20,000 plaintiffs related to Gilead's HIV prevention and treatment drugs, alleging either that Gilead was negligent in its development of TAF drugs, or that its TDF drugs were defectively designed and failed adequately to warn about the increased risk of potential kidney disease and bone injury that could result from use of its highly effective and FDA-approved HIV medications. The first federal bellwether trial was set for April 2024, but the plaintiff dismissed the case after Gilead prevailed on its motion to exclude the testimony of the primary plaintiff expert witness on the ground that the proposed testimony presented questionable scientific evidence.
Lead counsel for the National Football League in actions filed by apparel distributors and NFL merchandise purchasers in federal court in New York alleging that the NFL’s agreements with Fanatics, Inc., a manufacturer, supplier and distributor of licensed sportswear and merchandise, violate state and federal antitrust laws.
Defense of Major League Soccer against a federal lawsuit brought by the North American Soccer League against MLS and the US Soccer Federation following US Soccer’s decision not to sanction NASL as a Division II professional league for the 2018 season. NASL alleges that MLS and U.S. Soccer are engaged in an antitrust conspiracy to ensure that MLS is the sole Division I soccer league in the United States, and further alleges that MLS is an illegal monopoly in violation of the Sherman Act.
Counsel to Bright Data Ltd. in two cases of first impression addressing whether social media platforms can use their terms of service and other state and federal law to prohibit public search and scraping of public information by non-account holders. In a case against meta, the Court granted Bright Data's summary judgment motion on Meta's breach of contract claim, after which Meta voluntarily dismissed its remaining tortious interference claim and waived its right to appeal, securing Bright Data’s right to engage in public search. In a case against X (formerly Twitter), the court completely dismissed the complaint, ruling that X failed to allege a claim based on access to its public site, and any claim based on copying public data was pre-empted by the Copyright Act. The dismissal creates a significant precedent that social media companies cannot unilaterally restrict public access to information they do not own but have made publicly available.
Defense of Sandoz and its subsidiary, Fougera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in In re: Generic Pharmaceuticals Pricing Antitrust Litigation, which includes dozens of cases consolidated in an MDL pending in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, as well as actions brought by a State AGs in the District of Connecticut, alleging that pharmaceutical manufacturers conspired to fix the prices of and/or allocate markets and customers for certain generic pharmaceutical products.

Updated Oct 2024

Willkie Farr & Gallagher

Firm overview

Willkie excels in high-stakes litigation, building a preeminent platform that is not only notable for the significance of its cases but the array of disputes and variety of its victories—a true hallmark of a litigation powerhouse.

Willkie’s litigators shine in virtually every type of dispute and venue globally – at the trial and appellate level in state and federal courts as well as the U.S. Supreme Court, before arbitration panels, in bet-the-company lawsuits and pro bono cases. Willkie has been on the front lines of the industry, leading a series of litigations arising from some of the most significant controversies of our time.

Our record underscores Willkie’s trial-ready strengths and demonstrates not only the outstanding advocacy of our litigators but also their ability to strategically achieve their clients’ objectives. Willkie has a distinctive ability to distil complex and contested issues in a compelling way, dissect opponents’ arguments, establish credibility, and execute at trial.

Results like those obtained by Willkie require firepower—intellectual heft, mastery of substantive law and persuasive advocacy—but they are only possible with a culture of collaboration and a commitment to excellence. The range of Willkie’s recent victories attests to the depth and versatility of our litigation department. Unlike other litigation powerhouses, Willkie runs lean, prioritizing the caliber of its attorneys over their number, the potency of its teams over sheer size. The firm trains its litigators to be generalists, giving associates meaningful roles and experience across the gamut of disputes.

Willkie also has a robust arbitration practice, regularly representing clients in both domestic and international arbitration proceedings. Willkie’s arbitration practice ensures continuity of the same high caliber of legal representation for the firm’s clients across the globe.

Our Chicago office, led by Craig C. Martin, Chairman, Americas is a premier destination for commercial and business legal matters of strategic, economic and reputational impact. Since opening in March 2020, the office has grown from a team of six partners to approximately 110lawyers today. Globally recognized as top-ranked practitioners and as trusted advisors, our attorneys are firmly committed to delivering outstanding client service and to engaging in civic involvement and pro bono work.

In addition, the litigators in Willkie’s Los Angeles office, launched in 2021, bring market-leading experience representing major companies, investors and individual clients in a range of disputes.

Updated Oct 2025

Bracewell

Firm overview

Bracewell is a leading law firm that is known worldwide for its unique depth and experience in the energy, infrastructure, finance and technology industries throughout the world. Our industry focus results in comprehensive state-of-the-art knowledge of the commercial, legal and governmental challenges faced by our clients and enables us to provide innovative solutions to facilitate transactions and resolve disputes.

Key Litigation Practice Areas

Appellate Litigation
Construction Litigation
Energy Litigation
Environmental Litigation
Financial Institutions Litigation
Government Enforcement & Investigations
Healthcare Litigation
Insurance Recovery
Intellectual Property Litigation
International Arbitration
International Energy Disputes
Labor & Employment Disputes
Securities Litigation

Updated Oct 2025

King & Spalding

Firm overview

King & Spalding helps leading companies advance complex business interests in more than 160 countries. Working across a highly integrated platform of more than 1,300 lawyers in 26 offices globally, we deliver tailored commercial solutions through world-class offerings and an uncompromising approach to quality and service.

Trial and Global Disputes: Our experienced disputes lawyers try and arbitrate high-stakes cases every year across the globe in the most challenging jurisdictions for corporate clients. Recognized for creativity, meticulous preparation, and top-rate advocacy, our lawyers help clients navigate the litigation lifecycle, working together from day one to identify business objectives, develop a strategy to meet those objectives, and then execute that strategy. With more than 450 lawyers in 17 offices worldwide, we are uniquely able to staff and manage large and cross-border disputes from filing, to trial, and through appeal. Our lawyers have a variety of expertise across substantive areas, including Appellate Law, Class Action Defense, Commercial Litigation, Construction & Engineering Disputes, Corporate & Securities Litigation, E-Discovery, Insolvency Litigation, Insurance Coverage & Recovery, Intellectual Property, International Arbitration, Labor & Employment, Product Liability, Professional Liability, and Toxic & Environmental Torts. Working together—one area of expertise informing another—our disputes lawyers provide clients with seamless and efficient representation in the most complex and sensitive matters.

Capabilities:

Appellate, Constitutional and Administrative Law
Bankruptcy and Insolvency Litigation
Class Action Defense
Commercial Litigation
Construction and Engineering Disputes
Corporate and Securities Litigation
E-Discovery
Insurance Coverage and Recovery
Intellectual Property, Patent, Trademark and Copyright Litigation
International Arbitration and Litigation
Labor and Employment
Product Liability
Professional Liability
Toxic & Environmental Torts

Government Matters: Clients ranging from Fortune Global 50 corporations to high-profile individuals in every region of the world entrust King & Spalding’s Government Matters practice to guide them through rapidly changing regulatory landscapes, complex investigations by U.S. and foreign enforcement authorities, highly sensitive internal investigations and related, often parallel civil proceedings.

Hundreds of lawyers across the United States, Europe and Asia bring decades of prior government service and industry experience to our regulatory and investigative practices, which serve the financial services, pharmaceutical and medical device, healthcare, energy, automotive and technology sectors in particular. The team includes six U.S. Attorneys, 24 Assistant U.S. Attorneys, and former senior officials from the highest ranks in regulatory and enforcement organizations that are most significant to our clients.

Our experienced team includes former leaders at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Food and Drug Administration, the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Commerce, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the Bank of England, the U.K’s Financial Reporting Council and the World Trade Organization.

Capabilities:

Antitrust
Data, Privacy and Security
Environmental, Health and Safety
FDA and Life Sciences
Government Advocacy and Public Policy
Government Contracts
Healthcare
International Trade
National Security and Corporate Espionage
Securities Enforcement and Regulation
Special Matters and Government Investigations

Corporate, Finance and Investments: Our Corporate, Finance and Investments team brings a collaborative approach to help clients execute complex, high-value transactions. We have a fully integrated platform with more than 330 lawyers in 17 offices, offering clients the benefit of global specialists with local knowledge and industry expertise. We work side by side with our clients to execute transactions efficiently and effectively—we understand what matters to both our clients and opposite parties and we explain the actual, practical risks to our clients.

Capabilities:

Activist Defense
Alternative Capital and Credit Funds
Capital Markets
Construction and Procurement
Corporate Governance
Emerging Companies and Venture Capital
Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation
Energy and Infrastructure Projects
Financial Restructuring
Investment Funds and Asset Management
Leveraged Finance
Mergers and Acquisitions
Middle East and Islamic Finance and Investment
Private Equity
Real Estate
Securitization
Tax

Updated Sep 2024

Rankings

Dispute resolution

Highly Recommended

Recommended