Akerman
With multiple offices from coast to coast, Akerman has a nationwide reach and a range of practices that includes consumer financial services, construction, intellectual property, and bankruptcy. The firm is routinely commended by clients, who point out its strengths in giving advice. One client appreciates the way the team “communicates with their clients,” and goes on to state, “Overall, I was very happy.”
Another client using the firm’s banking and financial services expertise shared several positive points: “[They have] great communication and follow-up on matters, a balanced approach to litigation, reasonable hours and billing, and all-around excellent service.” In the commercial litigation space, another says, “Akerman offers excellent advice and options.”
The firm has a particular concentration of strength in Florida, where the firm originated. In the Jacksonville office,
Christian George brings his expertise in bankruptcy and commercial litigation to clients who have expressed their appreciation for his leadership. A client who has tapped George for bankruptcy, commercial, and banking disputes notes that he “understands our model and approach to working out matters and litigation.” The same client commends George’s “excellent communication and follow-up, balanced approach... and good rapport with [the executive management] of our bank.” He is described as having a “great personality.”
The Miami office includes Robert Chaskes, a commercial litigator and co-chair of the distressed-property practice. One client says, “[He has] superb legal knowledge and [a] pragmatic approach to domestic and international business disputes.” Chaskes is described as having “excellent communication skills” and as being a “top-notch legal professional.” Chaskes defended Amicorp in a case that involved the contentious doctrine of conspiracy jurisdiction to assert personal jurisdiction in Florida. Chaskes successfully argued that the plaintiffs did not provide a sufficient basis to exercise personal jurisdiction pertaining to the tortuous activity allegations under either the state’s statute or the US Constitution. The Third Circuit affirmed the ruling, further clarifying the use of the doctrine of conspiracy jurisdiction.
Megan Costa DeLeon, based in the firm’s Orlando office, focuses largely on commercial disputes. However, she also serves as lead counsel in a product-liability case defending ProAmpac against a lawsuit filed by RCBA Nutraceuticals. The trial court allowed the plaintiff to file an amended complaint, which added ProAmpac as a co-defendant based on its acquisition of PolyFirst Packaging. (PolyFirst manufactured the alleged defective packaging.) Costa DeLeon appealed to the Fifth Circuit, which published an opinion agreeing with her arguments that the plaintiff failed to establish personal jurisdiction. Her motion to dismiss was reversed and remanded for further proceedings.
Beyond Florida, Mark Bernstein resolves commercial conflicts and lawsuits predominantly on behalf of clients in the financial and manufacturing industries. Working out of the Chicago office, Bernstein is praised by clients for his industry and practice-
area expertise. “Mark is always very timely and provides great insight into construction contracting,” says a client who sought out Bernstein for his commercial knowledge. “Mark has an excellent understanding of our business from both a commercial and operational perspective.” Bernstein is the lead partner representing MG East, which hired Premier Design & Build Group to construct three buildings in Miami Gardens, Florida. Shortly after substantial completion of the buildings, the roof edges and gutter systems began showing signs of rust and corrosion, leaving holes that allowed water to drain directly onto the buildings and the surrounding property. MG East sued Premier for breach of general contract for the failure to properly install the roofing and gutter systems. The claimed damages are more than $2 million. The case is in its initial phases of discovery.
Benjamin Joelson in Akerman’s New York office specializes in commercial litigation and intellectual property. He often represents commercial landlords, tenants, developers, and construction companies over real-estate disputes. He is currently on the team representing a potential joint venture to open a HALAL GUYS restaurant at the American Dream complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It was uncovered that Dream Big Holding, LLC’s principal, through a new entity, had secretly opened a restaurant called Falafel Inc. at the American Dream complex. That same location had already been leased to the joint venture. In another pending case, Joelson is part of the team representing Vanderbilt Atlantic Holdings, the ground-floor lessor of a property in Brooklyn, New York, in a lease dispute with its tenant, McDonald’s Corporation.
Boies Schiller Flexner
Originally
established in New York,
Boies Schiller Flexner
is a firm with a reputation for
its creative and aggressive
efforts on behalf of
its clients.
With a significant
presence in the
Florida market and
with offices across the country and the world,
the firm’s commercial litigation
practice includes breach of contract, fraud, restructuring, securities, mergers, and many other statutory claims.
Sigrid McCawley is highly regarded for her trial acumen and leadership.
She is
one of the firm’s
managing partners
as well as co-administrative partner in the Fort Lauderdale office. Her experience includes complex commercial litigation disputes in high-stakes cases.
McCawley may be best known for her recent work
representing victims of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. She filed separate lawsuits accusing JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank of supporting Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking enterprise.
Both banks ultimately
settled,
securing a combined $365 million for
the victims.
McCawley also leads the team
in two lawsuits
filed against
Russell Simmons, co-founder of
Def Jam Recordings. In the first
lawsuit, under New York’s Adult Survivors Act,
Simmons is accused
of sexually assaulting
a former executive at Def Jam
in his Manhattan apartment in the 1990s.
The suit also is being filed under New York City’s Gender Motivated Violence Act, which created a two-year lookback window for sexual assault claims that expires in March 2025.
McCawley filed a second lawsuit against Simmons on behalf of another former music executive, Drew Dixon, for defamation.
In a recent interview, Simmons
accused Dixon of lying about the sexual abuse she suffered
for purposes of seeking fame.
Another of the firm’s Fort Lauderdale attorneys,
Stuart Singer,
is a multidisciplined litigator
whose experience includes antitrust, securities, energy, and
class action defense.
“Stuart Singer,” one peer says, “is an excellent attorney.”
On behalf of NextEra Energy, he was
the lead lawyer, obtaining an important commerce cause ruling that allowed companies to
compete for power transmission projects.
Singer is also on the team that
filed a suit on behalf of Panini America, a sports trading card company, against Fanatics for antitrust violations in the market for sports trading cards.
The suit alleges
that Fanatics engaged in anticompetitive conduct including signing exclusive deals with the NBA, NFL, and MLB, and poaching
more than 30
Panini America
employees. The case is ongoing.
Hunton Andrews Kurth
With offices across the country and around the world, Hunton Andrews Kurth is praised for its ability to provide clients with exceptional service across many practice areas. Clients have noted the variety of issues for which they can turn to the firm: “Class actions, regulatory advice, cybersecurity litigation, and arbitration.” Another client shared, “Hunton Andrews Kurth has provided a variety of legal services to us recently. Hunton has provided advice and counsel on commercial contracts, litigation, class action litigation, employment issues and franchising.” In the same vein, the client commented on the firm’s service, adding, “Hunton brings a level of service that is above and beyond what we experience with other firms. They understand the client and provide counsel in a timely manner.”
From the Houston office, Kelsey Hope’s focus is complex commercial disputes with an emphasis in the managed-care industry. Hope was on the team that secured a victory for the Rite Aid Corporation against litigation brought on by a group of insurance and pharmacy benefit companies seeking more than $100 million from the national pharmacy chain for allegedly overcharging for prescription medications. After a two-week trial, within a few hours the jury returned a ruling in favor of Rite Aid.
Another member of that team, Chris Dufek focuses on antitrust and consumer protection. Dufek, who works out of the Washington DC office, has represented clients in complex commercial and class action cases concerning antitrust and consumer protection laws, cybersecurity, fraud, and contractual disputes.
Richmond-based Elbert Lin receives praise from peers who said: “Elbert Lin – He's the man!” Lin served as one of the lead counsels when the firm won a nearly $47 million judgment for its client Dewberry Engineers (“Dewberry”), a provider of professional services for the built environment against defendant Dewberry Group, a real estate company. The judgment, entered by the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia after a three-day trial, resulting from Dewberry’s claims against the defendant for federal and state trademark infringement and breach of contract.
In the New York office, Jeremy Boczko focuses on intellectual property rights. He has represented clients in trademark, copyright, and patent trials. Fellow New York partner
Armin Ghiam advises clients on intellectual property assets in mergers and acquisitions. He also has experience with patent preparation. Together they were lead partners representing Hisamitsu America, the maker of SALONPAS Brand Pain Relieving Patches. Scilex accused Hisamitsu of mislabeling these patches by marketing their products as “maximum strength” within the over-the-counter category. The court has dismissed the bulk of Scilex’s claims.
In Florida, Andrea DeField focuses on recovering insurance funds. She also leads Hunton's cyber insurance practice. She was a lead on the team that secured a victory for the United States Sugar Corporation. US Sugar’s insurer refused to provide coverage for the expenses incurred in defending a bet-the-company environmental case regarding its practice of cane-burning. The court found that the policy covered the cane-burning action and that the insurer owed US Sugar more than $6.5 million in defense expenses.
King & Spalding
With its main headquarters in Atlanta, King & Spalding has more than a dozen offices across the US, and more overseas. The firm’s international presence makes it possible to try and manage cases around the world in multiple jurisdictions for corporate clients from trial to appeal. Its government matters team includes former US attorneys and senior officials from regulatory and enforcement organizations like the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Food and Drug Administration. The firm can lead clients through complex investigations brought by US and foreign enforcement agencies.
The firm has also made several key recruits in its New York office of late, first luring seasoned trial statesman
Randy Mastro in 2022 and, in 2023, adding Jennifer Recine, a quickly ascended younger star who made a name for herself at Kasowitz for her varied commercial litigation practice that includes an emphasis on real estate and distressed assets.
Ursula Henninger works out of both the Miami and Charlotte offices. Her practice specialized in product liability and mass torts. She often handles cases that involve allegations of corporate misconduct and claims for punitive damages, representing companies in cases including tobacco, pharmaceuticals, and other industries. In the past year, Henninger represented R.J. Reynolds in two cases in Miami. In the first, she gave the closing arguments before a jury that reached a verdict in favor of the client, rejecting the plaintiff's $15 million demand. She also retried and reversed an Engle progeny case in which the plaintiff was originally awarded $41 million.
In Texas, Tracie Renfroe is co-leader of the firm’s Product Liability and Mass Torts litigation group. She has defended clients in class actions, arbitrations, and administrative agency proceedings, and her skill, with clients in the pharmaceutical and energy sectors, in presenting complex scientific and technical issues to judges and juries is key. Renfroe is one of the lead attorneys defending the energy company Baker Hughes, which had a flow and process technology facility in Louisiana that plaintiffs allege contaminated the surrounding groundwater, soil, and air with trichloroethene. So far, Renfroe has successfully defeated multiple motions for class certification and is preparing for trial.
In Texas and New York, Mike Stenglein is the chair of the firm’s global construction and engineering disputes practice. His concentration falls under complex business disputes, usually in the construction and private equity sectors. Reficar, a Colombian state-owned oil refinery, has been in a long-running dispute over construction costs with McDermott International, a construction company. Stenglein was one of the lead partners to help win a $900 million award for Reficar in an arbitration before the International Chamber of Commerce.
Morty Dubin’s New York practice includes product liability, toxic and environmental torts, and class action defense. He has experience with mass torts and asbestos claims. In the past year, Dubin won a jury verdict for Johnson & Johnson concluding that its baby powder talc product did not cause the plaintiff’s ovarian cancer. In another case, he won a defense verdict for Union Carbide by convincing the jury to reject a mesothelioma wrongful-death claim brought on behalf of a deceased worker.
Alvin Lee’s clients are often in the financial services, energy, chemical, and technology sectors. His practice includes energy and infrastructure projects and commercial litigation. He was the co-lead attorney representing JP Morgan in a suit brought by Canadian Breaks, a wind farm in Texas. Canadian Breaks alleges that a force majeure provision excused its performance during winter storm Uri. A judge granted a summary judgement, concluding that the storm did not constitute force majeure under the hedge agreement between JPMorgan and Canadian Breaks.
Weil Gotshal & Manges
Weil Gotshal & Manges enjoys a reputation as a firm whose litigation bench is one of the most comprehensive in terms of practice depth. “They have all the bases covered,” confirms a peer. “A nice wide spectrum. And they have the depth and breadth in their personnel to cover it.” The firm’s national reach is spread among offices on the East Coast in New York and DC, throughout several locations in California, two locations in Texas, one in Boston and a location in Miami. Its practice area portfolio also covers a lot of ground, with product liability, bankruptcy, antitrust, commercial, intellectual property, securities and white-collar crime all playing prominent positions in the overall composition of the firm’s litigation service offerings.
The firm made a notable augmentation to these services within the past couple of years with
with the recruits of DC-based Mark Perry and
Drew Tulumello, both of whom joined Weil from Gibson Dunn and both of whom provide strategic enhancements to Weil’s appellate capacity. “Weil has really made a significant investment here,” declares a peer in reference to the firm’s development of the appeals practice. “They are now officially a player in that specialty – they went from 0 to 100.” This practice is not limited to more established seniors;
Robert Niles-Weed, a young New York-based star [featured in Benchmark’s 40 and Under list and also profiled in a special feature in this edition] whose practice also encompasses other strata of commercial litigation and antitrust, has also carved out a name for himself in the appellate space. Niles-Weed acted with Perry as co-counsel for Comcast, who was sued for allegedly infringing a patent concerning an interactive program guide that integrated both linear cable channels and other content sources. Niles-Weed also worked with Tulumello serving as appellate counsel to BNSF Railway in what is purported to be the first case ever to go to trial under Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act. Following trial, where BNSF was represented by trial counsel from a different law firm, the jury returned a $228 million verdict in favor of the plaintiffs. The Weil duo represented BNSF in its efforts to obtain a new trial or reduction of the verdict. In September 2023, the parties entered into a settlement. Perry also acts with two other younger stars, New York’s Luna Barrington and Silicon Valley’s
Bambo Obaro, representing national grocery retailer Kroger in connection with its pending $20+ billion merger with Albertsons and concurrent divestiture of hundreds of stores. Federal and state regulators have filed three separate suits in Federal Court in Oregon, and State court in Washington and Colorado seeking to enjoin the merger, and Weil is working with co-counsel to defend against these suits.
The firm has had an equally impressive run in the intellectual property capacity, with New York’s
Elizabeth Weiswasser garnering a pronounced level of praise on the strength of her increased visibility and demonstrated acuity in the patent arena. “Liz is a great IP lawyer but she’s actually a phenomenal trial lawyer,” elaborates one patent-oriented peer. “It’s easy to get bogged down in details in these types of cases but Liz cuts through all that and just shines in the courtroom.” Weil’s IP bench is equally revered on the West Coast, where Silicon Valley-based
Ed Reines generates “a lot of respect on the life sciences side,” according to peers. One contemporary declares, “The practice that Ed has built in the Bay Area for life sciences is really just remarkable, and he’s trying cases as well. [He is] very impressive.”
Securities has been another calling card for Weil, and specifically for New York’s
Jonathan Polkes, whose practice balances civil and criminal work and who stands out to peers in the bar as “one of the rare breed of securities lawyers who is ready to try cases anytime if need be.” Polkes led a team, which included
Caroline Zalka and Theodore Tsekerides, that triumphed for Warner Brothers and Discovery in February 2024 in a securities case that was brought following a stock drop after the $43 billion merger of the two entities. Polkes and Zalka also have been leading the defense of numerous securities class actions filed against longtime client Walgreens in courts around the country. These cases arise out of the company’s failed 2017 merger with Rite Aid, and feature allegations that Walgreens misled investors about the likelihood the Federal Trade Commission would approve the deal. Another New York securities star (and head of the firm’s national practice)
John Neuwirth successfully defended another longtime client, AMC Entertainment, in fast-tracked stockholder litigation in Delaware Chancery Court arising from its planned overhaul of its capital structure. Plaintiffs alleged that AMC’s senior management and board of directors breached their fiduciary duties by diluting common stockholders’ voting power through the creation of a new preferred class of securities and a subsequent planned reverse stock split.
New York’s David Lender, an all-purpose commercial trial lawyer, remains a peer favorite. One enthuses, “I keep saying he’s the lawyer I want to be when I grow up, but he’s younger than me! He’s just in another league.” Lender led a cross-section commercial/antitrust team that included Greg Silbert and
Eric Hochstadt in the successful representation of the Tri-City ValleyCats and the Norwich Sea Unicorns in two separate but related disputes against Major League Baseball (MLB), in one alleging that MLB’s Restructuring and contraction of minor-league baseball violates the US antitrust laws.
