Welcome to Benchmark Litigation – the definitive guide to the world's leading litigation law firms and lawyers.

Benchmark Litigation is the only publication on the market to focus exclusively on litigation work. Since its inception, the Benchmark brand has grown dramatically and garnered industry-wide accolades as the definitive hub for in-depth analysis of the players shaping the dynamic practice of litigation. In keeping with Benchmark’s sharp rise in popularity, its publishing staff increasingly aims to respond to the demands of its audience.

Research is conducted through extensive interviews with litigators, dispute resolution specialists and their clients to identify the leading litigators and firms. During these interviews, we examine recent casework handled by law firms and ask individual litigators to provide their professional opinions on peers and practitioners within their jurisdiction or practice area.

In the United States we also conduct research into specific areas of the American disputes market, specifically Benchmark California, Benchmark Labor and Empoyment, Benchmark 40 and Under Hotlist and Benchmark Top 250 Women in Litigation. More information regarding this publications can be found below.

To ensure that you hear about research updates from Benchmark
PLEASE REGISTER YOUR INTEREST HERE

For information regarding Benchmark's other regional publications, please see:

  •       Methodology: Asia-Pacific – Research begins (September) Published (May)
  •       Methodology: Canada – Research begins (October) Published (March)
  •       Methodology: Europe – Research begins (February) Published (September)
  •       Methodology: Latin America – Research begins (November) Published (June)
  •       Methodology: Labor & Employment - Research begins (March) Published (September)
  •       See Below: United States – Research begins (January) Published (October)


U.S. Research timeline
• RESEARCH BEGINS – January 2020
• RESEARCH WEBINAR - February 2020
• SUBMISSION DEADLINE – April 24
• RESEARCH INTERVIEWS (firms and client referees) – February - July
• RANKINGS AND EDITORIAL PUBLISHED – October 2020

  

Why take part?

  • Editorial coverage in the guide
  • Accurate and in-depth representation of your firm’s activities
  • Exposure to our global readership at the world’s most significant corporations and financial institutions


How to take part

To take part in our research simply:

  1. Download our RESEARCH FORM 
  2. Complete the form(s)
  3. Upload them to our ONLINE SUBMISSIONS HUB
  4. Upload your client referees via our CLIENT REFEREE PORTAL.
  5. Encourage lawyers to take the INDIVIDUAL LAWYER SURVEY

Individual Lawyer Survey
Our Lawyer Survey is a quick and easy way for lawyers to tell us about their practice and promote their credentials. It is a key factor in helping us determine our litigation stars list of lawyers. Lawyers can also provide feedback on our existing lists of ranked firms and individuals.


The survey is open to all disputes lawyers and you can take it by clicking the link here.

 

Benchmark California and Benchmark Labor and Employment

Alongside our main US coverage we also produce standalone guides looking at specific disputes practice areas and specific states.

The objective of this research is to offer a more comprehensive and nuanced examination of the California litigation and disputes market, including offering a closer look at the channels that are driving the work in this specific market, as well a deeper dive into uncovering the firms and individuals servicing this work.
 
To take part simply follow the steps outlined above for our main US research making sure to select 'California' where prompted in our online form to make a California specific submission.
You can submit for both California and for our nationwide US research, but please submit separately for each if you wish to do so.
 
Owing to a rising chorus of demand from practitioners, in 2018 the Benchmark team set out to find the best and brightest law firms and partners who stand out in their labor and employment practices throughout the US.
 
To take part in our Labor and employment research you can either submit your work and details through our main US research form or submit via our dedicated labor and employment submission form. 
 
 
 
Benchmark Top 250 Women in Litigation & Benchmark 40 & Under Hotlist
Alongside our main US coverage we also produce standalone guides looking at leading female litigators who participate in some of the most impactful litigation matters, and leading litigators who are among the top young talent in their respective practice areas.
 
The extensive research process used in the creation of Benchmark’s Top 250 Women in Litigation involves months of investigation into individual female 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. Though they hail from widely different practice areas, they all share the distinction of being recognized as top players in their respective fields. This year's guide includes coverage of female litigators in the US, Canada and Latin America.
 
To put forth a litigator for this designation, simply nominate the individual under the 'Litigation Star' section of the U.S. research questionnaire. Follow the steps outlined above for our main US research. Nominees must be of 'Partner' status. This guide publishes in June.
 
Each year, the Benchmark team sets out to find the best and brightest law firm partners who stand out in their practices throughout the US and in Canada. The current group of litigators is diverse and enthusiastic, ready to take the reins from previous generations. These young ambitious and accomplished lawyers frequently handle major cases – some of which are high-stakes or precedent-setting. They are able to adapt to rapidly changing times in addition to juggling their flourishing careers and personal lives, and all while staying on top of their industry. These practitioners are among the top young talent in their respective litigation communities in the U.S. & Canada.
 
To put forth a litigator for this designation, simply nominate the individual under the 'Litigation Star' section of the U.S. research questionnaire. Follow the steps outlined above for our main US research. Nominees must be of 'Partner' status. This guide publishes in July.
 
40 & Under Contact: Alex Rifaat - alex.rifaat@euromoneyny.com
 


Methodology

In an effort to provide the most accurate and comprehensive coverage of the United States litigation market, we have taken a two-fold approach to our research.

The national section of our guide identifies select firms and attorneys who have displayed the ability to consistently handle complex, high-stakes cases in multiple jurisdictions. These selections are consistently recommended within the United States business and legal communities for the quality of their litigation professionals and trial work.

Additionally, we have identified individual litigators who were noted as having strength in a particular practice area – either exclusively or as a specialty component of their general practice.

Regional and local expertise is also a crucial factor in commercial litigation, and in the second section of the guide we identify the leading litigation firms and partners in each US state. Each state chapter includes:


Rankings of the top local litigation firms
We divided the firms in each local market into “highly recommended” and “recommended” categories. All listed firms were consistently mentioned by peers and clients, but the “highly recommended” firms received the most mentions, and were held as dominant in their particular jurisdiction.

Rankings of the top local litigation stars
The list of “local litigation stars” for each state reflects only those individuals who were recommended consistently as reputable and effective litigators by clients and peers.

Editorials on ranked firms
We have made every effort to offer in-depth coverage of the ranked firms. In some cases, however, we were not able to provide editorial content for every ranked firm due to a lack of participation or available information.

Recommendations are based on interviews with the nation’s leading private practice lawyers and in-house counsel. These interviews were conducted between October and January. Firms cannot pay to be recommended for the guide. Instead, firms have been independently offered the opportunity to take a professional listing regardless of editorial content.

Litigation Stars and Future Stars

Alongside our firm rankings we also recognise the work of outstanding individuals. Our recommendations are based on the same three factors as our law firm rankings and consist of the following categories:

Litigation Stars

Lawyers who are highly regarded by their peers and possess a strong case record and positive client feedback.

Future Stars

'Ones to watch' these are lawyers who are building their reputations in the market.

 

For Frequently Asked Questions, please visit here.

 

Contact:

Managing Editor, Michael Rafalowich at mrafalowich@benchmarklitigation.com

Head of Business Development, Rebecca Synott at rebecca.synnott@euromoneyny.com