Press Release

Morgan Lewis Earns Top Practice, Individual Rankings in Distinguished Chambers USA 2015 Guide

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

NEW YORK, May 19, 2015: More than 200 leading lawyers and 30 practices are singled out for recognition by the distinguished Chambers & Partners Chambers USA guide released today. 

The 2015 publication recognizes 224 of the firm’s exceptional legal professionals, ranking 14 Morgan Lewis lawyers for the first time and recommending the firm across nearly 80 competitive practice categories. The annual publication ranks the country’s premier firms and practitioners in one of six levels, or “Bands,” with Band 1 representing the highest designation. This year, Morgan Lewis secures 20 new practice category rankings with 17 Band 1 designations among 79 total practice category rankings. The rankings assess technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial astuteness, diligence, and commitment and are mostly based on extensive feedback gathered from thousands of lawyers and their clients all over the world in addition to the conduct of extensive independent research.

Categories in which Morgan Lewis is recognized for the first time include the following:

  • Antitrust – California
  • Antitrust – Massachusetts
  • Banking & Finance – Nationwide
  • Banking & Finance – California
  • Bankruptcy/Restructuring – Massachusetts
  • Capital Markets: Securitization – Nationwide
  • Corporate Crime & Investigations – Nationwide
  • Corporate/M&A – Massachusetts
  • Environment – California
  • Hedge & Mutual Funds – Massachusetts
  • Intellectual Property – California
  • Labor & Employment – Massachusetts
  • Latin American Investment– New York
  • Latin American Investment – Texas
  • Litigation: General Commercial – Massachusetts
  • Litigation: Securities - New York
  • Tax – Massachusetts
  • Tax: Controversy – Nationwide
  • Tax: Corporate & Finance – Nationwide
  • Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite – District of Columbia

Individual Lawyer Rankings


  • Robert Abramowitz – Pennsylvania, Labor & Employment: Employee Benefits & Compensation
  • Donald-Bruce Abrams – Massachusetts, Tax
  • David Ackerman – Illinois, Labor & Employment: Employee Benefits & Compensation (Senior Statesmen)
  • Sari Alamuddin – Illinois, Labor & Employment
  • Jonathan Albano – Nationwide, Firm Amendment Litigation and Massachusetts, Litigation: General Commercial
  • Richard Aldridge – Pennsylvania, Corporate/M&A & Private Equity
  • Christopher Amandes – Texas, Environment
  • John Arnholz – Nationwide, Capital Markets: Securitization
  • David Asmus – Nationwide, Energy: Oil & Gas (Transactional) and Nationwide, Projects
  • Reed Auerbach – Nationwide, Capital Markets: Securitization
  • John Ayanian – Nationwide, Financial Services Regulation: Broker Dealer (Compliance)
  • David Balabanian – California, Litigation: General Commercial
  • Michael Banks – Pennsylvania, Labor & Employment
  • Dale Barnes Jr. – California, Litigation: Securities
  • Barton Bassett – California, Tax
  • Glen Bernstein – Nationwide, Energy: Electricity (Regulatory & Litigation)
  • Craig Bitman – New York, Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation
  • Stephanie Blair – Nationwide, Litigation: E-Discovery
  • Jeremy Blumenfeld – Nationwide, ERISA Litigation
  • David Boch – Nationwide, Financial Services Regulation: Broker Dealer (Compliance); Nationwide, Financial Services Regulation: Broker Dealer (Enforcement) and Nationwide, Securities: Regulation: Enforcement
  • Harlyn Bohensky – Nationwide, Capital Markets: Securitization
  • Eric Bord – District of Columbia, Immigration
  • Sarah Bouchard – Pennsylvania, Labor & Employment
  • Gregory Braden – Nationwide, ERISA Litigation
  • Brian Bradshaw – Nationwide, Projects and Texas, Latin American Investment
  • Robert Brochin – Florida, Litigation: General Commercial
  • JJ Broderick – Pennsylvania, Real Estate
  • John Brown – Massachusetts, Tax
  • Steven Browne – Massachusetts, Corporate/M&A
  • Daniel Budofsky – Nationwide, Capital Markets: Derivatives
  • Timothy Burke – Nationwide, Securities: Regulation: Enforcement
  • Winstol Carter, Jr. – Texas, Litigation: General Commercial
  • Daniel Chefitz – District of Columbia, Insurance: Policyholder
  • Charles Cohen – District of Columbia, Labor & Employment
  • Steven Cohen – New Jersey, Corporate/M&A
  • William Colgin, Jr. – Nationwide, Tax: Controversy and California, Tax
  • Martin Conniff – Nationwide, Transportation: Shipping: Finance (New York)
  • J. Gordon Cooney, Jr. – Pennsylvania, Litigation: General Commercial
  • Lea Anne Copenhefer – Nationwide, Investment Funds: Registered Funds and Massachusetts, Hedge & Mutual Funds
  • Joseph Costello – Pennsylvania, Labor & Employment
  • Neal Curtin – Massachusetts, Banking & Finance: Corporate & Regulatory
  • R. Alec Dawson – Nationwide, Private Equity: Buyouts and New York, Corporate/M&A
  • Althea Day – District of Columbia, Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation
  • Richard de Bodo – California, Intellectual Property: Patent and California, Life Sciences: IP/Patent Litigation
  • Nicole Diller – California, Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation
  • Carol Dillon – California, Real Estate
  • Sheri Dillon – District of Columbia, Tax
  • John Dodds – Pennsylvania, Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations
  • Brian Dougherty – Pennsylvania, Labor & Employment: Employee Benefits & Compensation
  • James Dragna – California, Environment
  • Rebecca Eisen – California, Labor & Employment
  • Frederick Eisenbiegler – Nationwide, Banking & Finance
  • Charles Engros, Jr. – New York, Media & Entertainment: Corporate
  • Anne Marie Estevez – Florida, Labor & Employment
  • F Scott Farmer – District of Columbia, Tax
  • Debra Fischer – California, Labor & Employment
  • Anne Flannery – Nationwide, Securities: Regulation: Enforcement
  • Ella Foley Gannon – California, Environment
  • Sandra Franco – District of Columbia, Environment
  • Steven Frank – Massachusetts, Intellectual Property
  • Steven Frantz – Nationwide, Energy: Nuclear (Regulatory & Litigation)
  • Matthew Furlong – Massachusetts, Banking & Finance
  • Andrew Gallo – Massachusetts, Bankruptcy/Restructuring
  • David Gerson – Pennsylvania, Corporate/M&A & Private Equity
  • Thomas Giblin, Jr. – Nationwide, Energy: Electricity (Finance)
  • David Glazer – New Jersey, Corporate/M&A
  • Michael Glazer – Nationwide, Investment: Registered Funds
  • Daniel Goldberg – Massachusetts, Antitrust and Massachusetts, Litigation: General Commercial
  • Richard Goldman – Nationwide, Investment Funds: Hedge Funds and Massachusetts, Hedge & Mutual Funds
  • John Goodchild – Pennsylvania, Bankruptcy/Restructuring
  • Stephen Goodman – Pennsylvania, Corporate/M&A & Private Equity
  • Keith Gottfried – District of Columbia, Corporate/M&A & Private Equity
  • Linda Griggs – Nationwide, Securities: Regulation: Advisory
  • Thomas Harman – Nationwide, Investment Funds: Registered Funds
  • Ivan Harris – Florida, Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations
  • John Hartigan – Southern California, Corporate/M&A
  • Mark Haskell – Nationwide, Energy: Oil & Gas (Regulatory & Litigation)
  • Omar Hemady – Massachusetts, Hedge & Mutual Funds (Associate to Watch)
  • Jordan Hershman – Massachusetts, Litigation: Securities
  • Mary Hevener – District of Columbia, Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation
  • Frank Hinman – California, Antitrust
  • Reece Hirsch – California, Healthcare
  • Allyson Ho – Nationwide, Appellate Law and Texas, Litigation: Appellate
  • Daniel Hogans – District of Columbia, Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation
  • Charles Horn – Nationwide, Financial Services Regulation: Banking (Compliance)
  • Michel Yves Horton – Nationwide, Insurance: Dispute Resolution: Policyholder and California, Insurance: Policyholder
  • Ben Indek – Nationwide, Securities: Regulation: Enforcement
  • Charles Jackson – Nationwide, ERISA Litigation and Illinois, Labor and Employment
  • Jeffrey Johnson – Nationwide, Capital Markets: Securitization
  • Daniel Johnson, Jr. – California, Intellectual Property: Patent
  • Matthew Joseph – Nationwide, Capital Markets: Securitization
  • Roger Joseph – Nationwide, Investment Funds: Registered Funds and Massachusetts, Hedge & Mutual Funds
  • Rahul Kapoor – California, IT & Outsourcing
  • Gerald Kehoe – Massachusetts, Private Equity: Fund Formation
  • Robert Kirschenbaum – California, Tax
  • William Kissinger – California, Energy: State Regulatory & Litigation
  • Thomas Klanderman – District of Columbia, Real Estate
  • Amy Pocino Kelly – Pennsylvania, Labor & Employment: Employee Benefits & Compensation
  • Kenneth Komoroski – Pennsylvania, Environment
  • Eric Kraeutler – Pennsylvania, Litigation: General Commercial
  • Marla Kreindler – Illinois, Labor & Employment: Employee Benefits & Compensation
  • Amy L. Kyle – Massachusetts, Banking & Finance
  • John Lavelle, Jr. – Nationwide, Product Liability & Mass Torts and Pennsylvania, Litigation: General Commercial
  • Timothy Levin – Nationwide, Investment Funds: Registered Funds
  • Steve Levitan – Nationwide, Capital Markets: Securitization
  • David Levy – Texas, Intellectual Property
  • Robert Lewis – California, Insurance: Insurer
  • William Lewis – District of Columbia, Environment (Senior Statesmen)
  • Robert Lichtenstein – Pennsylvania, Labor & Employment: Employee Benefits & Compensation
  • Andrew D. Lipman – District of Columbia, Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite
  • James Loss – California, Corporate/M&A: Private Equity
  • Thomas Lotterman – District of Columbia, Environment
  • David Luttinger, Jr. – New York, Insurance: Dispute Resolution: Policyholder
  • John Magee – Nationwide, Tax: Controversy and District of Columbia, Tax
  • Stacey Anne Mahoney – New York, Antitrust
  • George Mair – Massachusetts, Tax: Estate Planning
  • Ron Manthey – Texas, Labor & Employment
  • John Matthews – Nationwide, Energy: Nuclear (Regulatory & Litigation)
  • Tim Matthews – Nationwide, Energy: Nuclear (Regulatory & Litigation)
  • Christopher McAuliffe – New Jersey, Environment
  • John McGahren – New Jersey, Environment
  • John McGrane – Nationwide, Energy: Electricity (Regulatory & Litigation)
  • W. John McGuire – Nationwide, Investment Funds: Registered Funds
  • Bill McKee – District of Columbia, Tax
  • James McKenzie – Pennsylvania, Corporate/M&A: Securities
  • Jami Wintz McKeon – Pennsylvania, Litigation: General Commercial
  • Siobhan Mee – Massachusetts, Litigation: General Commercial
  • Barbara Murphy Melby – Nationwide, Outsourcing
  • Thomas Mellor – Nationwide, Banking & Finance and New York, Latin American Investment
  • Christian Mixter – Nationwide, Securities: Regulation: Enforcement
  • Charles Moore – Nationwide, Energy: Oil & Gas (Regulatory & Litigation)
  • Marlee Myers – Pennsylvania, Corporate/M&A & Private Equity
  • William Nelson – Nationwide, Tax: Controversy and District of Columbia, Tax
  • Floyd Norton – Nationwide, Energy: Electricity (Regulatory & Litigation)
  • Brian Ortelere – Nationwide, ERISA Litigation
  • Michael Ossip – Pennsylvania, Labor & Employment
  • James Pagliaro – Pennsylvania, Litigation: General Commercial
  • Daniel Papermaster – Connecticut, Corporate/M&A
  • Nancy Patterson – Texas, Labor & Employment
  • Michael Pedrick – Pennsylvania, Banking & Finance
  • Eleanor Pelta – Nationwide and District of Columbia, Immigration
  • Vito Petretti – New York, Technology & Outsourcing
  • Donn Pickett – California, Antitrust and California, Litigation: General Commercial
  • J. Michael Pickett – District of Columbia, Real Estate
  • Michael Pillion – Nationwide, Outsourcing
  • Alex Polonsky – Nationwide, Energy: Nuclear (Regulatory & Litigation)
  • Zaitun Poonja – California, Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation
  • Emilio Ragosa – New Jersey, Corporate/M&A
  • John Rah – District of Columbia, Healthcare
  • Jeffrey Raskin – California, Insurance: Policyholder
  • Marc Reardon – Nationwide, Projects
  • Steven Reed – Pennsylvania, Antitrust
  • Michael Reilly – Nationwide and New York, Bankruptcy/Restructuring
  • Jonathan Rich – District of Columbia, Antitrust
  • Melinda Riechert – California, Labor & Employment
  • Celia Roady – District of Columbia, Tax
  • Harry Robins – New York, Antitrust
  • Brian Rocca – California, Antitrust
  • Louis Rodriquez – Massachusetts, Labor & Employment
  • Jon Roellke – District of Columbia, Antitrust
  • Richard Rosenblatt – New Jersey, Labor & Employment
  • Rick Rothman – California, Environment
  • Gary Rothstein – Nationwide and New York, Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation
  • David Salmons – Nationwide, Appellate Law
  • Kathleen Sanzo – Nationwide, Life Sciences: Regulatory/Compliance and District of Columbia, Healthcare: Pharmaceutical/Medical Products Regulatory
  • Daniel Savrin – Massachusetts, Antitrust
  • Georgette Schaefer – Nationwide Investment Funds: Private Equity: Fund Formation
  • Andrew Schaffran – New York, Labor & Employment
  • David Schrader – California, Litigation: General Commercial
  • Thane Scott – Massachusetts, Antitrust
  • Denis Segota – New Jersey, Corporate/M&A
  • Toby Serkin – Massachusetts, Hedge & Mutual Funds
  • Samuel Shaulson – New York, Labor & Employment
  • Charlene Shimada – California, Litigation: Securities
  • Richard Shortz – Nationwide, Projects
  • Donald Silverman – Nationwide, Energy: Nuclear (Regulatory & Litigation)
  • Alan Singer – Pennsylvania, Corporate/M&A: Securities
  • Louis Singer – Nationwide, Investment Funds: Private Equity: Fund Formation
  • Eric Sitarchuk – Pennsylvania, Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations
  • J. Daniel Skees – Nationwide, Energy: Electricity (Regulatory & Litigation) (Associate to Watch)
  • Gary Slaiman – Nationwide, Government: Government Relations
  • Edwin Smith – Nationwide and Massachusetts, Banking & Finance and Massachusetts, Bankruptcy/Restructuring
  • Jeffrey Smith – Nationwide, Securities: Litigation and New York, Litigation: Securities 
  • Wayne Song – Nationwide, Projects and Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy
  • Marc Sonnenfeld – Pennsylvania, Litigation: General Commercial and Litigation: Securities
  • Joanne Soslow – Pennsylvania, Corporate/M&A: Securities
  • Grace Speights – District of Columbia, Labor & Employment
  • Steven Spencer – Pennsylvania, Labor & Employment: Employee Benefits & Compensation
  • Stephen Spina – Nationwide, Energy: Electricity (Regulatory & Litigation)
  • Mark Spitzer – California, Banking & Finance
  • Sanford Stark – Nationwide, Tax: Controversy
  • Tracy Steele – Pennsylvania, Real Estate
  • Mark Stein – Massachusetts, Private Equity: Buyouts
  • Michael Steinberg – District of Columbia, Environment
  • Scott Stempel – District of Columbia, Antitrust
  • Eric Stern – Pennsylvania, Real Estate
  • Marshall Stoddard – Nationwide and California, Banking & Finance
  • Steven Stone – Nationwide, Financial Services Regulation: Broker Dealer (Compliance)
  • Glen Stuart – Pennsylvania, Environment
  • Randall Sunberg – New Jersey, Corporate/M&A
  • Kathryn Sutton – Nationwide, Energy: Nuclear (Regulatory & Litigation)
  • Richard Taffet – New York, Antitrust
  • Ronald Tenpas – District of Columbia, Environment
  • Richard Toelke – Massachusetts, Real Estate
  • Willard Tom – District of Columbia, Antitrust
  • Carlos Treistman – Texas, Latin American Investment
  • Kenneth Turnbull – New York, Labor & Employment
  • James Tynion – Nationwide, Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy
  • John Utzschneider – Massachusetts, Corporate/M&A
  • A. James Vázquez-Azpiri – Nationwide and California, Immigration
  • Julio Vega – Massachusetts, Private Equity: Venture Capital Investment
  • Steven Wall – Pennsylvania, Labor & Employment
  • Hill Wellford – District of Columbia, Antitrust
  • Jedd Wider – Nationwide, Investment Funds: Hedge Funds
  • William Wilhelm, Jr. – District of Columbia, Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite
  • P Sabin Willett – Massachusetts, Bankruptcy/Restructuring
  • Beth Williams – California, Tax
  • Mark Williams – Nationwide, Energy: Electricity (Regulatory & Litigation)
  • Floyd Wittlin – New York, Corporate/M&A
  • Maxine Woelfling – Pennsylvania, Environment
  • Gary Yingling – District of Columbia, Healthcare: Pharmaceutical/Medical Products Regulatory
  • Howard Young – District of Columbia, Healthcare
  • Mims Maynard Zabriskie – Pennsylvania, Labor & Employment: Employee Benefits & Compensation
  • Mark Zelek – Florida, Labor & Employment
  • Paul Zevnik – Nationwide, Insurance: Dispute Resolution: Policyholder and District of Columbia, Insurance: Policyholder
  • Stephen Zovickian – California, Construction

Additional Practice Rankings

  • Antitrust – Pennsylvania
  • Banking & Finance – Massachusetts
  • Bankruptcy/Restructuring – Pennsylvania
  • Corporate/M&A – New Jersey
  • Corporate/M&A – Southern California
  • Corporate/M&A & Private Equity – Eastern Pennsylvania
  • Corporate/M&A: Highly Regarded – Nationwide
  • Corporate/M&A: Highly Regarded – New York
  • Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation – California
  • Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation – District of Columbia
  • Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation – Nationwide
  • Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation – New York
  • Energy: Electricity (Regulatory & Litigation) – Nationwide
  • Energy: Electricity (Transactional) – Nationwide
  • Energy: Nuclear (Regulatory & Litigation) – Nationwide
  • Energy: Oil & Gas (Regulatory & Litigation) – Nationwide
  • Energy: Oil & Gas (Transactional) – Nationwide
  • Energy: State Regulatory & Litigation – California
  • Environment – District of Columbia
  • Environment – Nationwide
  • Environment –Pennsylvania
  • ERISA Litigation – Nationwide
  • Financial Services Regulation: Broker Dealer (Compliance & Enforcement) – Nationwide
  • Healthcare – District of Columbia
  • Healthcare: Pharmaceutical/Medical Products Regulatory –District of Columbia
  • Immigration – California
  • Immigration – District of Columbia
  • Immigration – Nationwide
  • Insurance: Dispute Resolution: Policyholder – Nationwide
  • Insurance: Policyholder – California
  • Insurance: Policyholder ­– District of Columbia
  • Intellectual Property – Texas
  • Investment Funds: Hedge Funds – Nationwide
  • Investment Funds: Private Equity: Fund Formation – Nationwide
  • Investment Funds: Registered Funds – Nationwide
  • Labor & Employment – California
  • Labor & Employment – District of Columbia
  • Labor & Employment– Florida
  • Labor & Employment – Illinois
  • Labor & Employment – Nationwide
  • Labor & Employment – New Jersey
  • Labor & Employment – New York
  • Labor & Employment – Pennsylvania
  • Labor & Employment – Texas
  • Labor & Employment: Employee Benefits & Compensation – Illinois
  • Life Sciences – Nationwide
  • Litigation: General Commercial – California
  • Litigation: General Commercial – Eastern Pennsylvania
  • Litigation: General Commercial – Texas
  • Litigation: Securities – California
  • Media & Entertainment: Corporate – New York
  • Outsourcing – Nationwide
  • Product Liability & Mass Torts – Nationwide
  • Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy – Nationwide
  • Real Estate – Pennsylvania
  • Retail – Nationwide
  • Securities: Regulation – Nationwide
  • Tax – California
  • Tax – District of Columbia
  • Transportation: Shipping: Finance (New York) – Nationwide

Chambers & Partners has also designated Morgan Lewis a “Recognized Practitioner” in the Nationwide Food & Beverage and Private Equity: Buyouts practice categories.