The 2021 edition of The Legal 500 guide to the leading law practices in the United States has ranked Susman Godfrey as top tier nationally in three practice areas and has recognized nineteen attorneys in its annual rankings.
In its analysis, Legal 500 includes in-depth client reviews including one calling the firm ”A class above any other litigation firm I have ever encountered [with] a strong desire to win and have shown their ability to do so over and over.’ Another client says, “They are simply smarter, faster, more aggressive (when appropriate) and more strategically astute than their competitors. In my mind, they do not have a peer firm. They are the gold standard.”
Tier 1 – Antitrust: Civil Litigation/Class Actions (Plaintiff)
“In addition to being very bright lawyers, they are zealous advocates, savvy about interactions with federal courts (owing to the near-universal clerkship experience in their ranks) and fully prepared to pivot and produce time-sensitive motions of exceptional quality when necessary.’
Legal 500’s 2021 Antitrust review names Marc Seltzer a Leading Lawyer for the fourth year in a row, calling him “encyclopedic in his knowledge of procedure and competition cases, an outstanding strategist, and a wonderful colleague.” The guide also recognizes NY partner Arun Subramanian for the first time for his exceptional work in the area with a client saying he is “an excellent oral and appellate advocate.”
Highlighted Lawyers:
| Barry Barnett | Neal Manne | Kalpana Srinivasan |
| Vineet Bhatia | Marc Seltzer | Arun Subramanian |
| Bill Carmody | James Southwick |
Tier 2 – General Commercial Disputes
In my experience of working with Susman Godfrey, its collaborative approach to handling commercial litigation, is exceptionally effective because of the depth of its bench, which includes lawyers with decades of experience in numerous different disciplines.
Susman Godfrey has, “highly skilled trial lawyers who really dig in and learn what they need to understand about businesses and different industries,” the guide notes. Partners Amanda Bonn and Ashley McMillian are recognized in General Commercial Disputes for the first time this year.
Highlighted Lawyers:
Tier 2 – Energy Litigation: Oil and Gas
Susman Godfrey’s energy litigation: oil and gas strengths can be summed up in two words: preparation and professionalism. Susman Godfrey knows litigation and the stress litigation causes on an in-house department. They are always ahead of opposing counsel, and they prepare a case second-to-none. They are also very professional in how they interact with opposing counsel, experts, and outer in-house employees.’
In its Oil and Gas Litigation review, the guide describes Susman Godfrey as made up of a team of lawyers who are ‘experts in their field.’ Notably, partner Alex Kaplan picks up recognition as a Next Generation Partner for the third year in a row and partner Geoffrey Harrison is described by one client as, “so good it’s scary.”
Highlighted Lawyers:
| Erica Harris | Alex Kaplan | Ashley McMillian | Robert Safi |
| Geoffrey Harrison | Neal Manne | Thomas Paterson | Lexie White |
In the analysis, partners Weston O’Black and Alex Kaplan are described by a client as “cool, calm, and capable of dominating extremely complicated cases” and associate Michael Kelso is described as “an outstanding associate who doesn’t miss anything.“
The Legal 500 bases its rankings on a combination of law firm submissions and peer and client feedback to assess overall visibility and reputation of law practices nationwide.
