New York partner Jacob Buchdahl has been named Commercial Litigator of the Year at the 2026 U.S. Benchmark Litigation Awards, recognizing his leadership in some of the most consequential commercial litigation matters in the country.
Buchdahl’s recognition follows his role securing a landmark $1.6 billion judgment for BML Properties in a long-running fraud case against China Construction America arising from the failed development of the Baha Mar luxury resort in the Bahamas. After an 11-day trial in New York’s Commercial Division, the court awarded damages reflecting the developer’s massive investment losses resulting from fraudulent conduct related to the project. The award was affirmed by First Department in the Supreme Court of the State of New York.
In addition, Benchmark Litigation also recognized Susman Godfrey as Texas Law Firm of the Year and two Susman Godfrey matters were named Impact Cases of the Year:
- BML Properties v. China Construction America, the $1.6 billion fraud judgment led by Buchdahl.
- City of Baltimore v. McKesson and AmerisourceBergen, in which Susman Godfrey secured a $266 million verdict for the City of Baltimore in ongoing litigation addressing the opioid crisis.
