For inclusion on the list, a “significant win” meant prevailing before the U.S. Supreme Court, a federal circuit court of last resort when the financial stakes were high, or an important legal principle was at stake.
According to a press release, the firm’s listed contributed in meaningful ways to the most important appeals of the year, whether through drafting the main briefs, presenting oral arguments or as friends of the court.
“This year, we had more firms vying for a place on the Appellate Hot List than ever before. It’s a signal that the appellate practice is becoming ever more competitive,” said David Brown, editor in chief of The National Law Journal. “The appellate practices that were chosen this year are performing at the highest levels — working on game-changing cases that had a major impact on their clients, and in several cases, on society as a whole.”
This year’s list includes the appellate practices from the following firms:
- Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
- Arnold & Porter
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
- Fulbright & Jaworski
- Hogan & Hartson
- Jenner & Block
- Jones Day
- Latham & Watkins
- Mayer Brown
- McDermott Will & Emery
- Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
- O’Melveny & Myers
- Quinn Emmanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
- Sidley Austin
- Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
- Weil, Gotshal & Manges
- Williams & Connolly
- Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr
- Winston & Strawn
- Yetter, Warden & Coleman