McGuireWoods Earns Top Rankings in Chambers USA Leading Lawyers Guide

Corporate M&A Added to Firm’s Nationally Recognized Practices

May 7, 2018

Chambers and Partners recognized McGuireWoods lawyers 94 times and firm practice areas 38 times in “Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.” The firm also added Corporate M&A to its list of nationally recognized practices, complementing its ranking as a top law firm for M&A and private equity deals in authoritative league tables.

In Chambers USA, McGuireWoods also achieved nationwide recognition in categories for Energy: Electricity (Regulatory & Litigation); Food & Beverages: Regulatory & Litigation; Healthcare; Products Liability & Mass Torts; Transportation: Aviation Finance; and Transportation: Road – Carriage/Commercial.

The Chambers USA honors follow the firm’s recent Band 1 nationwide ranking for its private wealth services group in Chambers’ annual “High Net Worth Guide.” For the second year in a row, McGuireWoods was one of only two firms to earn Chambers’ top honor for private wealth law.

In Chambers USA, the firm earned a dozen Band 1 state practice rankings in Banking and Finance; Bankruptcy and Restructuring; Corporate M&A; Environment; Intellectual Property; Labor & Employment; Litigation: General Commercial; Litigation: Products Liability; and Real Estate.

Individually, McGuireWoods lawyers earned 21 Band 1, “Star Individual,” “Eminent Practitioner” or “Senior Statesman” rankings, underscoring their market-leading reputations in their practice areas.

Clients applauded the firm for its energy regulatory lawyers’ “excellent legal minds and … cross-border capabilities,” as well as their ability to “see the big picture” and for contacts at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission “that help with settlement proceedings.”

McGuireWoods’ healthcare practice was recognized for its experience in transactional, regulatory, litigation and privacy matters and for its skill advising private equity firms and companies on investments and sales. “They do good legal work, offering solid value, great client focus and responsiveness,” a client said. Another added, “They are strong in transactions and strategic integrations.”

The firm’s product liability and mass torts lawyers earned high marks for their work as trial counsel and national coordinating counsel for clients across industries. “It is a really good firm and does high-quality work” and it is “a firm I have seen being creative and innovative. They seem willing to think outside the box.”

The firm’s food and beverage lawyers also received praise from clients, with one telling Chambers researchers: “They have tremendous command of the issues and give us good and balanced advice. I think the world of them when it comes to food safety control.”

Chambers and Partners publishes respected guides ranking top firms, lawyers and practices in 185 countries based on in-depth interviews with clients and lawyers and independent research.

Practice Rankings
McGuireWoods earned state recognition in the following practices:

  • Antitrust (Illinois)
  • Banking & Finance (North Carolina, California, Georgia, Illinois)
  • Bankruptcy/Restructuring (North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Illinois)
  • Corporate/M&A (includes private equity) (Southern Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, Texas)
  • Corporate/M&A and Private Equity (Western Pennsylvania)
  • Environment (Virginia, North Carolina)
  • Healthcare (Illinois, North Carolina)
  • Insurance (Texas)
  • Intellectual Property (Southern Virginia)
  • Labor & Employment (Virginia, North Carolina, California)
  • Litigation: General Commercial (North Carolina, Virginia, Western Pennsylvania, Illinois)
  • Litigation: Products Liability (Virginia)
  • Real Estate (Northern Virginia, Southern Virginia)
  • Technology & Outsourcing (Illinois)

Individual Rankings
McGuireWoods lawyers received individual recognition in Chambers USA in the following categories:

Antitrust
Illinois – Amy Manning and Angelo Russo of Chicago

Banking and Finance
California – Hamid Namazie and Mark Spitzer of Los Angeles; Neil Rust of Century City; Gregory Clore and Peter Szurley of San Francisco
Georgia – Christopher Greene of Atlanta
Illinois – Philip Perzek of Chicago
North Carolina – Eric Burk, Rebecca Chaffin and W. Kent Walker of Charlotte; Anne Croteau of Raleigh

Bankruptcy/Restructuring
Georgia – Thomas Walker of Atlanta
Illinois – Aaron McCollough and Brian Swett of Chicago
District of Columbia – Douglas Foley of Washington
Maryland – James Van Horn of Baltimore
North Carolina – J. Trevor Johnston, Robert H. Pryor and Scott P. Vaughn of Charlotte
Pennsylvania – Mark Freedlander of Pittsburgh
Virginia – Sarah Boehm, Dion Hayes and John Maddock of Richmond; David Swan of Tysons

Corporate/M&A
Maryland – Cecil Martin III of Baltimore
New York – Jeffrey L. Rothschild  of New York
North Carolina – Chris Scheurer, E. Lynwood Mallard and David B. Whelpley Jr. of Charlotte
Southern Virginia – Joanne Katsantonis of Richmond
Texas – David McLean of Dallas

Energy & Natural Resources – Regulatory
Illinois – Mark R. Johnson of Chicago

Energy: Electricity (Regulatory & Litigation) 
Todd Mullins and Noel Symons of Washington, D.C.

Environment
North Carolina – Charles D. Case of Raleigh
Virginia – John Lain, Dale Mullen, and James Thornhill of Richmond

Food & Beverages: Regulatory & Litigation
Nationwide – James Neale of Charlottesville and Angela Spivey of Atlanta

Healthcare
Illinois – Scott Becker, Amber McGraw Walsh and James B. Riley Jr. of Chicago
North Carolina – Bart Walker of Charlotte

Healthcare: Regulatory & Litigation
Nationwide – Scott Becker of Chicago

Healthcare: Transactional
Nationwide – Scott Becker of Chicago

Insurance
Texas – J. Mark Lawless of Austin

Intellectual Property
Southern Virginia – David E. Finkelson, Janet P. Peyton and Brian C. Riopelle of Richmond
Texas – Darren Collins of Dallas

Intellectual Property: Section 337
Nationwide: Steven Adkins of Washington

Labor & Employment
Georgia – Richard B. Hankins of Atlanta
Illinois – Joel Spitz of Chicago
North Carolina – Bruce M. Steen of Charlotte
Virginia – Gary Marshall of Richmond; Stephen W. Robinson of Tysons

Labor & Employment: Employee Benefits & Compensation
Virginia – James McElligott of Richmond

Litigation: General Commercial
Maryland – Ava Lias-Booker of Baltimore
North Carolina – Douglas W. Ey Jr. and Bradley R. Kutrow of Charlotte
Texas – Thomas Farrell and Ronald Franklin of Houston
Virginia – J. William Boland of Richmond

Litigation: Healthcare & Medical Malpractice
North Carolina – Mark Anderson of Raleigh

Litigation: Products Liability
Virginia – Terrence Bagley, Stephen Busch, Samuel L. Tarry Jr., J. Tracy Walker IV and Steven R. Williams of Richmond

Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations
North Carolina – Ken Bell of Charlotte
Virginia – John Adams, Richard Cullen and Howard C. “Toby” Vick Jr. of Richmond

Product Liability & Mass Torts
Nationwide – Samuel L. Tarry Jr. of Richmond

Projects
Nationwide – Timothy P. Callahan of Chicago

Real Estate
Georgia – John Grieb of Atlanta
Southern Virginia – Nancy Little of Richmond

Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use
Northern Virginia – Gregory Riegle and Kenneth Wire of Tysons
Southern Virginia – D. Brennen Keene of Richmond

Tax
District of Columbia – Douglas W. Charnas and Russell Sullivan of Washington
Georgia – Gerald Thomas of Atlanta

Technology & Outsourcing
Illinois – Steve Gold of Chicago

Transportation: Aviation Finance
Nationwide – Patricia Hosmer of Charlotte

Transportation: Road (Carriage/Commercial)
Nationwide – J. Brian Jackson of Charlottesville

Transportation: Shipping/Maritime: Regulatory
Nationwide – John Padgett of Norfolk

Three McGuireWoods lawyers were named “Associates to Watch” in their respective practice areas: Becky Diffen of Austin, now a partner, for Energy: State Regulatory & Litigation – Electricity (Texas); Ashley Winsky of Richmond for Transportation: Road – Carriage/Commercial (Nationwide); and Heather Welch Arbogast of Baltimore for Corporate/M&A.