McGuireWoods partner Cecil E. Martin III has been named a winner of the 2016 Client Choice award based on reviews by clients. Martin, who is based in the firm’s Baltimore office, was the only Maryland lawyer selected in the general corporate practice category.
Created by Globe Business Publishing, the Client Choice awards recognize law firms and partners around the world for their ability to add real value to clients’ business above and beyond other players in the market. Clients are asked to rate lawyers on criteria such as quality of legal advice, value for money, commercial awareness, effective communication, billing transparency, tailored fee structures, response time, sharing of expertise, and use of technology. Award nominations can be made only by in-house counsel. Award winners are listed on the Client Choice website and are promoted by Lexology and the International Law Office.
An accomplished corporate lawyer, Martin heads McGuireWoods’ energy markets team and has represented some of the country’s largest utilities and retail energy suppliers in numerous mergers and acquisitions, wholesale and retail energy transactions. He also provides a wide range of other legal services that include project development, construction contracting, product and software licensing and distribution, strategic partnering and joint ventures. Chambers and Partners recognized Martin in the Corporate/M&A category in the 2015 edition of its widely read and universally esteemed guide, “Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.” Martin also earned a Client Choice award in 2014.
“Clients know they can depend on Cecil to understand their business and deliver results,” said David Whelpley, chair of McGuireWoods’ chair of McGuireWoods’ Specialty Corporate Practices Department, which handles transactions in areas such as private equity, energy, technology and outsourcing, data privacy, financial services and government contracting. “This award is a reflection of the trust Cecil’s clients place in him, and we’re proud that he has earned this honor.”
Martin’s commitment to extraordinary service was affirmed in testimonials clients provided to Client Choice.
“Mr. Martin takes a lot of extra, unbillable time to understand our business,” one client said. “He wears not only his lawyer hat, but his business hat as well — which makes him dangerously effective.”
“Mr. Martin’s understanding of the business allows him to get right down to the crux of any issue, which saves a tremendous amount of time and money,” another client observed.