McGuireWoods has been selected as a finalist in two categories for the 2026 American Lawyer Industry Awards, earning recognition for the strength of its middle-market corporate practice and its longstanding commitment to protecting journalists and First Amendment rights.
The firm is a finalist for “Best Corporate Practice: Small/Midcap Deals” and “Media Advocacy.”
McGuireWoods’ middle-market business model is built on long-term relationships and a distinctive approach that connects capital, opportunities and relationships across the private investment ecosystem. The firm’s industry-leading conferences are central to this approach, generating introductions and deal opportunities while providing market intelligence that enhances the firm’s advice to clients throughout the investment lifecycle. McGuireWoods’ fourth annual Emerging Manager Conference — Buyouts drew nearly 1,000 attendees in April 2026 and generated 6,100 meetings between emerging managers and limited partners. The firm’s Independent Sponsor Conference, now in its ninth year, attracted more than 1,600 attendees in 2025 and facilitated more than 9,500 one-on-one meetings between independent sponsors and capital providers.
McGuireWoods’ Media Advocacy finalist recognition highlights Charlotte partner Bradley Kutrow’s decades of work defending journalists, news organizations and First Amendment rights. Kutrow spearheaded McGuireWoods’ participation in the Protecting Journalists Pro Bono Program, an initiative of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. In 2025, he helped two North Carolina news organizations, Border Belt Independent and The Assembly, obtain public records related to investigations of alleged abuses of power at the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office. The work builds on Kutrow’s record of precedent-setting victories protecting free expression and freedom of the press, including unanimous North Carolina Supreme Court decisions safeguarding the right to petition government and overturning more than $4 million in punitive damages against a newspaper in a libel case.
“This recognition from The American Lawyer is a fitting tribute to the outstanding work our lawyers do for clients and communities,” said McGuireWoods Managing Partner J. Tracy Walker IV. “Whether we are helping clients navigate sophisticated middle-market transactions or defending the rights of journalists to hold public institutions accountable, our lawyers bring deep experience, creativity and an unwavering commitment to service.”
Winners of The American Lawyer Industry Awards will be announced Nov. 12, 2026, at a gala in New York.