16th Annual Edition Honors Legal Excellence Across 127 Practice Areas with Input from 27,000 Lawyers and 110,850 Client Submissions

AUGUSTA, Ga., Nov. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2026 Best Law Firms^® rankings in the United States have been released today, marking the 16^th year of the profession's most comprehensive assessment of legal excellence. The rankings integrate firm performance data, client feedback and leadership perspectives to provide a rigorous evaluation of achievement across the American legal landscape.

This year's edition reflects unprecedented engagement from the legal community, with more than 18,700 firms participating in the survey process and 4,900 submitting detailed responses. The methodology incorporated 26 million evaluations covering 129,000 lawyers and 24,000 firms, alongside 16,401 client comments and 841 leadership interviews — underscoring the breadth and reliability of the research.

Recognition Across Three Tiers of Excellence

The 2026 rankings honor firms at regional, national and elite levels:

• 17,555 firms received regional recognition across 127 practice areas
• 2,340 firms earned national rankings across 75 practice areas
• 68 firms achieved the prestigious "Law Firm of the Year" distinction across 74 practice areas

"For more than 15 years, Best Law Firms has been the definitive benchmark for legal excellence nationwide," Best Lawyers CEO Phillip Greer said. "These rankings honor practices distinguished by exceptional skill, unwavering integrity and outstanding client service."

Practices Driving Legal Demand

The 2026 results reveal where client demand and professional engagement are strongest nationwide. Leading practice areas include:

• Commercial Litigation
• Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law
• Real Estate Law
• Construction Litigation
• Appellate Practice

Rigorous Methodology Ensures Credibility

The Best Law Firms methodology combines multiple data sources to assess performance, including client and professional references, firm-submitted data, lawyer evaluations and leadership interviews. Eligible firms must have at least one lawyer recognized by The Best Lawyers in America^® in the relevant practice area and jurisdiction.

Submissions are scored and grouped into tiers, highlighting meaningful performance distinctions rather than strict numerical rankings. This approach balances diverse inputs from clients, peers and firm leaders to ensure transparent and rigorous evaluation.

Comprehensive Market Insights

Accompanying the rankings, the Best Law Firms Legal Market Report 2026 provides detailed analysis of more than 4,850 firms, examining financial performance, client engagement, billing practices and emerging market trends.

Global Research Family

As the oldest and largest ranking in the Best Law Firms research family, the U.S. edition provides the foundation for international rankings in Germany, Spain, France, Canada and Australia — each applying consistent methodology while reflecting regional legal priorities.

To explore the complete 2026 Best Law Firms rankings by region and practice area, visit www.bestlawfirms.com

About Best Lawyers ^®

Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected peer-review research and marketing company in the legal profession. It recognizes top legal talent through confidential evaluations by leading lawyers within their local market and specialty. Lawyers cannot pay to be listed; ensuring recognition is a true honor. Best Lawyers ranks law firms globally through its companion publication, Best Law Firms, identifying the top firms across various practice areas based on feedback from clients and legal professionals. For more information, visit www.bestlawyers.com and www.bestlawfirms.com.

Contact:

Nancy Lippincott
Vice President of Content
nlippincott@bestlawyers.com 

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SOURCE Best Lawyers