The U.S. legal services market is a massive and growing sector—a more than $300 billion industry. But you can’t have legal services without lawyers. And for individuals, startups and big businesses seeking an attorney, it goes without saying that you need the best.
The inaugural Forbes Top 200 Lawyers in the U.S. list highlights the finest practitioners in the profession—lawyers with stellar track records in their specialties, those who have broken barriers to emerge as leaders in their fields, and attorneys most respected by peers and clients.
The elite lawyers on this list were selected through a rigorous, multi-stage process of researching, evaluating and rating thousands of candidates, conducted by an editorial team with broad experience in law practice and the legal marketplace.
The result is a collection of top lawyers involved in the most consequential cases, deals or legal trends in recent years—whether litigation, tech, transactional, intellectual property, civil rights, M&A or private equity—just to name a few. Some boast immediate name recognition; others are making their mark less publicly. But they all share reputations for integrity, records of excellence—and Forbes’ recognition as the best in the business.
What follows is a power list of lawyers whose skill, passion and purpose set them apart—for when you or your business need it most.
As with all Forbes lists, companies do not pay any fee to be considered or selected.
From the Editor: Why Robin Cohen made the list
Cohen’s expert trial advocacy has recovered billions for insurance policyholders such as Verizon, Pfizer and CBS. Businesses turn to her to secure coverage for catastrophic losses after insurance company denials. Cohen’s practice rose to new heights through cases involving pandemic business-interruption insurance, which led her to start her own firm. Cohen’s insurance recovery litigation boutique has tripled in size since 2021.