Meet America's Best-In-State Lawyers 2025

Forbes

3 days ago

getty
T he story of 2025 is one of transformation and challenges that have reshaped business as usual. A confluence of policy decisions has roiled markets and left economic forecasts murky. Concerns about inflation, tariffs, trade barriers, the supply chain, labor markets—and war—have set many businesses in a holding pattern, with some tightening belts and reducing spending, particularly those that relied on government funding or have been directly impacted by global volatility.
Yet even as clients face existential troubles, the legal industry has remained strong, unbound by bull or bear markets. Law is a sector that can prosper in hostile environments—litigation thrives during both prosperity and adversity, and downtimes can be a boon for countercyclical practices like bankruptcy and restructuring. And while the jury remains out on 2025, data shows 2024 was a blockbuster year for the legal sector as a whole. Buoyed by a strong economy, collective revenue per lawyer in the AmLaw 100 was up 5.2% overall last year, reaching $1.28 million. Hiring has remained steady and law firms have been increasing their spending and strategically investing in technology, AI and knowledge management to remain competitive. Whether the current economic climate is viewed as a glass half full or half empty, there will always be opportunity and need for lawyers, and fortune favors not just the brave, but the prepared mind.
'Economic uncertainty rewards those lawyers capable of transitioning from mere legal advisors to becoming their clients' trusted strategic navigators,' says listmaker and Denver-based Perkins Coie partner T. Markus Funk. 'Quick and nimble thinking by adaptable and empathetic lawyers with deep industry understanding and the ability to deliver tailored, contextual advice and steer clients through crises, are increasingly becoming the premium skill sets.'
O ver the past year our editorial team set out to find lawyers with premium skill sets from across the United States, reviewing thousands of candidates for Forbes ' inaugural Best-In-State list. Vetted through outside nominations, independent research and consultation with experts and industry insiders, we've curated an elite cohort of lawyers from all 50 states, across a variety of specializations. And over the course of that research, we've gleaned insights into the state of the profession—and what today's best lawyers can deliver for you.
According to the American Bar Association Profile of the Legal Profession, while there are 1.3 million lawyers in the U.S., more than a quarter of those reside in just two states—New York and California—with Washington, DC, having the most lawyers per capita. But top lawyers are practicing across the country, and those who stand out and thrive today are demonstrating a renewed focus on a concept rooted in sales and UX: customer service. In an increasingly competitive legal marketplace, centering client satisfaction is more important than ever. And in an era of emerging tech, economic uncertainty and geopolitical shifts, clients are looking for their lawyers to be both compass and counsel, providing direction and expertise.
'The momentum through the first half of 2025 is real, but fragile, with the biggest threat to continued growth being macroeconomic confusion,' says Mike McNamara, CEO of legal growth advisory firm Baretz+Brunelle and former CEO of Dentons US. 'Right now, some of the most valuable lawyers are not simply advisors, but sentries. If you are not calling with insight before a client asks for it, clients likely will turn to someone who is.'
Client retention today is in part a function of foresight, McNamara adds, noting the firms that thrive are regularly mapping risks and engaging in scenario-planning, bringing in tech and AI and building internal protocols for clients as part of their service delivery.
'We are absolutely service providers but in providing that service there's so much opportunity to build depth of knowledge and expertise,' says listmaker and Morrison Foerster partner Val Dahiya. 'It's very easy to demonstrate to clients that you understand not just their business but the much larger market structure. There's a comfort level in having someone who knows the inside-out of agencies, and being able to navigate expertly can make a substantial difference for clients.'
Dahiya, who practices in the securities compliance and regulation sector, says the rapid evolution of technology is upending the way consumers and investors understand and interact with markets, citing Blockchain, crypto assets and AI. Dahiya has worked through the dot-com bust and the 2008 credit crisis that threatened capital markets; she also served on the SEC's Enron task force. Now in private practice as co-head of Morrison Foerster's Securities + Derivatives Regulatory Solutions team and a partner in the firm's Capital Markets and Broker-Dealer Compliance + Regulation practice groups, Dahiya is in a unique position to help clients navigate complex and uncertain terrain.
'There have been so many crises in my career where I've been very hands-on and kind of in the eye of the storm,' Dahiya says. 'But you have to be able to step back, understand the fundamental principles, the client goals and connect the dots. The regulatory risk, compliance obligations, business considerations, what the industry is doing writ large, and making sure the client is in the best position to make the very best decisions.'
Perkins Coie partner Funk agrees that an increasingly intricate and politicized regulatory environment is reshaping the legal terrain in real time, and that compliance, along with investigations, litigation and cross-border disputes, are areas where subject matter expertise will open opportunities for high-value work.
'Lawyers who truly own their space, have created a recognized brand for themselves, and have mastered the table stakes of providing proactive, timely and practical advice, along with a good dose of compassion, will thrive in the future, as they have in the past,' says Funk, who specializes in complex litigation and international law out of the firm's Denver office.
O ne aspect of change that has come for the legal profession—as it has for all others—is AI. As growth explodes in the field of generative AI, staying ahead of the curve, remaining agile and spotting trends are proving to be significant competitive advantages. Firms are ramping up resources and expertise to not just meet client demand in the field, but to harness the next Cambrian iteration of the technology and improve their own bottom line.
It's a moment that Seattle-based lawyer and listmaker Sumedha Ahuja is well prepared for, having been steeped in artificial intelligence technology for two decades, first as a software engineer and then as an IP lawyer. At Perkins Coie she manages five large teams and says harnessing AI has streamlined her work process, freeing up more time for deep-dives and holistic thinking to better serve clients.
'People who embrace AI and learn how to augment their work with AI will be successful—super successful,' predicts Ahuja, firmwide co-chair of the firm's artificial intelligence and machine learning practice. 'I feel like it's a great way to augment how we practice law. AI itself is not new but it's becoming mainstream. It's become more democratized.'
Ahuja says clients are looking for practitioners who see the full picture from a business, legal and technological standpoint—what she describes as three-dimensional advice, a concept familiar to Fairfax Associates strategic legal consultant Lisa Smith. 'Firms need to focus on the combination of technical expertise and industry experience,' Smith says. 'Clients value lawyers who bring both of those dimensions, with technical expertise being the baseline expectation and industry experience being the value add.'
Chicago-based lawyer and listmaker Annie Kastanek brings deep industry expertise to her role as co-chair of Jenner & Block's Appellate and Supreme Court Practice. Before entering private practice, Kastanek clerked for the Seventh Circuit and Justice Anthony Kennedy at the U.S. Supreme Court, followed by work at the U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago. Kastanek continues to try cases—which provides a dual perspective she finds invaluable.
'When you understand both trial dynamics and appellate implications, you can craft strategies that work across forums from the very beginning of a case,' she says. Kastanek says today's lawyers must demonstrate value to clients early and often by being proactive and not just reactive, particularly in an increasingly unpredictable legal environment. She believes appellate work will continue to accelerate after recent Supreme Court decisions that have upended what was once considered settled law.
Finding opportunity in the unpredictable, viewing this moment in time as a glass half full—these, Ahuja says, are the hallmarks of today's best lawyers: 'The way I see it, it's a great time to be practicing. It's a transformative time for the legal industry and the economy itself.'
For the full list of America's Best-In-State Lawyers, click here. Methodology
To create our inaugural list of America's Best-In-State Lawyers, Forbes assembled an editorial team with broad experience in law practice, coverage of legal news, and knowledge of the legal marketplace. The team then identified a wide pool of eligible candidates through hundreds of interviews with industry insiders, outside nominations, editorial research, and an independent, advisory board of experts. To qualify for consideration, lawyers were required to be active and licensed—and thousands of attorneys from a variety of backgrounds, specializations and jurisdictions were ultimately considered.
For more information on the selection process see America's Best-In-State Lawyers 2025 Methodology.
As with all Forbes lists, candidates do not pay any fee to be considered. For questions about this list, please contact lawyerlist [at] Forbes.com.