Rankings: MVPs of the Year

Law360’s MVPs of the Year recognizes the five attorneys who had extraordinary wins and contributed most to their practice area in the past year. The series showcases standout attorneys across the practice areas and industries covered by Law360.
  • December 15, 2017

    MVP: Dechert's Andrew Levander

    Dechert LLP’s Andrew J. Levander steered Takata to a $1 billion settlement in a criminal case over potentially fatal air bag inflators and represented Fox News in sexual harassment litigation over the past year, earning him a spot among Law360’s 2017 White Collar MVPs.

  • December 15, 2017

    MVP: Proskauer's Martin Bienenstock

    Proskauer Rose LLP’s Martin J. Bienenstock has handled several high-profile corporate bankruptcies this year, including the $25 billion Caesars Entertainment case, but he’s also breaking new ground for the bankruptcy bar by representing the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico in the island’s $125 billion restructuring, earning him a spot among Law360's 2017 Bankruptcy MVPs.

  • December 15, 2017

    MVP: Paul Weiss' Jay Cohen

    Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP's Jay Cohen spent the last year steering key court cases that shaped the landscape of the broadcast and cable industries, landing him a spot as one of Law360's 2017 Telecommunications MVPs.

  • December 15, 2017

    MVP: Skadden's Kenton King

    Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP's Kenton King has brokered record-breaking deals on behalf of Silicon Valley firms in the past year, including a more than $15 billion acquisition for Intel Corp. and the largest-ever semiconductor deal, securing him a place as one of Law360's 2017 Technology MVPs.

  • December 15, 2017

    MVP: Covington's Jeremy Spector

    Jeremy Spector, whose tax practice at Covington & Burling LLP singularly and uniquely focuses on representing the sports industry, landed a spot among the five Law360 Tax MVPs of 2017 after he won a precedent-setting case for the Boston Bruins, advised the Mexican Football Federation in its joint bid with U.S. and Canadian soccer federations to host the World Cup, and emerged victorious in a string of IRS audits.

  • December 15, 2017

    MVP: Sidley Austin's David Teitelbaum

    This year, Sidley Austin LLP's David Teitelbaum worked with Apple to bring Apple Pay to consumers and with PayPal to establish a credit service, playing a big role in the world of financial technology and earning a place as one ofLaw360's 2017 Retail and E-Commerce MVPs.

  • December 15, 2017

    MVP: Jenner & Block's Adam Unikowsky

    Jenner & Block LLP's Adam Unikowsky won three unanimous Supreme Court rulings in the past year, including one that could alter how the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and other government agencies seek disgorgement in enforcement actions, earning him a spot among Law360's Securities MVPs. 

  • December 15, 2017

    MVP: Paul Weiss' Harris Freidus

    Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP's Harris Freidus has handled several major matters over the past year for developer CIM Group, and thanks to that work as well as other large deals across the health care and hospitality spaces, he's been named one of Law360's Real Estate MVPs for 2017.

  • December 15, 2017

    MVP: Skadden's P. Anthony Sammi

    Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP's P. Anthony Sammi took on Facebook Inc. and its subsidiary Oculus VR LLC to win a $500 million jury verdict for his clients, video game makers ZeniMax Media and id Software, earning him a spot among Law360's 2017 Trials MVPs.

  • December 15, 2017

    MVP: Archer & Greiner's John Connell

    John Connell of Archer & Greiner PC persuaded the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down the federal government’s ban on offensive trademark registrations as unconstitutional in a landmark decision this year, securing him a place as one of Law360’s 2017 Intellectual Property MVPs.

  • December 15, 2017

    MVP: Simpson Thacher's Mary Beth Forshaw

    Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP litigation partner Mary Beth Forshaw has had a busy year, settling a $500 million reinsurance case at jury selection and racking up a Second Circuit win on an environmental cleanup coverage case, securing a place as one of Law360’s 2017 Insurance MVPs.

  • December 15, 2017

    MVP: Davis Wright's Kelli Sager

    Davis Wright Tremaine LLP’s Kelli L. Sager secured a victory establishing that a website’s rights under federal copyright law to sell official NCAA photos preempted the publicity rights of two former Division III college basketball players, earning her a spot among Law360’s 2017 Media & Entertainment MVPs.

  • December 15, 2017

    MVP: Shearman & Sterling's Anna Chung

    Shearman & Sterling LLP’s Anna Chung has advised clients around the world in numerous high-profile projects, including a $3.4 billion coal-fired power project in Dubai, landing her a spot among Law360's 2017 Project Finance MVPs.

  • December 15, 2017

    MVP: Quinn Emanuel's Kathleen Sullivan

    Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP's Kathleen M. Sullivan has amassed victories worth hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of her clients in the past year, including helping Samsung to a landmark Supreme Court win over Apple, landing her among Law360's 2017 Appellate MVPs.

  • December 15, 2017

    MVP: Weil's Edward Soto

    Edward Soto, managing partner of Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP’s Miami office, secured an Eleventh Circuit victory for Proctor & Gamble in a product liability case this year and torpedoed class claims against other manufacturers, earning him a spot among Law360’s 2017 Class Action MVPs.

  • December 15, 2017

    MVP: Simmons Hanly's Jayne Conroy

    Simmons Hanly Conroy LLC’s Jayne Conroy helped score a $1.04 billion verdict this year on behalf of six patients in the third bellwether trial against Johnson & Johnson and DePuy Orthopaedics, the manufacturer of the Pinnacle metal-on-metal hip replacements, securing her a place as one of Law360’s 2017 Product Liability MVPs.

  • December 15, 2017

    MVP: Jenner & Block's Dean Panos

    Jenner & Block LLP’s Dean Panos is known for helping food and beverage giants prevail in challenging litigation, and the past year has been no exception, with the partner notching big victories for the likes of Kraft and Mondelez to land among Law360’s 2017 Food & Beverage MVPs.

  • December 15, 2017

    MVP: Goodwin's Stuart Cable

    Goodwin Procter LLP’s Stuart Cable was involved in several life sciences transactions over the last year, including guiding contract research organization Parexel International through a competitive and aggressive $5 billion acquisition process, earning him a spot as one of Law360’s 2017 Life Sciences MVPs.

  • December 15, 2017

    MVP: Bracewell's Kevin Ewing

    In the last year, Bracewell LLP's Kevin Ewing has advised Statoil on its winning bid for a highly competitive federal wind lease and secured a ruling that clarifies the scope of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, landing him among Law360's 2017 Environmental MVPs.

  • December 15, 2017

    MVP: Jones Day's Matthew Lampe

    Jones Day labor and employment practice co-chair Matthew Lampe had another banner year in 2017, securing judgments ending and narrowing two suits against IBM and helping Verizon beat back a potentially costly wage class action to earn himself a spot among Law360’s 2017 Employment MVPs.

  • December 15, 2017

    MVP: Wiley Rein's Timothy Brightbill

    Wiley Rein LLP’s Tim Brightbill has often found himself at the forefront of global trade policy issues, and his recent achievements in trade remedy proceedings on behalf of SolarWorld Americas Inc. have landed him a spot among Law360’s 2017 International Trade MVPs.

  • December 15, 2017

    MVP: Blank Rome's David Nadler

    Blank Rome LLP’s David Nadler and his team of government contract attorneys helped helicopter operator Columbia Helicopters successfully defend against a competitor's bid protests challenging a $1 billion contract to provide helicopters in Afghanistan, landing him among Law360’s 2017 Government Contracts MVPs.

  • December 15, 2017

    MVP: Paul Weiss' Scott Barshay

    Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP’s Scott A. Barshay, leader of the firm's global mergers and acquisitions practice, has helped negotiate more than $200 billion in deals in the past year, and a $143 billion merger for the Kraft Heinz Co. anchored his mega-deal workload, landing him among Law360's 2017 Mergers & Acquisitions MVPs.

  • December 15, 2017

    MVP: Latham's Richard Owens

    Latham & Watkins LLP’s Richard Owens helped Deutsche Bank negotiate down a huge government settlement that initially threatened the German banking giant’s survival following a probe into the company’s pre-crisis mortgage securitization practices, securing him a place as one of Law360’s 2017 Banking MVPs.

  • December 15, 2017

    MVP: Quinn Emanuel's Stephen Neuwirth

    Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP’s Stephen Neuwirth scored major victories for clients in both class and nonclass antitrust matters over the last year, including another settlement for egg purchasers and a win for the Washington Nationals in a dispute with the Baltimore Orioles, landing him a spot among Law360's 2017 Competition MVPs.