Download the 2025 New York Legal Awards Program


Attorney of the Year Finalists

  • Bill Carmody, Susman Godfrey — WINNER
  • Jeffrey Kessler, Winston & Strawn
  • Jeroen van Kwawegen, Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann

Presented by:  


Law Firm of the Year Finalists

  • Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann — WINNER
  • Dechert
  • Greenberg Traurig
  • Latham & Watkins
  • Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
  • Weil, Gotshal & Manges
  • Winston & Strawn

Presented by:  


Dealmakers of the Year Finalists

  • Michael J. Aiello, Weil, Gotshal & Manges
  • Jackie Cohen, Ropes & Gray
  • Elena M. Coyle, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
  • James Dougherty, Davis Polk & Wardwell
  • David Feirstein, Kirkland & Ellis
  • Joel Moss, Cahill Gordon & Reindel
  • Kimberly C. Petillo-Décossard and Ross Sturman, White & Case
  • Jennifer St. John Yount, Paul Hastings — WINNER
  • Sullivan & Cromwell Restructuring Group
  • Joshua Zachariah, Goodwin

Presented by: 


Best Mentor Finalists

  • Christina Chianese, Sidley Austin
  • Amy Fallon, Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy
  • Laurel Grass, Leech Tishman
  • Susan Light, Katten Muchin Rosenman — WINNER
  • Alexander Paykin, The Law Office of Alexander Paykin
  • John C. Scalzo, Reed Smith
  • Lawrence Scarborough, Faegre Drinker
  • Dayrel S. Sewell, Law Firm of Dayrel Sewell
  • Stacie Trott, DLA Piper
  • Professor Glen M. Vogel, Hofstra University
  • Richard Weber, Winston & Strawn

In-House Impact Finalists

  • Goldman Sachs — WINNER
  • Winnie Ling, Blend Labs Inc.
  • Kyndryl
  • Stevi Siber-Sanderowitz, SterlingRisk Insurance

Litigation Departments of the Year: General Litigation Finalists

  • Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
  • Boies Schiller Flexner
  • Hughes Hubbard & Reed
  • Sullivan & Cromwell — WINNER
  • Kirkland & Ellis
  • King & Spalding
  • O’Melveny & Myers
  • Winston & Strawn
  • Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan

Office Managing Partner of the Year Finalists

  • Rob Braverman, Braverman Greenspun
  • Julie Fink, Hecker Fink
  • Doug Dimitroff, Phillips Lytle
  • Jonathan Gardner, Labaton Keller Sucharow
  • Marc Jaffe, Latham & Watkins
  • Anthony J. Kuhn, Tully Rinckey
  • Jamie Levitt, Morrison Foerster
  • Glen McGorty, Crowell & Moring
  • Matthew T. McLaughlin, Venable — WINNER
  • David Scott, Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law
  • Craig Unterberg, Haynes and Boone

 Presented by:  


Most Promising Newcomer Finalists

  • Camilla Akbari, King & Spalding
  • Marcelo M. Bonassa, Hueston Hennigan
  • Brent Drenon, Winston & Strawn
  • Molly Drescher, Greenberg Traurig
  • Stephanie Kelemen, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan — WINNER
  • Leonie Koch, Paul Hastings
  • I-Hsuan Kuo, Baker McKenzie
  • Alejandra Mena, Akerman
  • Connor McRory, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr
  • Mikkaela Salamatin, Norton Rose Fulbright
  • Ankita Sangwan, Pomerantz

Innovation Awards: Individual Finalists

  • Karen Buzard, A&O Shearman
  • Jordan Cohen, Akerman
  • Sam Dolce, Milestone
  • Jonathan Gardner, Labaton Keller Sucharow
  • Archana Iyer, Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy — WINNER
  • Niketa Patel, Mayer Brown
  • Jess Smith, Uber Technologies Inc.
  • Alan Tarter, Tarter Krinsky & Drogin
  • Mike Tyler, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft
  • Yvette Valdez and Stephen Wink, Latham & Watkins

Innovation Awards: Firm Finalists

  • A&O Shearman
  • Dechert — WINNER
  • Incendii Law
  • Polsinelli
  • Seyfarth Shaw
  • Troutman Pepper Locke
  • Weil, Gotshal & Manges

Real Estate Transaction of the Year Finalists

  • Ralston Turbeville, Sullivan & Cromwell
  • Bruce DePaola, Paul Hastings — WINNER
  • Eric Feuerstein and Harry Silvera, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
  • Michael Rishty, Davis Polk & Wardwell
  • David Forti and Jason Rozes, Dechert
  • Eric S. Orenstein and Gary M. Rosenberg, Rosenberg & Estis
  • Jonathan Mechanic and Jennifer Yashar, Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson

Litigation Departments of the Year: Class Action Finalists

  • Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann — WINNER
  • Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison

Litigation Departments of the Year: Intellectual Property Finalists

  • Kirkland & Ellis
  • Latham & Watkins
  • Paul Hastings
  • Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan — WINNER
  • Sidley Austin

Litigation Departments of the Year: Insurance Finalists

  • Anderson Kill — WINNER
  • Cohen Ziffer Frenchman & McKenna
  • Simpson Thacher & Bartlett

Litigation Departments of the Year: Finance Finalists

  • Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
  • Willkie Farr & Gallagher — WINNER

 Presented by:  


Litigation Departments of the Year: Labor and Employment Finalists

  • Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein
  • Wigdor — WINNER

Litigation Departments of the Year: Professional Liability Finalists

  • Latham & Watkins — WINNER
  • Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
  • Weil, Gotshal & Manges

Litigation Departments of the Year: Real Estate Finalists

  • Blank Rome
  • Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom — WINNER

Litigation Departments of the Year: Products Liability/Mass Torts Finalists

  • Dechert
  • Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein — WINNER

Talent Management Initiative Finalists

  • Kyndryl Legal Department — WINNER
  • Robinson & Cole

Lifetime Achievement Honorees

  • Donald Chesworth, Tully Rinckey
  • Karen J. Freedman, Lawyers for Children
  • Dennis Friedman, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
  • Kevin McAuliffe, Barclay Damon
  • Elizabeth Gross, New York City Law Department, Office of the Corporation Counsel
  • Stephen Fraidin, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft

Distinguished Leaders Honorees

  • Mercedes Colwin, Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani
  • Kevin J. Cross, Lippes Mathias
  • Seth D. DuCharme, Bracewell
  • David Elsberg, Elsberg Baker & Maruri
  • Henry Greenberg and Caroline Heller, Greenberg Traurig
  • Carl Kennedy, Katten Muchin Rosenman
  • Brian McGrath, Hinshaw & Culbertson
  • Carol Baldwin Moody, Legal Momentum
  • Doug Nevin, Klaris Law
  • Christopher R. Nolan, Holland & Knight
  • E. Danya Perry, Perry Law
  • Andrew Potak, NYC Law Department
  • Carolyn Richmond, Fox Rothschild
  • E. Eric Rytter, Dorsey & Whitney
  • Michael Schmidt, Cozen O'Connor
  • Paul Schoeman and Howard Spilko, HSF Kramer
  • McGregor Smyth, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest
  • Sarena Townsend, Townsend Law

Rising Stars Honorees

  • Sophia Agathis, Holland & Knight
  • Sam Clearwater, Google
  • Ethan R. Cohen, Rosenberg & Estis
  • Leslie A. Demers, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
  • Eric Feinstein, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
  • Rachel Fischer, Proskauer Rose
  • Kiersten A. Fletcher, Cahill Gordon & Reindel
  • Peter H. Fountain, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
  • Anthony Lauriello, Norton Rose Fulbright
  • Brett Fuller, Simmons Hanly Conroy
  • Allison D. Gargano, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
  • Mark S. Goldstein, Reed Smith
  • Thomas Kessler, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
  • Claire O’Brien, Selendy Gay
  • Taylor Owings, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
  • Sylvia Simson, Greenberg Traurig
  • Anand Sithian, Crowell & Moring
  • Stephanie Spies, Susman Godfrey
  • Brittany L. Sukiennik, Cravath, Swaine & Moore
  • Priyanka Timblo, Holwell Shuster & Goldberg
  • D. Brandon Trice, Kaplan Martin
  • Eno Usoro, Sidley Austin
  • Emily Van Tuyl, Dechert