Firm Achieves Top Rankings in New York and Nationwide in Benchmark Litigation 2016 Guide

Patterson Belknap has again been ranked as a leading law firm nationally and in New York by Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC’s Benchmark Litigation. Recognized in the top category, “Highly Recommended,” for New York Litigation, the 2016 edition notes, “From its sole New York office, Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler has emerged as a firm whose work has spawned reverberations throughout the litigation market nationally; peers from California to DC offer recognition of its litigators and their accomplishments. Clients are not short on praise either - one in particular confirms, ‘The criteria we used include, in no particular order, legal skills, responsiveness, cost, business understanding, ability to interact well with business people, ability to work well with in-house lawyers and good sensitivity to decisions that warrant discussion with in-house counsel. Patterson Belknap gets high marks in all of the above, and they have the advantage of being smaller and more economical than many major NYC firms.’”

Benchmark goes on to note that Patterson Belknap’s head of litigation, Saul Shapiro, “is a client favorite. ‘He is a highly intelligent, diligent and commercial-minded attorney who is enjoyable to work with.’ Shapiro has been representing [a Fortune 500 media company] in a five-year-old litigation involving alleged corporate and economic espionage on the part of a division of the client. Shapiro won several key victories throughout the course of the litigation, with the latest being in September 2014, when the court granted summary judgment motion on all but one of the plaintiff's remaining claims.”

Benchmark also recognizes litigation partner, Erik Haas, who “was retained by a private investment firm with over $20 billion in assets under management to represent them in the enforcement of remedies relating to events of default that occurred in a multibillion-dollar revolving credit facility used by a mortgage servicer.” Benchmark notes, “If necessary, Haas will also be litigating on the client's behalf.”

Co-Chair of the firm, William Cavanaugh, is viewed “‘as one of the best antitrust lawyers to be found anywhere’” quotes one client in Benchmark. Another client states “‘Bill has an amazing depth of experience and knowledge in antitrust. From a counselling perspective, he is able to give quick guidance and recommendations, which many attorneys are hesitant to do.’” Benchmark also notes that “Cavanaugh, along with false advertising and unfair competition specialist Steven Zalesin, secured a February 2014 summary judgment ruling on behalf of [a Fortune 500 chocolate manufacturer] in a multidistrict litigation in which chocolate wholesalers, retailers and consumers, alleged that [the chocolate manufacturer] conspired with other major chocolate manufacturers to fix the price of chocolate candy sold in the US between 2002 and 2007.”

The firm has been “highly recommended” by Benchmark Litigation in each of its editions since the inception of the Guide. Additionally, the firm has been ranked as among the best firms for intellectual property litigation nationally. Several of our partners are recognized as “Stars” throughout the guide, as listed below.

Benchmark Litigation identifies the leading U.S. trial attorneys and firms at the local and national levels. The rankings and editorials are the result of extensive interviews with private practice lawyers and in-house counsel. The guide’s “Stars” are named based on peer and client recognition as top trial attorneys.

Benchmark Litigation 2016

New York Rankings:
Litigation – Highly Recommended
Litigation Stars – Bill Cavanaugh, Greg Diskant, Erik Haas, Bob LoBue, Saul Shapiro, Peter Tomlinson, Steve Younger and Steve Zalesin
Future Star – Dan Ruzumna

National Rankings:
Intellectual Property
Litigation Stars – Bill Cavanaugh and Greg Diskant