Discover the winners of the 2025 Best Lawyers Awards, showcasing outstanding legal professionals across the U.S. Explore top honorees and emerging trends in the legal field.
Celebrating Excellence: Best Lawyers Awards
The 2025 Best Lawyers Awards recognize exceptional legal talent across the United States. With record-breaking voter participation, this year’s honorees reflect the profession’s evolving landscape, celebrating leaders in established and emerging practice areas.
- 31st Edition of The Best Lawyers in America: Featuring 79,116 honorees chosen through over 3.2 million evaluations.
- 5th Edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America: Highlighting 26,916 rising stars with over 1.2 million evaluations.
Elizabeth Petit, Managing Editor at Best Lawyers, remarked:
“This year’s record participation underscores the legal community’s dedication to peer recognition. The increasing competitiveness reflects the profession’s commitment to celebrating excellence.”
Emerging Trends in 2025
Growth in Key Practice Areas
1. Insurance Law
- Growth: 93% increase in recognized lawyers.
- Drivers: Business interruption claims (COVID-19) and natural disasters highlighting complex coverage issues.
2. Commercial Litigation
- Growth: 32% rise in honorees.
- Drivers: Pandemic-induced contract disputes and inflation-related business conflicts.
3. Litigation – Construction
- Growth: 37% increase.
- Drivers: Infrastructure projects, supply chain delays, and stricter environmental standards.
4. Labor and Employment Litigation
- Growth: 30% rise.
- Drivers: Remote work policies, DEI initiatives, and workplace dynamics post-pandemic.
Gender Diversity in Law
Increased Female Representation
- Fields like Family Law Mediation and Collaborative Law: Family Law now boast over 59% female representation.
- Emerging areas such as FinTech, Cannabis Law, and Food and Beverage Law show a 20% growth in female honorees.
Rising Stars:
In Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, balanced gender representation is evident in 12+ areas, including Administrative Law and Product Liability Litigation.
Geographic Trends
Major Legal Hubs:
- Washington, D.C., and New York City: Leading with top honorees in regulatory and corporate law.
- Southern Expansion: Dallas/Fort Worth sees significant growth, reflecting corporate relocations and regional economic development.
Explore the 2025 Honorees
This year’s awards honor legal professionals shaping the future of the industry. Discover the full list of honorees by specialty and location on our Find a Lawyer page.