Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP has earned a "Metropolitan First-Tier Ranking" in U.S. News' and Best Lawyers' inaugural “Best Law Firms” survey. The full survey appears in the October 2010 edition of U.S. News & World Report magazine and a special section on the USNews.com website.
Gardere received First-Tier Metropolitan Rankings in the Dallas office based on the Firm's work in Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Corporate Law, Environmental Law, Information Technology Law, and Trusts & Estates Law. In Houston, the Firm earned First-Tier rankings for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Criminal Defense: White-Collar, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants, Securitization and Structured Finance Law, and Tax Law.
Additionally, Gardere earned National Tier Two and Tier Three rankings in Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Corporate Law; General Commercial Litigation; and Tax Law.
The Firm's Austin office received Metropolitan Tier Two recognition for the Government Relations Practice. The Dallas office earned the same rankings for Antitrust Law, Family Law, General Commercial Litigation, Mergers & Acquisitions Law, and Tax Law. In Houston, the firm was recognized in the Tier Two and Tier Three for work in Admiralty & Maritime Law, Corporate Law, Trusts & Estates Law, Environmental Law, General Commercial Litigation, and Oil & Gas Law.
To compile the rankings, U.S. News-Best Lawyers surveyed thousands of law Firm clients, leading lawyers and law firm managers, partners and associates, marketing officers and recruiting officers. Each were asked what factors they considered vital for clients hiring law firms, for lawyers choosing a firm to which to refer a legal matter, and for lawyers seeking employment.
Survey participants ranked firms based on expertise, responsiveness, understanding of a business and its needs, cost-effectiveness, civility, integrity and whether they would refer a client to the law firm. In addition, information was collected about pro-bono commitment, diversity and the size and complexity of client matters. All of the data were combined into a U.S. News-Best Lawyers overall score for each firm.
"We're happy to have been singled out by 'Best Law Firms' in what was clearly an exhaustive survey of legal talent nationwide," says Steve Good, Gardere's managing partner. "Gardere has always been committed to providing exceptional legal service, as well as giving back to our communities and maintaining a diverse workforce. We're please to see that commitment has paid off in recognition such as this."