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Steptoe Receives 86 Individual Mentions in Best Lawyers 2020

Two lawyers named 'Lawyer of the Year'

August 15, 2019

Overview

(August 15, 2019, Washington, DC) — Steptoe has received 86 individual mentions in the 2020 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. Best Lawyers is based on a peer-review survey in which nearly 94,000 lawyers globally are eligible to vote on the legal abilities of other lawyers based on their specific practice areas around the world. For the 2020 edition of the US guide, some 8.3 million votes were cast.

In addition, two Steptoe lawyers have been named "Lawyer of the Year" in the 2020 edition. Only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is recognized as the "Lawyer of the Year." The lawyers being named as "Lawyers of the Year" have received particularly high ratings in this year's survey by earning a high level of respect among their peers for their abilities, professionalism, and integrity. 

The following Steptoe lawyers are recognized as a "Lawyer of the Year" in their respective practices:

  • Suzanne Ross McDowell – Nonprofit/Charities Law
  • Rick Roberts – Energy Law

The following Steptoe lawyers are listed:

  • Fil Agusti – Litigation: Bankruptcy
  • Stewart Baker – Privacy and Data Security Law
  • Brigida Benitez – Employment Law: Management
  • Steve Brose – Energy Law; Natural Resources Law; Oil and Gas Law
  • Joe Caldwell – Commercial Litigation; Criminal Defense: White-Collar; Litigation: Banking and Finance; Litigation: Labor and Employment
  • Jasmine Campirides – Trusts and Estates
  • Jim Carolan – Real Estate Law
  • Betty Jo Christian – Transportation Law
  • Chuck Cole – Railroad Law
  • Dick Cunningham – International Trade and Finance Law
  • Peter Denton – Transportation Law
  • Michael Dockterman – Commercial Litigation; Litigation: Intellectual Property
  • Laurie Edelstein – Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation
  • Eric Emerson – International Trade and Finance Law
  • Markham Erickson ­– Communications Law
  • Susan Esserman – International Trade and Finance Law
  • Ken Ewing – Antitrust Law
  • Tom Filarski – Patent Law
  • Harold Freilich – Project Finance Law
  • Doug Green – Energy Law; Natural Resources Law
  • Brian Heberlig – Bet-the-Company Litigation; Criminal Defense: White-Collar
  • Toni Ianniello – Insurance Law; Legal Malpractice Law: Defendants
  • Walker Johnson – Tax Law
  • Ed Krauland – International Trade and Finance Law
  • Tony LaRocca – Railroad Law; Transportation Law
  • Harry Lee – Insurance Law
  • Lucinda Low – International Arbitration: Governmental; International Trade and Finance Law
  • Suzanne Ross McDowell – Nonprofit/Charities Law; Tax Law
  • Pantelis Michalopoulos – Communications Law
  • Charley Mills – Derivatives and Futures Law; Securities/Capital Markets Law
  • Mark Moran – International Trade and Finance Law
  • Dan Mullen – Energy Law
  • Chris Niewoehner – Criminal Defense: White-Collar
  • Melanie Nussdorf – Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law; Litigation: ERISA
  • Paul Ondrasik – Litigation: ERISA
  • Sara Pikofsky – Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law; Litigation: ERISA
  • Daniel Poynor – Oil and Gas Law
  • Jennifer Quinn-Barabanov – Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions: Defendants
  • Dave Raskin – Energy Law; Natural Resources Law
  • Steve Reed – Natural Resources Law; Oil and Gas Law
  • Rick Roberts – Energy Law
  • Jim Rocap – Insurance Law
  • Jon Sallet – Antitrust Law; Communications Law
  • Eric Serron – Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law; Litigation: ERISA
  • Mark Silverman – Corporate Law; Litigation and Controversy: Tax; Tax Law
  • Sam Sipe – Railroad Law; Transportation Law
  • Linda Stein – Transportation Law
  • Beth Tractenberg – Trusts and Estates
  • Roger Warin – Arbitration; Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Insurance Law; Legal Malpractice Law: Defendants; Mediation
  • Reid Weingarten – Bet-the-Company Litigation; Criminal Defense: White-Collar
  • Phil West – Litigation and Controversy: Tax; Tax Law
  • Steve Wheeless – Labor Law: Management; Litigation: Labor and Employment
  • Frank Winston – Insurance Law
  • Matthew Yeo – International Trade and Finance Law
  • Lisa Zarlenga – Tax Law

To learn more about The Best Lawyers in America©, visit Best Lawyers. 

For more information on Steptoe's presence in the professional community, see the Honors & Rankings page.

About Steptoe 

In more than 100 years of practice, Steptoe has earned an international reputation for vigorous representation of clients before governmental agencies, successful advocacy in litigation and arbitration, and creative and practical advice in structuring business transactions. Steptoe has more than 500 lawyers and other professional staff across offices in Beijing, Brussels, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington. For more information, visit www.steptoe.com.

Professionals

Suzanne Ross McDowell
Suzanne Ross McDowell
Suzanne Ross McDowell advises charities, private foundations, trade associations and professional societies, social welfare organizations, educational institutions and other exempt organizations and...

Senior Counsel

Exempt Organizations, Tax, Tax Policy, Private Client

Richard Roberts
Richard L. Roberts
Rick Roberts is one of the nation’s leading energy litigators, handling litigation and antitrust matters for prominent players in energy and power. Chambers USA recently described Rick as a “superb...

Partner

Electric Power, Energy, Antitrust

Filiberto Agusti
Filiberto Agusti is a prominent commercial and insolvency litigator with a roster of clients that includes the pilots' union in the American Airlines reorganization, celebrity chef José Andrés and...

Partner

Stewart A. Baker
Stewart Baker's career has spanned national security and law. He served as General Counsel of the National Security Agency, Assistant Secretary for Policy at the Department of Homeland Security, and...

Partner

Privacy & Cybersecurity, Internet, Telecom & Media, National Security/CFIUS, Export Controls

Brigida Benitez
Brigida Benitez solves challenging problems that stem from business disputes, employment relationships, and compliance matters. With a focus on complex litigation, internal investigations, and global...

Partner

Independent & Internal Investigations, FCPA/Anti-Corruption, Commercial Litigation, World Bank/IFI Investigations

Steven H. Brose
Steve Brose provides oil and natural gas pipeline companies with leading representation and counsel on their most complex administrative, judicial, compliance, and transactional matters, including...

Partner

Energy, Oil & Gas Pipelines

Joe Robert Caldwell, Jr.
Having litigated more than 100 jury trials, Joe Caldwell is a widely sought, talented advocate for his corporate and individual clients in their most complicated commercial disputes and white-collar...

Partner

Commercial Litigation, White-Collar Defense, Independent & Internal Investigations

Jasmine Campirides
Jasmine M. Campirides
Jasmine Campirides focuses her practice on all areas of trusts and estates law, including personal and tax-driven estate planning, probate and complex estate, and trust administration. Her practice...

Of Counsel

Trusts & Estates, Private Client, Tax, Exempt Organizations

James M. Carolan
Jim Carolan has a practice focused on the real estate and nonprofit sectors, and often works at the intersection of the two.He has 30 years of experience advising investors on a broad array of real...

Partner

Private Client, Property, Corporate, Exempt Organizations

Betty Jo Christian
Betty Jo Christian represents railroads, motor carriers, port authorities, rail facility developers, and other parties in a wide range of regulatory and court proceedings. She also advises...

Senior Counsel

Appeals & Advocacy, Regulatory Litigation, Rail Transportation, Transportation

Chuck Cole
Charles G. Cole
Chuck Cole has won challenging appeals at every level of the judicial system. His wins include three 9-0 victories in the US Supreme Court, in fields as diverse as tribal sovereignty (Atkinson Trading...

Partner

Appeals & Advocacy, Rail Transportation, Commercial Litigation, Employee Benefits & ERISA

Richard O. Cunningham
Dick Cunningham has been recognized for more than 40 years as one of America's leading international trade lawyers. His practice includes the handling of antidumping and countervailing duty cases for...

Partner

Trade Policy & Negotiations, Trade Remedies, WTO Disputes, Customs

Peter W. Denton
As an experienced advisor to major railroad industry clients, Peter Denton assists clients with regulatory and legislative issues, business transactions, arbitrations, court actions, disputes before...

Partner

Rail Transportation, Transportation, Infrastructure & Project Finance

Michael Dockterman
Michael Dockterman is a celebrated and versatile trial lawyer who has tried scores of commercial disputes, both civil and criminal, throughout the United States. His litigation and trial experience...

Partner

Commercial Litigation, Crisis Management, Independent & Internal Investigations, Class Action Defense

Laurie Edelstein
Laurie Edelstein is a trial lawyer dedicated to partnering with her clients to tackle and solve difficult problems and known for her mastery of the facts and the law. She represents corporations and...

Partner

Commercial Litigation, Energy Litigation, White-Collar Defense, Securities Enforcement

Eric C. Emerson
Eric Emerson, chair of the International Trade and Investment Group, represents companies across various industries on all aspects of antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) proceedings before...

Partner

Trade Remedies, Trade Policy & Negotiations, Customs, Retail & E-Commerce

Susan Esserman
Ambassador Susan G. Esserman
Ambassador Susan Esserman is a former Deputy US Trade Representative who leads Steptoe's International Trade Policy practice. A principal focus of her practice is on advising US and foreign clients in...

Partner

Trade Policy & Negotiations, Trade Remedies, Government Affairs & Public Policy

Kenneth P. Ewing
Ken Ewing defends companies and individuals in US and multijurisdictional criminal cartel investigations and related civil damages suits and civil investigations by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)...

Senior Counsel

Antitrust/Competition, Antitrust Mergers, Acquisitions, & Joint Ventures, Cartels & Conspiracies, Independent & Internal Investigations

Thomas J. Filarski
Tom Filarski represents prominent pharmaceutical, medical device, and electronics companies in patent enforcement and defense actions. According to clients, Tom "has a gift for explaining technology...

Partner

Patent, Trade Secrets, Patent Litigation, Patent Office Practice

Harold I. Freilich
Harold Freilich represents lenders, borrowers, investors, and issuers in complex cross-border and domestic financing transactions, often in the most challenging emerging markets around the world. He...

Partner

Finance, Infrastructure & Project Finance, Capital Markets/Securities, Mergers & Acquisitions

Douglas G. Green
Doug Green has long been recognized as one of the nation's leading lawyers in handling major competition and litigation issues in the electric power industry. Described by Chambers as "the definitive...

Partner

Energy, Electric Power, Antitrust/Competition, Energy Litigation

Brian M. Heberlig
Brian Heberlig is an accomplished trial lawyer who successfully defends executives, public officials, and corporations in all phases of federal criminal investigations and prosecutions. Chambers USA...

Partner

White-Collar Defense, Independent & Internal Investigations, Securities Enforcement, FCPA/Anti-Corruption

Antonia B. Ianniello
Toni Ianniello heads the Litigation Department at Steptoe and is one of the leading insurance coverage lawyers in the nation. Over more than 30 years of practice, she has served as lead counsel for...

Partner

Commercial Litigation, Insurance & Reinsurance, International Arbitration, Professional Liability

J. Walker Johnson
Walker Johnson represents insurance companies, financial institutions and other corporations in federal tax controversies and litigation, transfer pricing, and tax planning matters. He represents...

Partner

Tax Controversies & Litigation, Transactional Tax, International Tax, State & Local Tax

Edward J. Krauland
Edward J. Krauland represents clients on matters involving US and multilateral economic sanctions, dual use, defense and nuclear export controls, anti-money laundering (AML) compliance, anti-boycott,...

Partner

Export Controls, Economic Sanctions, Anti-Money Laundering, FCPA/Anti-Corruption

Anthony J. LaRocca
Anthony LaRocca advises railroad clients on complex economic regulations and preemption matters. His multi-faceted background in economic regulation in areas ranging from antitrust to antidumping law...

Partner

Transportation, Rail Transportation, Autonomous Vehicles, Antitrust/Competition

Harry Lee
Harry Lee represents clients in their most challenging insurance and reinsurance disputes. He also assists clients in a variety of commercial disputes, including mass tort bankruptcies, insurance...

Partner

Insurance & Reinsurance, Professional Liability, Commercial Litigation, Blockchain & Cryptocurrency

Lucinda A. Low
Lucinda Low's practice includes representing audit committees, boards of directors, and companies in internal, government, and international financial institution audits, investigations, and...

Partner

FCPA/Anti-Corruption, World Bank/IFI Investigations, Anti-Money Laundering, Business & Human Rights

Pantelis Michalopoulos
Pantelis Michalopoulos helps clients navigate (or litigate) in frequently uncharted areas of telecommunications and technology law. Praised by clients in Chambers USA for "his ability to come up with...

Partner

Internet, Telecom & Media, Regulatory Litigation, Government Affairs & Public Policy, Antitrust/Competition

Charles R. Mills
Charley Mills counsels and represents licensed market intermediaries, traders, and end users (hedgers) in the derivatives, commodities, and securities markets. His practice focuses on enforcement...

Partner

Energy, Financial Services, Securities Enforcement

Mark A. Moran
Mark A. Moran's practice centers on representing governments and private parties in international trade and investment litigation and arbitration as well as in bilateral and multilateral treaty...

Partner

China, Commercial Litigation, International Arbitration, Trade Policy & Negotiations

Daniel A. Mullen
Daniel Mullen counsels clients on energy and commodities enforcement matters and government investigations and litigation, and assists clients with the development of energy regulatory compliance...

Partner

Energy, Financial Services, Electric Power

Chris Niewoehner
Chris Niewoehner is an esteemed trial lawyer who defends prominent individuals and corporations in all phases of government investigations and prosecutions, and handles matters related to complex...

Partner

White-Collar Defense, Independent & Internal Investigations, FCPA/Anti-Corruption, Commercial Litigation

Melanie Nussdrof
Melanie Nussdorf
Melanie Nussdorf advises some of the world's largest financial institutions on fiduciary issues, including prohibited transaction exemption questions under ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code,...

Partner

Employee Benefits & ERISA, Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation, Tax

Paul Ondrasik
Paul J. Ondrasik, Jr.
Widely recognized as one of the country's premier ERISA litigators, Paul Ondrasik has served as lead counsel in numerous ERISA class actions and individual cases throughout the United States involving...

Partner

Employee Benefits & ERISA, ERISA Litigation, Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation, Commercial Litigation

Sara Pikofsky
A seasoned litigator, Sara Pikofsky has extensive experience in all phases of litigation, with a focus on violations of ERISA's fiduciary duty and prohibited transactions provisions, as well as the...

Partner

ERISA Litigation, Employee Benefits & ERISA

Daniel J. Poynor
Daniel Poynor, the head of Steptoe’s pipeline practice, represents pipeline companies before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and appellate courts. Daniel's clients benefit from his...

Partner

Oil & Gas Pipelines

Jennifer Quinn-Barabanov
Jennifer Quinn-Barabanov
Jennifer Quinn-Barabanov focuses on high-stakes, high-profile commercial and class action disputes. Jennifer achieves successful results by implementing purposeful, pragmatic and creative strategies...

Partner

Class Action Defense, Commercial Litigation, Energy Litigation, Environmental, Product, & Mass Tort

David B. Raskin
Dave Raskin has more than 35 years of experience representing clients in the electric power industry. He is described by Chambers Global sources as "a really fantastic lawyer, a clear communicator; he...

Partner

Electric Power, Energy

Steven Reed
Steve Reed helps major US oil pipeline companies resolve their most difficult regulatory problems. Because of his exceptional experience with complex pipeline issues and his deep understanding of the...

Partner

Energy, Oil & Gas Pipelines, Appeals & Advocacy

James E. Rocap, III
James Rocap is a respected litigator and adviser in complex insurance coverage disputes. For the past 35 years, he has represented major casualty and property insurers in disputes over coverage for...

Partner

Insurance & Reinsurance

Jon Sallet
Jonathan B. Sallet
Jonathan Sallet provides counsel and litigation strategy on matters involving antitrust law, communications law, and broader issues of competition policy. In addition to his years in private practice...

Partner

Antitrust/Competition, Internet, Telecom & Media, Antitrust Mergers, Acquisitions, & Joint Ventures, Autonomous Vehicles

Eric G. Serron
Eric Serron has more than 25 years of experience assisting clients with ERISA litigation and fiduciary responsibility issues.Eric regularly provides advice and counsel to clients regarding their...

Partner

Employee Benefits & ERISA, Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation, ERISA Litigation

Mark J. Silverman
Widely recognized as one of the top corporate tax lawyers, Mark Silverman advises large public corporations as well as closely held businesses on tax planning and transactional matters. He has...

Partner

Tax, Transactional Tax, Tax Controversies & Litigation, Tax Policy

Samuel M. Sipe, Jr.
Sam Sipe solves problems for clients involved in the railroad industry. He has represented railroads in merger cases, rate cases, rulemakings, and other proceedings before the Surface Transportation...

Partner

Rail Transportation, Transportation

Linda S. Stein
Linda Stein represents clients in regulatory proceedings before the Surface Transportation Board (STB), as well as complex civil litigation and arbitration. She has extensive experience representing...

Partner

Commercial Litigation, Rail Transportation, Transportation, Class Action Defense

Beth D. Tractenberg
Beth Tractenberg guides high-net-worth individuals, families, and fiduciaries in international and domestic estate planning, contested matters, estate administration, the creation and advising of...

Partner

Private Client, Trusts & Estates, Tax, Exempt Organizations

Roger E. Warin
Roger Warin served as chair of Steptoe from 2003-2013, and has for more than 30 years successfully handled a wide range of complex commercial litigation, appearing in courts throughout the United...

Partner

Insurance & Reinsurance, Commercial Litigation, Professional Liability, Securities Enforcement

Reid H. Weingarten
Reid Weingarten is widely recognized as one of the nation's top white-collar criminal defense lawyers. Since 2013, Reid has been given the rare distinction of a "star" ranking by Chambers USA in both...

Partner

White-Collar Defense, Securities Enforcement, Congressional Oversight & Investigations, Independent & Internal Investigations

Philip R. West
Phil West, Steptoe's chair, is a trusted adviser to major multinationals and high-net-worth individuals on international tax issues, and is widely regarded as one of the premier international tax...

Chair

International Tax, Tax, Private Client, Tax Controversies & Litigation

Steve Wheeless
Steven D. Wheeless
Steptoe partner Steve Wheeless leads the firm’s nationwide labor & employment group. He practices nationally, representing clients with their toughest workforce issues in numerous industries and...

Partner

Labor & Employment, Employee Benefits & ERISA, Commercial Litigation, Retail & E-Commerce

Frank Winston, Jr.
Frank Winston, Jr. is nationally esteemed for his insurance coverage litigation and counseling practice. Frank has litigated many high-profile and precedent-setting cases in more than 30 state and...

Partner

Insurance & Reinsurance, Commercial Litigation

Matthew Yeo
Matthew Yeo advises sovereign and non-sovereign clients in matters arising under the agreements of the World Trade Organization. He is among the small number of lawyers in private practice who appear...

Partner

WTO Disputes, Trade Policy & Negotiations, Trade Remedies, Blockchain & Cryptocurrency

Lisa M. Zarlenga
Lisa Zarlenga represents public and private companies on federal income taxation issues, with a focus on tax policy issues with respect to tax legislation and Treasury guidance as well as on corporate...

Partner

Tax, Tax Policy, Transactional Tax, Blockchain & Cryptocurrency

Practices

Exempt Organizations

Energy

Commercial Litigation

Labor & Employment

Trusts & Estates

Property

Transportation

Rail Transportation

Trade Remedies

Trademark

Internet, Telecom & Media

Antitrust/Competition

Patent

Finance

White-Collar Defense

Insurance & Reinsurance

Tax

International Arbitration

Capital Markets/Securities

Employee Benefits & ERISA

ERISA Litigation

Oil & Gas Pipelines

Environmental, Product, & Mass Tort

Corporate

Tax Controversies & Litigation

Seminars & Events EU State of Play: Perspective after the European Elections September 25, 2019 Client Alerts CCPA's Moving Target Comes into Focus September 16, 2019 Press Releases New York Super Lawyers Recognizes Steptoe Attorneys September 12, 2019
Media Mentions Law360 Names Jared Butcher, Sarah Gordon 'Rising Stars' for 2019 September 9, 2019 Client Alerts One Supreme Court Arbitration Case to Watch this Fall September 3, 2019 Media Mentions Law360 Covers Steptoe's Double Victory for AIG Over $12M Legal Bill August 29, 2019 Media Mentions Women's Wear Daily Names Steptoe a Go-To Firm for Fashion Companies August 26, 2019 Client Alerts United Kingdom and Korea Sign Continuity Free Trade Agreement August 23, 2019 Press Releases Los Angeles Business Journal Names Robyn Crowther to 'Top Litigators & Trial Lawyers' List August 19, 2019 Press Releases Steptoe Receives 86 Individual Mentions in Best Lawyers 2020 August 15, 2019 Press Releases Trial Litigator Nate Kritzer Joins Steptoe in New York August 14, 2019 Press Releases Steptoe's Renigar, McDowell Elected to the American Law Institute August 6, 2019

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