JUNE 6, 2025 – The 2025 Chambers guide to the U.S. legal market has recognized Davis Wright Tremaine LLP for excellence in 52 practices and confirmed DWT's national preeminence in areas of strategic focus for the firm, including media and entertainment, food and beverage, healthcare, financial services, technology, advertising, and energy.
Chambers elevated DWT's rankings in six nationwide practices and awarded 27 rankings of Band 1 (or higher) to DWT lawyers in their regions. Two dozen DWT lawyers were newly added or elevated in this year's report.
Chambers rankings are based on research gathered through extensive in-depth interviews with in-house counsel, industry experts, and peers in private practice. Lawyers and practice teams are assessed for "technical ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial astuteness, diligence, commitment, and other qualities most valued by the client."
Highlights of Davis Wright's 2025 Chambers results include the following:
- The dominance of the firm's media and entertainment team was again reflected in the Chambers guide, as DWT was the only group in the country awarded a Band 1 ranking in all three of the nation's media industry centers (New York, California, and D.C.). Nine members of the team were recognized as national leaders in First Amendment litigation, more than any other firm, with Elizabeth McNamara and Kelli Sager once again the only practitioners named Star Individuals (Chambers' highest honor), both nationally and in their respective regions.
- DWT's Food + Beverage team earned higher rankings across the board, rising to Band 1 and Band 2, respectively, in both of Chambers' nationwide food and beverage categories: Alcohol and Regulatory & Litigation. DWT was again the only firm to be ranked in both categories. In addition, three of the individual team members earned elevated national rankings, including co-chair Jesse Lyon, who was placed in Band 1.
- The firm's increased strength in labor and employment was also noted, as Chambers raised the ranking of the team both nationwide and in New York. Jeremy Merkelson was newly recognized as a national leader in IP: Trade Secrets.
- In the first year ranking this category, Chambers named DWT's Trademark and Copyright practice as a nationwide leader.
- The firm continued to advance in healthcare, as DWT rose to Band 1 nationwide among the Highly Regarded firms, and three members of the team, including both practice co-chairs, earned elevated rankings.
- The firm's financial services regulatory practice earned two new nationwide rankings: Consumer Finance (Compliance) and Consumer Finance (Litigation).
Below is the full list of DWT practice group rankings, by region:
Nationwide
Advertising: NAD Proceedings (Band 1)
Advertising: Transactional & Regulatory
Cannabis Law
Energy: Electricity (Regulatory & Litigation)
Financial Services Regulation: Broker Dealer (Compliance & Enforcement)
Financial Services Regulation: Consumer Finance (Compliance)
Financial Services Regulation: Consumer Finance (Litigation)
First Amendment Litigation (Band 1)
Food & Beverages: Alcohol (Band 1)
Food & Beverages: Regulatory & Litigation
Franchising
Healthcare: Highly Regarded (Band 1)
Intellectual Property: Trademark & Copyright
Labor & Employment
Privacy & Data Security: Healthcare (Band 1)
Alaska
Corporate/M&A
Labor & Employment (Band 1)
Real Estate (Band 1)
California
Antitrust
Energy: State Regulatory & Litigation (Band 1)
Healthcare
Intellectual Property: Trademark, Copyright & Trade Secrets
Labor & Employment: The Elite
Litigation: General Commercial: Highly Regarded
Media & Entertainment: Litigation (Band 1)
Washington, D.C.
Media & Entertainment (Band 1)
Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite
New York
Intellectual Property: Trademark, Copyright & Trade Secrets
Labor & Employment: Highly Regarded (Band 1)
Media & Entertainment: Advisory
Media & Entertainment: First Amendment Litigation (Band 1)
Media & Entertainment: Litigation (Band 1)
Oregon
Corporate/M&A
Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (Band 1)
Environment
Labor & Employment
Litigation: General Commercial
Real Estate: Zoning /Land Use
Washington
Banking and Finance
Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Band 1)
Corporate/M&A (Band 1)
Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (Band 1)
Energy & Natural Resources
Environment
Healthcare (Band 1)
Immigration (Band 1)
Intellectual Property
Labor & Employment (Band 1)
Litigation: General Commercial (Band 1)
Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations
Real Estate
Tax (Band 1)
Below is the full list of individually ranked DWT lawyers, along with the practice area and geographic region in which they were recognized.
Alaska
Construction
Traeger Machetanz (Band 1)
Anne Marie Tavella (Band 1)
Labor & Employment
Kristal Graham (Associate to Watch)
Elizabeth Pifke Hodes (Band 1)
Michael O'Brien
Natural Resources & Environment
Scott Broadwell
California
Energy: State Regulatory & Litigation
Vidhya Prabhakaran
Katie E. Jorrie (Up and Coming)
Healthcare
Hope Levy-Biehl
Kathleen Drummy
Terri D. Keville
Dayna Nicholson
Intellectual Property: Trademark, Copyright & Trade Secrets
Peter Anderson
Nicolas Jampol
Labor & Employment
Judith Droz Keyes
Litigation: Appellate
James R. Sigel
Media & Entertainment: First Amendment Litigation
Thomas R. Burke (Band 1)
Kelli L. Sager (Star Individual)
Media & Entertainment: Litigation
Peter Anderson (Band 1)
Nicolas Jampol
Media & Entertainment: Transactional
Brad Miller
District of Columbia
Media & Entertainment
Laura R. Handman (Band 1)
Chelsea Kelly (Up and Coming)
Alison Schary
Nathan E. Siegel (Band 1)
Technology & Outsourcing
Christopher D. Ford
New York
Labor & Employment
Laura Sack
Lyle S. Zuckerman
Media & Entertainment: Advisory
Graham Coleman
Robert Driscoll
Media & Entertainment: First Amendment Litigation
Robert Balin
Katherine M. Bolger (Band 1)
Elizabeth A. McNamara (Star Individual)
James Rosenfeld
Rachel Strom
Victor A. Kovner (Senior Statesperson)
Media & Entertainment: Litigation
Elizabeth A. McNamara (Band 1)
James Rosenfeld
Linda Steinman
Media & Entertainment: Theater
Graham Coleman
Oregon
Corporate/M&A
Jesse D. Lyon
Ryan Maughn
Michael C. Phillips
Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation
Stuart C. Harris (Band 1)
Environment
Lawrence B. Burke
Olivier Jamin (Associate to Watch)
Intellectual Property
Sheila Fox Morrison (Band 1)
Labor & Employment
Jenna L. Mooney
Litigation: General Commercial
Kevin Kono
Andrew McStay
Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use
Elaine Albrich
USA - Nationwide
Advertising: NAD Proceedings
Nancy J. Felsten (Star Individual)
Advertising: Transaction & Regulatory
Robert Driscoll
Nancy J. Felsten
Climate Change
Craig Gannett
Derivatives: Enforcement
Elizabeth Lan Davis (Band 1)
Energy: Electricity (Regulatory & Litigation)
Sean Atkins
Michael N. Kunselman
First Amendment Litigation
Robert Balin
Katherine M. Bolger
Thomas R. Burke
Laura R. Handman (Band 1)
Victor A. Kovner (Senior Statesperson)
Elizabeth A. McNamara (Star Individual)
Kelli L. Sager (Star Individual)
Nathan E. Siegel
Rachel Strom
Food & Beverages: Alcohol
Bethany K. Hatef
Jesse D. Lyon (Band 1)
Jeff Giametta (Up and Coming)
Food & Beverages: Regulatory & Litigation
Charles M. English
Ashley Vulin (Up and Coming)
Intellectual Property: Trade Secrets
Jeremy Merkelson
Outsourcing
Christopher D. Ford
Privacy & Data Security: Privacy
Nancy Libin
Privacy & Data Security: Healthcare
Adam H. Greene (Band 1)
Rebecca Williams
Securities: Regulation: Enforcement
Stephen J. Crimmins
Washington
Banking & Finance
Daisy Dong (Up and Coming)
Michael Caughey
Ronald Law (Band 1)
Bankruptcy/Restructuring
Hugh McCullough (Band 1)
Ragan Powers (Band 1)
Construction
Traeger Machetanz
Corporate/M&A
Matthew LeMaster
Sean McCann
Jonathan Michaels
Andrew Steen
Sarah Tune
Joseph D. Weinstein
Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation
Richard Birmingham (Band 1)
Christine Hawkins (Associate to Watch)
Dipa Sudra (Band 1)
Energy & Natural Resources
Craig Gannett (Band 1)
Environment
Lynn T. Manolopoulos
David J. Ubaldi
Healthcare
Darby Allen
Jason Farber
Brad Fisher
David Gee
Robert Homchick (Band 1)
Adam Romney
Immigration
Diane Butler (Band 1)
Megan Vogel
Intellectual Property
Maria Anderson
Benjamin Byer
Cindy Caditz
Labor & Employment
Mark W. Berry
Harry Korrell
Litigation: General Commercial
Jaime Drozd
Fred B. Burnside
Ambika Kumar
Robert Maguire
Ken Payson
Stephen M. Rummage (Band 1)
Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations
Matt Diggs
Ross Siler (Up and Coming)
Real Estate
Kevin Badgley
Anthony Caso
Jim Greenfield
Marco de Sa e Silva
Real Estate: Zoning/ Land Use
Clayton Graham
Tax
Pamela Charles (Band 1)
Dirk Giseburt (Band 1)
Brian Todd (Band 1)
James Wreggelsworth (Band 1)
About Davis Wright Tremaine
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP is an AmLaw 100 law firm with more than 600 lawyers representing clients based throughout the United States and around the world. For more information, visit www.dwt.com.
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