JUNE 4, 2026 – The 2026 Chambers guide to the U.S. legal market has recognized Davis Wright Tremaine LLP for excellence in 55 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 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 2026 Chambers results include the following:
- More than 20 DWT lawyers were newly added or elevated in the rankings. Chambers also increased the number of DWT lawyers ranked at Band 1 to more than 30.
- 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.). Eight members of the team were recognized as national leaders in First Amendment litigation, with Elizabeth McNamara and Kelli Sager each named Star Individuals (Chambers' highest honor)—nationally and in their respective markets of New York and Los Angeles.
- The firm was newly recognized as a Nationwide leader in General Commercial Litigation. Chambers also elevated the firm's General Commercial Litigation ranking in California.
- DWT's Food + Beverage team was one of just two in the country to achieve rankings in both of Chambers' Nationwide food and beverage categories: Alcohol and Regulatory & Litigation.
- DWT's growing leadership in financial services was also recognized, as Chambers elevated the firm to Band 1 in Banking & Finance in Washington state. Seattle partner Fred Burnside was newly honored as a Nationwide leader in Financial Services Regulation: Consumer Finance (Litigation) and Chambers noted the arrival to DWT of Seattle partner Eric Goldberg, a Nationwide leader in Financial Services Regulation: Consumer Finance (Compliance).
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
Litigation: General Commercial: Highly Regarded
Privacy & Data Security: Healthcare (Band 1)
Alaska
Corporate/M&A
Labor & Employment (Band 1)
Natural Resources & Environment
Real Estate (Band 1)
California
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)
Media & Entertainment: Music
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
Healthcare (Band 1)
Labor & Employment
Litigation: General Commercial
Real Estate: Zoning /Land Use
Washington
Banking and Finance (Band 1)
Bankruptcy/Restructuring
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 (Band 1)
Natural Resources & Environment
Scott Broadwell
Real Estate
Sarah Gillstrom
California
Energy: State Regulatory & Litigation
Vidhya Prabhakaran (Band 1)
Katie E. Jorrie
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)
Dan Laidman (Up and Coming)
Kelli L. Sager (Star Individual)
Media & Entertainment: Litigation
Peter Anderson (Band 1)
Cydney Freeman (Up and Coming)
Nicolas Jampol
Media & Entertainment: Music
Peter Anderson (Band 1)
Media & Entertainment: Transactional
Brad Miller
Litigation: White Collar Crime & Government Investigations
Alexander Porter
District of Columbia
Labor & Employment
Jeremy Merkelson
Media & Entertainment
Laura R. Handman (Band 1)
Chelsea Kelly (Up and Coming)
Alison Schary
Nathan E. Siegel (Band 1)
Technology & Outsourcing
Christopher D. Ford
Telecom, Broadcast, & Satellite
K.C. Halm
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)
Jack Browning (Up and Coming)
Elizabeth A. McNamara (Star Individual)
James Rosenfeld
Rachel Strom
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 (Up and Coming)
Healthcare
Caitlin Forsyth (Band 1)
Intellectual Property
Sheila Fox Morrison (Band 1)
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 (Band 1)
Climate Change
Craig Gannett
Derivatives: Enforcement
Elizabeth Lan Davis (Band 1)
Energy: Electricity (Regulatory & Litigation)
Sean Atkins
Michael N. Kunselman
Financial Services Regulation: Consumer Finance (Compliance)
Eric Goldberg
Financial Services Regulation: Consumer Finance (Litigation)
Fred Burnside
First Amendment Litigation
Robert Balin
Katherine M. Bolger
Thomas R. Burke
Laura R. Handman (Band 1)
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
Food & Beverages: Regulatory & Litigation
Charles M. English
Ashley Vulin
Franchising
Tanja Hens
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
Ronald Law (Band 1)
Bankruptcy/Restructuring
Hugh McCullough (Band 1)
Ragan Powers (Band 1)
Construction
Traeger Machetanz
Corporate/M&A
Christina Chan
Matthew LeMaster
Sean McCann
Andrew Steen
Sarah Tune
Joseph D. Weinstein
Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation
Richard Birmingham (Band 1)
Christine Hawkins (Up and Coming)
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: Patent Litigation
Benjamin Byer
Intellectual Property: Patent Prosecution
Maria Anderson
Mauricio Uribe
Intellectual Property: Trademark, Copyright & Trade Secrets
Batur Oktay
Labor & Employment
Mark W. Berry
Harry Korrell
Litigation: General Commercial
Jaime Drozd
Fred B. Burnside
Ambika Kumar
Robert Maguire
Ken Payson
Stephen M. Rummage (Senior Statesperson)
Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations
Ross Siler (Up and Coming)
Real Estate
Kevin Badgley
Anthony Caso
Marco de Sa e Silva
Real Estate: Zoning/ Land Use
Clayton Graham
Tax
Pamela Charles (Band 1)
Dirk Giseburt (Band 1)
Brian Todd
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.