Best Lawyers® proudly announces the release of the 2025 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America, recognizing the outstanding achievements of legal professionals who have demonstrated unparalleled expertise and dedication in their fields. These awards are more than just recognitions—they are a testament to the skill and commitment of lawyers across the United States, whose work continues to shape the future of the legal industry.
Best Lawyers Nominations and Voting Process
This year’s awards featured record-breaking voter participation, highlighting the increasing importance of peer recognition within the legal community. More than 3.2 million evaluations were collected for the 31st edition of The Best Lawyers in America and over 1.2 million for the fifth edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.
Our rigorous Purely Peer Review® ensures that the 79,116 honorees in The Best Lawyers in America and the 26,916 recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America are leaders in their fields. These individuals are respected by their colleagues, showcasing them as the most distinguished members of the legal community.
"As an industry-driven professional recognition, it is the opinion of lawyers themselves that determines our awards," said Elizabeth Petit, Director of Research & Development and Managing Editor at Best Lawyers. "We received record-breaking voter participation in this year's editions of both The Best Lawyers in America and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America. As an organization, we also reached a milestone in the U.S., surpassing 250,000 individual voters since we began asking our core question over 40 years ago: 'If you are unable to take a case, how likely would you be to refer your client to this nominee?' With more engagement from the market, the barrier for recognition is higher and more competitive than ever before. This reflects not only the profession's commitment to celebrating professional excellence, but also the increasing importance of every voice in shaping the standards of legal distinction."
2025 Best Lawyers Awards Trends and Insights
When comparing this year’s insights to those of five years ago, several trends emerge, offering a window into the evolving legal space. Based on our findings, we’ve noticed notable increases in specific practice areas, shifts in gender diversity and changes in the geographic distribution of recognized lawyers. These observations invite us to examine the various factors at play, offering a glimpse into the broader changes affecting law, business and society.
Practice Areas with Notable Growth
Several practice areas have experienced substantial advances in the number of recognized lawyers in the 2025 Best Lawyers Awards. Below are key areas where these changes have been most pronounced in The Best Lawyers in America recognitions:
Insurance Law
Litigation - Insurance Law has experienced the most significant expansion, with a 93% growth in recognized attorneys. This upsurge is closely tied to business interruption claims during the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of recent natural disasters, which have highlighted the complexities of insurance coverage.
Growing awareness of policyholder rights, coupled with regulatory changes affecting the insurance industry, has further driven demand for legal services as both insurers and policyholders navigate a more intricate landscape of claims and coverage disputes.
Commercial Litigation
Commercial Litigation is another practice area that has expanded considerably with a 32% increase in recognized attorneys. This expansion is largely attributed to the lingering effects of the pandemic, which spurred a surge in business disputes over contract breaches, renegotiations and liability issues. Economic disruptions caused by inflation and market volatility have further intensified the demand for legal expertise in resolving these disputes.
Litigation - Construction
Litigation - Construction Law has recorded notable development in the 2025 Best Lawyers Awards, with a 37% growth driven by a rise in construction projects and infrastructure developments. This advancement is linked to pandemic-related delays, supply chain disruptions and stricter building codes and safety standards. These factors have led to more disputes over contract performance, project delays and cost overruns and more litigation over compliance with evolving environmental regulations and sustainability requirements.
Labor and Employment Litigation
Labor and Employment Litigation has seen a 30% rise in awarded lawyers, reflecting the growing number of disputes related to remote work policies, layoffs and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The pandemic’s impact on workplace dynamics has led to more cases involving employee rights, workplace safety and discrimination.
Additionally, the complexities of remote work and returning to the office have introduced challenges in interpreting and enforcing employment agreements. The focus on DEI, along with challenges in its implementation, has also intensified legal scrutiny of corporate practices, further driving the expansion of this practice area.
Gender Diversity
The 2025 Best Lawyers Awards highlight encouraging trends in gender diversity across several practice areas, reflecting a broader societal shift toward greater involvement of women in various fields. As more women enter and advance within the field, we are seeing a broader representation across various practice areas.
Established Practice Areas
We are pleased to highlight that in The Best Lawyers in America, several practice areas are approaching an even gender split, showcasing the increasing presence of women in these fields:
- Immigration Law
- Family Law
- Family Law Arbitration
- Elder Law
Areas with Predominant Female Representation
In The Best Lawyers in America, certain practice areas now have a higher representation of women, with over 59% of practitioners being women:
- Family Law Mediation
- Collaborative Law: Family Law
In these fields, women are increasingly taking on leadership roles, reflecting broader societal trends in sectors that demand strong negotiation and interpersonal skills.
Emerging Practice Areas
Emerging fields have experienced a significant rise in the number of women recognized, with these areas seeing a 20% or higher jump in female listees over the past five editions of The Best Lawyers in America:
- FinTech Practice
- Cannabis Law
- Food and Beverage Law
This trend highlights how women are increasingly assuming leadership roles and excelling in specialized and evolving sectors of the legal profession.
Looking at the Emerging Talent
When we analyze the results from the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America, we note a balanced gender representation in over 12 practice areas, such as:
- Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
- Labor and Employment Law – Employee
- Administrative / Regulatory Law
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
Moreover, we observe a 10% increase in female representation over the past five editions of our awards in:
- Civil Rights Law
- Natural Resources Law
- Litigation and Controversy – Tax
- Public Finance Law
Geographic Legal Hubs
The distribution of honorees across the United States provides valuable insights into the country’s major legal hubs, reflecting the regions where legal expertise is particularly concentrated.
Major Legal Centers
Unsurprisingly, Washington, D.C. and New York City are leading in the number of recognized lawyers in both The Best Lawyers in America and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America editions.
This prominence underscores their importance as key centers for regulatory work, corporate law and litigation. These cities, with their top law firms and government institutions, play a vital role in the legal industry.
Growth in Southern Hubs
While New York City remains a major hub for emerging legal talent, as reflected in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America honorees, Dallas/Fort Worth is seeing significant growth across the 2025 Best Lawyers Awards.
This shift towards southern legal hubs is likely driven by the region's economic expansion and the relocation of various corporate headquarters to Texas, which offers a favorable business climate.
Nationwide Representation
It’s important to note that honorees from The Best Lawyers in America and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America are recognized across a wide range of locations, emphasizing that inclusion is based on merit, not geography.
Looking Ahead: Celebrating Excellence in Law
As the legal profession continues to evolve, the trends highlighted in this year’s awards reflect the dynamic nature of the industry. The 2025 Best Lawyers Awards celebrate these changes, honoring legal professionals who not only excel in their practice but also contribute to the ongoing development of the field.
We are committed to recognizing the best in the legal profession, ensuring that excellence across diverse practice areas continues to be acknowledged and celebrated. This recognition is vital in fostering a legal environment that remains innovative, inclusive and responsive to society’s evolving needs.
Celebrate with Us: Explore the 2025 Honorees
Explore this year's honored attorneys and recognize their invaluable contributions to the legal profession. Their dedication and expertise continue to shape the future of justice in America. Visit our Find a Lawyer page to search by location and specialty and discover the professionals who exemplify the highest standards of excellence.
Publication Statistics
Top Metro Areas in the United States by Number of Awarded Lawyers:
- Washington D.C. – most listed in The Best Lawyers in America
- New York City – most listed in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America
Top 5 Practice Areas by Number of Recognized The Best Lawyers in America Honorees:
- Commercial Litigation
- Real Estate Law
- Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
- Corporate Law
- Litigation - Labor and Employment
Top 5 Practice Areas by Number of Recognized Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America Honorees:
- Commercial Litigation
- Real Estate Law
- Corporate Law
- Litigation - Labor and Employment
- Labor and Employment Law - Management
Top 10 Practice Areas Searched for on www.bestlawyers.com:
- Trusts and Estates
- Family Law
- Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
- Real Estate Law
- Commercial Litigation
- Corporate Law
- Litigation - Labor and Employment
- Criminal Defense: General Practice
- Medical Malpractice Law - Plantiffs
- Insurance Law
Curious about who made the list of The Best Lawyers in America and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America? Explore our Find a Lawyer page to search for honorees by location and specialty across the United States.
