The Legal 500 U.S. 2023 ranked 10 Haynes and Boone, LLP practice areas among the best in the nation, up one from last year’s nine, with three newly recognized practices: IP: Patent Prosecution, Appellate: Court of Appeals, and Appellate: Supreme Court.
Additionally, Partner Hugh Tucker is ranked in the 2023 Hall of Fame for Energy Transactions: Oil and Gas, which Legal 500 defines as lawyers who are “at the very top of the profession."
The directory, now in its 36th year, analyzes the capabilities of law firms and lawyers in various markets, based on surveys of more than 300,000 buyers of legal services. The Legal 500 is an independent guide; firms and individuals are recommended purely on merit.
Haynes Boone practices and lawyers were ranked in the following areas:
Trademarks: Non-Contentious (including Prosecution, Portfolio Management and Licensing)
The Legal 500 ranked Haynes Boone among the top 12 trademark firms in the country and listed the following as recommended lawyers: Purvi Patel Albers, Annie Allison, Jeffery Becker, David Bell, Tiffany Ferris, Erin Hennessy, Joseph Lawlor, Rob LeBlanc, and Mike McArthur.
The Legal 500 quoted a client who said, “Although they utilize multiple team members to maintain continuity, the team speaks with one voice and is closely calibrated to ensure consistency throughout the life of a matter.” Another source said: “I can count on the Haynes Boone team to hit the ground running competently with a practical approach on any matter, regardless of timeline. They are deeply keyed into my business, highly calibrated to our risk tolerances, and make a point of understanding our unique approach.”
Structured Finance: Derivatives and Structured Products
The Legal 500’s 2023 U.S. directory ranked Haynes Boone among the top firms in Structured Finance and noted that, “Counting international banks and other financial institutions among its key roster of clients, the firm handles a range of derivatives, including commodity and energy-related swaps, in addition to over-the-counter products, hedging agreements and regulatory matters.”
The Legal 500 listed the following as recommended finance lawyers: Giorgio Bovenzi, Todd Cubbage, Matthew Frankle, Phil Lookadoo, Kim Mai, Monika Sanford, and Brian Sung.
Brian Sung is also listed as a Next Generation Partner, which Legal 500 defines as those with “five years or fewer at partner level, significant recognition from clients and peers in the market, and recent lead roles on multiple matters.”
Energy Litigation: Oil and Gas
The Legal 500 ranked Haynes Boone’s Energy Litigation Practice among the top 19 firms nationally and listed David Ammons, Jeffrey Kuehnle, Michael Mazzone, Michelle Scheffler, and Craig Stahl as recommended lawyers in the practice.
Legal 500 quoted a client, who said, “The attorneys are responsive, client-focused, and are very knowledgeable about our industry and the specialized legal issues that we often face in litigation.” Another stated, “Craig Stahl and Jeff Kuehnle are excellent trial lawyers. They are experienced, knowledgeable, and responsive. I trust them to work on some of our company’s highest-stakes litigation.”
Insurance: Advice to Policyholders
Haynes Boone’s Insurance Practice ranked in Legal 500’s top 17 insurance firms in the nation, with “strengths in advising clients on third-party liability and first-party property insurance disputes in addition to indemnity matters concerning corporate transactions.”
Barry Buchman, Ernest Martin, Jr. and Leslie Thorne are listed as recommended lawyers, and Emily Buchanan and Michael Stoner are 2023 Rising Stars, which Legal 500 defines as “associate-level lawyers who appear frequently in significant matters and are widely cited by peers and clients as having made major contributions to practices.”
One client said the Insurance Practice Group is “exceptionally responsive and appropriately aggressive, exceptionally knowledgeable and thorough, creative and competent.” Another stated, “Ernest Martin is exceptionally professional and capable.”
Improving from last year’s “Practices to Watch” category, Haynes Boone’s Patent Prosecution group ranked among the top 15 in the country. Partner David McCombs was named a “leading lawyer,” defined by Legal 500 as a “true market leader, with … widespread recognition and endorsement from peers in the market and clients alike.” Haynes Boone lawyers Raghav Bajaj, Tom Chen, Alan Herda, David O’Dell, Richard Rochford, and Jeffrey Wolfson were also listed as recommended lawyers.
Legal 500 said the firm has “a strong reputation for its abilities in the IP field, with a nationwide offering led by Alan Herda and David O’Dell.” They continued, stating, “Dallas-based David McCombs is renowned for his work at the PTAB and is the primary contact for many of the firm’s key clients, while Austin’s Raghav Bajaj is also a key up-and-coming name for PTAB and inter-partes proceedings."
Appellate: Court of Appeals and Appellate: Supreme Court
Improving from last year’s “Practices to Watch” category, Haynes Boone’s Appellate practice is in this year’s Legal 500 U.S. directory. Daniel Geyser was named a leading lawyer, and both Ben Mesches and Mark Trachtenberg are recommended lawyers.
One client is quoted saying, “Haynes Boone has an extraordinary appellate team. They work collaboratively—both with the client and the trial lawyers. They’re responsive and pay attention to detail.” Another applauded Mark, stating, “Mark Trachtenberg is the best appellate lawyer I know. He’s brilliant, thorough, attentive, and passionate about his work. I can’t recommend him highly enough.”
Energy Litigation: Electric Power
Legal 500 ranked the firm’s Energy Litigation Practice among the top 12 firms nationally and listed the following as recommended lawyers: Andrew Guthrie, Patrick Hughes, Jason Jordan, Ben Mesches, Ryan Pitts, and Leslie Thorne.
Many clients were quoted recognizing the group:
- “They are simply the best.”
- “Pat Hughes and Leslie Thorne are superb lawyers and a pleasure to work with. Top drawer.”
- “The Haynes Boone team is extremely agile and well-coordinated across jurisdictions to seamlessly provide service throughout the United States.”
- “Leslie Thorne is a phenomenal strategist and extremely well-versed in litigation procedure and law to provide a full 360-degree assessment on issues that matter to business.”
Haynes Boone’s Financial Services Regulation Practice was also featured in the 2023 Legal 500 U.S. directory among the top 18 firms in the country. Giorgio Bovenzi, Todd Cubbage, Monika Sanford, Eitan Stavsky, and Craig Unterberg were listed as recommended lawyers.
Many clients were quoted praising the group:
- “The team has an outstanding grip on the market and has a deep knowledge on banking regulatory matters. They distinguish themselves from their competitors by virtue of their client-oriented approach, in addition to being extremely technically strong and always on top of the latest regulatory developments in the market.”
- “This is a very strong team that encompasses a wide range of capabilities, in particular in the cross-section of financial regulatory work, financial transactions and insolvency. … It is a team that is very adept at understanding cross-border nuances, making in-depth legal analysis and coming to actionable conclusions.”
- “They provide a service that is as good as bigger names but with more attentiveness.”
- “Giorgio Bovenzi is an absolute star, with truly outstanding regulatory and industry knowledge. He is a very smart individual and an excellent lawyer who can swiftly grasp and resolve any issue.”
Healthcare: Life Sciences
The firm’s Healthcare Practice ranked among the nation’s best in the 2023 Legal 500 U.S. directory.
Haynes and Boone, LLP is an international corporate law firm with 19 offices, spanning Texas, New York, California, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Virginia, Washington, D.C., London, Mexico City and Shanghai, providing a full spectrum of legal services in energy, technology, financial services and private equity. With about 650 lawyers, Haynes Boone is ranked among the largest U.S.-based firms by The National Law Journal, The American Lawyer and The Lawyer. It was recognized in the BTI Consulting Group’s 2022 “A-Team” report, which identifies the law firms that in-house counsel commend for providing superior client service. The firm is also recognized as a leader in DEI initiatives. It achieved Mansfield Rule 5.0 certification in 2022 after completing a rigorous 12-month collaboration with Diversity Lab.
