84 law firms are more feared than most. This is up from 62 firms last year. The increase correlates with a marked increase in aggressive litigation.
But — it’s not just the aggressive nature of litigation rising — it’s substantially more complex with higher stakes. Add new and novel cases around AI, data, social media, and sophisticated bad actors in data privacy — and you have a whole new category of litigation brewing.
And few firms are better positioned to defend, or in some cases initiate, legal action than The BTI Fearsome Foursome. These firms — singled out by clients — strike the deepest fear into the hearts of seasoned general counsel and legal decision-makers.
Top legal decision makers point to 84 law firms they don’t want to see on the other side. Only 4 of the 84 law firms clients don’t want to litigate against stand out as the most fearsome.
Please join me in congratulating The BTI Fearsome Foursome 2025 — and to Quinn Emanuel enjoying its 3rd year in a row as number 1:
The BTI Fearsome Foursome 2025
Quinn Emanuel
Kirkland & Ellis
Skadden
Gibson Dunn
The BTI Feared Opponents 2024
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- Cravath
- Jones Day
- Susman Godfrey
- Weil
- WilmerHale
The BTI Awesome Opponents 2025
- Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Mensing
- Anderson Kill
- Bartlit Beck
- Boies Schiller Flexner
- Clare Locke
- Cooley
- Covington
- Davis Wright Tremaine
- Dentons
- Desmarais
- Duane Morris
- Fasken
- Glaser Weil
- Greenberg Traurig
- Hogan Lovells
- Hueston Hennigan
- Husch Blackwell
- Irell & Manella
- Jackson Lewis
- Jackson Walker
- Latham & Watkins
- Littler
- Manatt
- McGuireWoods
- McKool Smith
- O’Melveny
- Orrick
- Osler
- Paul Hastings
- Paul, Weiss
- Perkins Coie
- Pillsbury
- Quarles & Brady
- Robins Kaplan
- Ropes & Gray
- Sheppard Mullin
- Sidley
- Slaughter and May
- Sullivan & Cromwell
- Troutman Pepper
- Vinson & Elkins
- Wachtell Lipton
- Warner Norcross + Judd
- White & Case
- Williams & Connolly
- Womble Bond Dickinson
The BTI Intimidating Opponents 2025
- Akin
- Arnold & Porter
- BakerHostetler
- Ballard Spahr
- Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann
- Carpenter Lipps
- Choate
- Cleary Gottlieb
- Dechert
- DLA Piper
- Dowd Bennett
- Finnegan
- Fish & Richardson
- Foley Hoag
- Fox Rothschild
- Goodwin
- Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani
- Goulston & Storrs
- Jenner & Block
- Kasowitz Benson Torres
- Kenney & Sams
- King & Spalding
- Mintz
- Proskauer
- Robinson+Cole
- Wiley
- Wilson Elser
- Winston & Strawn
- Zarwin Baum
Discover the details on law firms’ reputations in litigation and learn exactly — firm by firm — who clients rank as:
- Powerhouses
- Leaders
- Distinguished
- Standouts
Better Business Development
Learn the most up-to-date and detailed business development tactics for 8 key areas of litigation. Use the BTI Litigation Outlook 2025 to map out exactly where the litigation spending is and isn’t — enabling you to target your business development efforts to the best and most robust opportunities.
Best in the market ahead –
MBR
The Mad Clientist
p.s. The BTI Litigation Outlook 2025: More Complexity. More Growth. More Spending. is available now. The Gold Standard for 14 years — learn where the complex matters are, how to win them — and who clients rank as best. Order Today!
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