Nobody wants a fair fight. Especially corporate counsel.
When millions – or billions – are at stake, clients want every unfair advantage they can legally get.
Sometimes the first strategic win happens when the other side sees who just entered the case.
The right opposing counsel makes other lawyers – and their clients – reconsider how long they want to fight, how much they want to spend, how certain they really are – and what losing might look like.
This is fear as a litigation asset.
And the really good part? The reputation starts working before the lawyers do.
BTI asked corporate counsel which law firms they least want to see on the other side. 92 firms earned recognition.
Four inspire a different level of dread. Meet the BTI Fearsome Foursome 2027.
Quinn Emanuel earns the number 1 spot for the 5th year in a row. In-house attorneys report the firm manages to become more Fearsome every year.
The BTI Fearsome Foursome 2027
Quinn Emanuel
Kirkland & Ellis
Skadden
Gibson Dunn
The BTI Feared Opponents 2027
- Boies Schiller Flexner
- Bondurant Mixson & Elmore
- Cravath
- Fish
- Greenberg Traurig
- Hogan Lovells Cadwalader
- Hueston Hennigan
- Husch Blackwell
- Irell & Manella
- Jones Day
- King & Spalding
- Latham & Watkins
- McKool Smith
- Morgan Lewis
- Ropes & Gray
- Susman Godfrey
- Troutman Pepper Locke
- Wachtell Lipton
- Weil
- White & Case
- Williams & Connolly
- WilmerHale
The BTI Awesome Opponents 2027
- Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Mensing
- Akerman
- Alston & Bird
- Ashurst Perkins Coie
- Bartlit Beck
- Butler Snow
- Clare Locke
- Cooley
- Covington
- Debevoise
- Dentons
- Glaser Weil
- Goodwin
- Holland & Knight
- Jenner & Block
- Kasowitz
- Littler
- Mayer Brown
- Nelson Mullins
- O’Melveny
- Orrick
- Paul Hastings
- Paul, Weiss
- Robins Kaplan
- Sidley
- Sullivan & Cromwell
- Willkie
- Womble Bond Dickinson
The BTI Intimidating Opponents 2027
- Akin
- Anderson Kill
- ArentFox Schiff
- Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo
- Ballard Spahr
- Carpenter Lipps
- Davis Wright Tremaine
- Desmarais
- Duane Morris
- Faegre Drinker
- Fasken
- Foley Hoag
- Fried Frank
- Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani
- Hecker Fink
- Jackson Lewis
- Jackson Walker
- Jones Walker
- Manatt
- Manning Kass
- Maynard Nexsen
- McGuireWoods
- Morrison & Foerster
- Motley Rice
- Osler
- Pillsbury
- Proskauer
- Quarles & Brady
- Robinson+Cole
- Sheppard
- Slaughter and May
- Venable
- Vinson & Elkins
- Warner Norcross + Judd
- Wiley
- Wilson Elser
- Wilson Sonsini
- Zarwin Baum
Learn why the Fearsome Foursome continue to drive the conversation, along with the details on all corporate counsel law firm preferences – by name – and who stands out in each of 8 key litigation segments – and why, in the just-released BTI Litigation Outlook 2027.
You can use The BTI Litigation Outlook 2027 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.
Here’s to crushing the other side –
MBR
President and MAD Clientist
The BTI Consulting Group
p.s. The BTI Litigation Outlook 2027: More Aggressive. More Complexity. Higher Stakes. is available now. The Gold Standard for more than 15 years – learn where the complex matters are, how to win them – and who clients rank as best. Order Today!
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