Advertising and marketing: litigation Tier 1

Pharmaceuticals and healthcare are particular sector strengths for Norton Rose Fulbright, which maintains an enviable client roster including Alfasigma and Arbor Pharmaceuticals. Leveraging a strong presence across the US, the group is regularly involved in unfair competition, false advertising and IP infringement claims nationwide, though it has been especially active in cases brought under California's consumer laws of late. San Antonio-based Saul Perloff jointly leads the practice and is recommended for unfair competition litigation under the Lanham Act and various state laws. Los Angeles-based practice co-head Jeffrey Margulies is a name to note for advice on the regulatory aspects of marketing and advertising. In Minneapolis, IP specialist Felicia Boyd is recommended for trademark and trade dress infringement cases.

Energy: renewable/alternative power Tier 1

Benefiting from an 'excellent understanding of the market', and able to resource matters from across its office network utilizing lawyers with sector-focused finance, projects, regulatory and corporate expertise, Norton Rose Fulbright excels in handling 'complicated acquisitions involving numerous stakeholders'. Although it has a broad client base, the firm is perhaps best-known for its sponsors/developer-side work and has vast experience advising on acquisitions and disposals relating to interests in domestic wind and solar projects. 'Fantastic' New York-based partner Todd Alexander recently represented TOTAL Strong (a joint venture formed between Hannon Armstrong and Total) in connection with its formation and subsequent purchase from SunPower of the entirety of its equity interests in ten project companies, each of which is developing and constructing a solar project in the US. 'Truly an authority on renewable energy', Washington DC-based partner Keith Martin has gained legendary status in the market as a result of his renewable-related tax structuring advice. In addition to being sought out for his transactional expertise, he is also a persuasive voice on behalf of clients on policy issues in this space. Martin co-heads the firm's overarching projects team alongside New York-based partner Benjamin Koenigsberg, who, in addition to maintaining a very strong lender-focused offering, is also the relationship partner of Danish renewable energy heavyweight, Ørsted as it moves into the US market.

M&A: middle-market ($500m-999m) Tier 1

Norton Rose Fulbright has notable strengths across the spectrum of private and public M&A matters, as well as regulation and corporate governance. The team's client pool ranges from family businesses all the way to multinational companies, the majority of which are in the financial, energy, healthcare and technology sectors. Contacts in the team include Dallas-based Scarlet McNellie, who is head of corporate, M&A and securities, and Gene Lewis, head of business in Denver. The department also includes key practitioners Glen Hettinger (also in Dallas), who assists boards of directors on matters involving corporate governance, interested-party transactions, and fiduciary duties, and divestitures; and joint ventures expert Kessar Nashat in New York.

Restructuring (including bankruptcy): municipal Tier 1

Norton Rose Fulbright's municipal restructuring and bankruptcy practice has a proven track record of representing key parties, both in- and out-of-court, in various municipalities across the US. The group remains particularly active in matters concerning the ongoing Puerto Rico debt crisis, a recent example of which was Dallas-based Toby Gerber's representation of the Puerto Rico Public Buildings Authority in its defense of claims brought by the Federal Oversight and Management Board relating to the Government of Puerto Rico’s Title III proceedings. Contacts in New York include practice head Eric Daucher and standout senior associate James Copeland.

E-discovery Tier 2

Norton Rose Fulbright is recognized in the e-discovery space for its experience of complex cross-border matters involving non-US data privacy and data localization issues. Information governance is a key area of focus for the firm; advice in this area includes risk management and pre-litigation and investigation support. Andrea D’Ambra and David Kessler jointly lead the team from New York. Kessler often acts as global discovery counsel for technology, finance, pharmaceutical and manufacturing businesses, and D’Ambra is a name to note for preservation and data management issues. In February 2020, senior counsel Laura Hunt joined the Washington DC office from the DOJ, where she specialized in e-discovery as part of the agency's civil division; and Houston-based Sumera Khan was promoted to partner in December 2020.

Education Tier 2

The higher education practice at Norton Rose Fulbright has a niche healthcare interface and focuses on large transactional mandates for universities, medical schools, and academic medical centers. Head of healthcare and co-head of the group Stacey Murphy in St. Louis has deep experience of academic health systems and handles corporate matters and M&A for clients seeking to expand their university practices. She is supported by healthcare transactional lawyer Andrew Roth in New York, who focuses on medical school accreditation matters, particularly on compliance issues relating to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Also on the East Coast is practice co-chair Douglas Fried in New York, who also heads the infrastructure group. In Texas, key contacts include employment lawyer Mario Barrera, who represents institutions in all forms of discrimination matters and sensitive sexual harassment cases, and Jerry Bell,  who acts for a number of academic medical centers and medical schools.

Energy litigation: oil and gas Tier 2

Norton Rose Fulbright has a broad oil and gas litigation practice that covers upstream, midstream and oilfield services-related disputes. Key areas of focus include market manipulation, antitrust, environmental enforcement, and commodities and derivatives enforcement issues. Melanie Rother co-heads the practice and has significant experience handling trial cases in the energy and technology space. Reagan Brown heads the practice alongside Rother and is a name to note for royalty cases. Dan McClure is also recommended in the team. All named individuals are based in Houston.

Energy transactions: conventional power Tier 2

'Always available with leading industry information and insights, and a superb ability to cut through the issues and focus on the key matters', Norton Rose Fulbright has a strong reputation among lenders, sponsors and developers, on project finance and M&A-related work in the electric power sector. Although the firm has successfully followed industry trends and has become one of the leaders in the renewables market, it has by no means turned its back on work within the conventional energy sector; it maintains strong client relationships in the sector, some of which were established back in the 1970s following the liberalization of the domestic energy market and the entry of IPPs to challenge the dominance of utilities.The firm has developed particular expertise in relation to merchant power projects, and has had an involvement for stakeholders in the majority of recent gas-fired financing projects. LNG-related project finance work also remains a core focus and often aided by colleagues based in offices throughout the firm's vast international network, the team is regularly involved for stakeholders throughout the project life cycle. Washington DC-based partner Noam Ayali is recommended for his lender facing LNG finance offering; he is a key member of the firm's overarching projects team that is co-headed by Benjamin Koenigsberg and project finance 'tax superstar' Keith Martin.

Energy transactions: oil and gas Tier 2

Energy is one of the cornerstones of Norton Rose Fulbright's global strategy and accounts for a substantial flow of transactional work across its North American, EMEA and Asia Pacific offices. While the firm's US platform is better known for its renewables prowess, it also boasts a considerable oil and gas offering, both in relation to conventional fossil fuels, as well as LNG. As part of his broad-based energy transactions practice, Houston-based team head John Mauel is regularly engaged in corporate and projects-related LNG matters, and also handles a considerable amount of upstream and midstream oil and gas work, including in relation to acquisitions and divestitures of US shale and gas properties. Julie Mayo is also recommended for LNG-related work, particularly from a projects perspective. In addition to work on the LNG front, senior associate Jessica Rodriguez also regularly handles oil and gas-related M&A matters and adds particular value on mandates with a Latin America nexus by virtue of her Spanish language fluency. Project financing work is a core driver of the firm's energy-related transactional offering, and in this regard Washington DC-based partner Noam Ayali regularly advises commercial and development banks providing financing on emerging markets-related LNG projects. All practitioners named are based in Houston, unless otherwise noted.

International litigation Tier 2

The disputes team at Norton Rose Fulbright is jointly led by Richard Krumholz and Gerard Pecht in Dallas and Houston, respectively, and has core strengths in energy and financial services disputes. With a depth of experience in litigation and investigations and the ability to tap into an expansive network of 58 offices globally, the firm is especially well placed to handle parallel proceedings in other jurisdictions. In addition to energy and financial services disputes, the group also stands out in cross-border securities litigation, which is an area of focus for Washington DC-based Kevin Harnisch, who heads the SEC enforcement practice, and Peter Stokes in the Austin office. Also recommended are Washington DC-based Matthew Kirtland and Steve Dollar in New York. The team is complemented by a strong international arbitration group led by Mark Baker in Houston.

Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: pharmaceuticals and medical devices Tier 2

In its activity for pharmaceutical and medical device companies in product liability disputes, Norton Rose Fulbright has gained experience defending against personal injury as well as economic loss claims. The team also has specific expertise in the pharmacovigilance space. Kevin Mayer, a trial lawyer with considerable OSHA knowledge, joined the firm from Crowell & Moring LLP in January 2020. D’Lesli Davis in Dallas represents clients in mass tort cases, MDLs and consolidated proceedings. She leads the practice together with Houston-based Brett Young. Associate  Ellie Norris in Dallas is highly involved in the most complex matters for pharmaceutical companies.

Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: toxic tort Tier 2

Norton Rose Fulbright stands out with its expertise in litigation surrounding disasters and its deep institutional experience. The firm has recently expanded its focus on OSHA compliance and other health and safety concerns, a move instigated by new hire Kevin Mayer who joined from Crowell & Moring LLP in January 2020. Many of the clients in the toxic torts space are from the chemical manufacturing and energy industries. Houston-based practice leader Brett Young continues to be a name of note who directs the defense of the firm's most significant tort matters, including classic toxic tort defense and industrial accidents.

Transport: aviation and air travel - finance Tier 2

The team at Norton Rose Fulbright is recognized for providing 'personal attention with high levels of expertise and experience'. The US aviation group has longstanding experience in advising on all sides of aviation finance transactions. Aviation head Alyssa Vazquez is widely respected for her experience in aircraft acquisition, leasing and finance transactions; Sean Corrigan recently assisted DVB Bank SE with the transfer of its aviation lending platform and loan portfolio to MUFG Bank; and James Tussing is 'always responsive and very knowledgeable'. Bringing extensive aviation sector experience, Fiona Henderson was hired as senior counsel in July 2020 from Clifford Chance. All named individuals are based in New York.

Transport: shipping - finance Tier 2

'Truly a global presence in the world of shipping', Norton Rose Fulbright's full-service team 'routinely goes above and beyond, and has deep expertise in everything it does'. The firm's US shipping practice handles an array of shipping-related transactions, including complex structured financing and leasing deals. It typically represents US and foreign banks, and is increasingly advising non-traditional sources of ship financing, including funds and governmental finance support entities. With a particular emphasis on maritime-related assets, US head of transport Brian Devine 'has a genuine knowledge of numerous aspects of the shipping world'. Counsel Kassandra Savicki and associate Nicholas Santangelo specialize in maritime and international finance. All attorneys listed are based in New York.

Cyber law (including data privacy and data protection) Tier 3

Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP regularly advises large pharmaceutical companies and aviation sector clients on data and privacy matters covering the collection, use, storage, transfer and destruction of information. Specifically, the team counsels clients on legal compliance as it relates to cybersecurity and handles risk management, incident response and the stress testing of contingency plans. The group is jointly led by Washington DC-based Chris Cwalina, and Andrea D’Ambra and David Kessler in the New York office. Of note in 2020, the team welcomed Houston-based Will Daugherty from Baker & Hostetler LLP in June, but lost Spencer Persson and Jeewon Kim Serrato to Davis Wright Tremaine LLP and Baker & Hostetler LLP, respectively.

Energy regulation: conventional power Tier 3

Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP has a particularly strong presence in the renewable energy space and is praised its 'leading industry info and insights'. In addition to alternative power and renewables, the team also has expertise in gas-fired power projects, advising clients on corporate PPAs, financial products and energy storage matters. On the contentious side, the group represents clients before FERC, NERC, state regulatory agencies, RTOs and ISOs. Names to note include Keith Martin and New York-based Benjamin Koenigsberg, who jointly head the projects group. Caileen Kateri Gamache is a contact for matters in the wind and solar space, and Joseph Williams has broad expertise in compliance and enforcement matters involving FERC and the CFTC. Senior associate Anna Biegelsen is a rising star in the team. All named individuals are based in Washington DC unless stated otherwise.

International arbitration Tier 3

Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP undertakes both international investment as well as commercial arbitration work; it is fully integrated within the global arbitration group and is adept at handling matters requiring close collaboration with the firm’s network consisting of over 150 specialists worldwide. The group attracts praise from clients for its ‘great leadership in oil and gas arbitration work’; indeed, the energy industry is an area of primary focus for the team in Houston, where key contacts include practice head Mark Baker and Kevin O’Gorman (‘knows oil and gas inside out’). Led by Matthew Kirtland, the arbitration team in Washington DC has extensive experience in court proceedings relating to the recognition and the enforcement of arbitral awards. In New York, Mina Matin specializes in Bermuda Form arbitrations in the insurance sector; Matin has additional barrister and solicitor qualifications in the UK.

Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: automotive/transport Tier 3

Norton Rose Fulbright advises and represents clients in the automotive and trucking space and has experience coordinating litigation across numerous jurisdictions and states. The 'exceptionally talented' team can draw on deep institutional experience as well as trial readiness and strong working relationships with experts in standard of care, accident reconstruction, vehicle dynamics and biomechanics. Steve Jansma, based in San Antonio and Houston, is a name to note in this space. Brett Young in Houston leads the practice.

Securities litigation: defense Tier 3

Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP has nine US-based partners specializing in securities litigation and enforcement, all of whom are active in matters across the country from New York to Los Angeles. The firm has a healthy 75% dismissal rate for 10b5 class actions and its work encompasses both domestic and cross-border litigation, thanks in part to its extensive international network of offices. Kevin Harnisch in Washington DC leads the regulation, investigations, securities and compliance practice, which has prominent lawyers in key locations across the US. In Dallas, Rodney Acker and Ellen Sessions are currently representing Sterling Partners, LLC in an opt-out securities fraud lawsuit filed in Texas. Securities litigation partner Gerard Pecht in Houston is now the firm's global CEO. Stephen Dollar in New York also handles high-profile litigation and regulatory investigations.

Structured finance: securitization Tier 3

Norton Rose Fulbright's securitization group acts for all key market participants, including issuers, warehouse lenders, underwriters, servicers and investors, in relation to securitizations and warehouse financings. The group focuses on a variety of asset classes, with notable expertise in renewable energy, residential mortgage loans, aircraft leases and more exotic asset classes such as pharmaceutical royalties. The team is jointly led by Patrick Dolan and Andrew Coronios in New York, and San Francisco-based Eric Tashman. Also recommended in New York is George Baptista, who specializes in financing matters involving Latin America. Although based in Toronto, Elana Hahn works closely with the US group on securitization matters for Canadian banking clients.

Trademarks: non-contentious (including prosecution, portfolio management and licensing) Tier 3

Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP is active in all areas of IP law, and is recognized here for representing clients in trademark registration, acquisitions, management, and enforcement matters. The team is also experienced in trademark mediation and arbitration, as well as matters before the US Patent and Trademark Office. Contacts in the Austin office include US head of IP brands Alicia Morris Groos, a highly experienced litigator, who manages domestic and international IP portfolios; and US head of IP James Repass, who focuses on joint ventures and licensing arrangements. Global head of IP Timothy Kenny is based in Minneapolis and advises on strategic portfolio counseling and management. In May 2020, Michael Metteauer departed for Pirkey Barber.

US taxes: contentious Tier 3

Norton Rose Fulbright’s Houston-based contentious tax co-head Robert Morris is known for tackling first impression disputes against the IRS, primarily acting for clients in the energy sector. Ongoing highlights for the team involve issues such as foreign tax credits for offshore drilling companies, excise tax valuations for biofuel distributors, and bad debt deductions for oilfield services companies. The wider team also has expertise in transfer pricing disputes—where Washington DC-based Robert Kovacev is a name to note—permanent establishment issues, and pension fund controversies, specifically those pertaining to the tax consequences of PBGC transfers. New York-based Mayling Blanco acts for corporations and individuals in criminal tax and fraud trials and investigations.

US taxes: non-contentious Tier 3

With a solid on-the-ground presence in New York and Texas, Norton Rose Fulbright is well placed to handle work for a diverse range of private equity firms, infrastructure developers, high-net-worth-individuals and energy providers; energy in particular is an area of focus for the group. The sizeable team is co-chaired by Houston-based tax controversy specialist Robert Morris and New York-based William Cavanagh, who concentrates on structuring and negotiating M&A deals, spin-offs, project finance transactions, and securities offerings. Other names to note in New York include David Burton, an expert in renewable energy taxation, and Michael Flamenbaum, who co-heads the asset and wealth management group.

Civil litigation/class actions: defense Tier 4

The team at Norton Rose Fulbright litigates traditional antitrust class actions and RICO-related claims from offices across the country. The group is regularly involved in cases in the healthcare sector, though it has additional expertise in pharmaceuticals and consumer products, areas in which New York-based group head Robin Adelstein in a name to note. Contacts in the firm’s Houston office include monopolization and conspiracy expert Darryl Anderson, Layne Kruse and Eliot Turner.

Environment: litigation Tier 4

Norton Rose Fulbright has a depth of experience handling environmental enforcement actions, including defense of administrative, civil and criminal proceedings. In addition, the team is highly knowledgeable about Superfund laws, often acting as both individual and group counsel on cost recovery actions, remediation issues and related toxic tort litigation. Based in Houston, Eddie Lewis heads up the firm's environmental law practice in the US; he is trusted by clients facing catastrophic industrial accidents. In the Los Angeles office, Elizabeth Weaver has extensive experience in CERCLA litigation, while Jeff Margulies focuses on class actions.

Fintech Tier 4

Norton Rose Fulbright approaches the market from several different angles, representing a mix of financial institutions, clearing banks, trade bodies, foreign governments, tech companies and cryptocurrency platforms. This includes support on collaboration agreements, financial services regulatory, data privacy, corporate, and litigation. Blockchain, payment services, reg-tech, insur-tech, and related AI have all featured prominently on the firm's workload in the past year. Regulatory and litigation partner Ronald David Smith in Dallas and New York-based funds and structured products specialist Andrew Lom are both highly active in the fintech space. Stephen Aschettino joined from Reed Smith LLP in June 2021 and now heads up the practice group.

General commercial disputes Tier 4

Norton Rose Fulbright has recently bolstered its global cyber risk and antitrust offerings, two areas of focus for the litigation team in particular. Chris Cwalina and Steven Roosa joined the cyber risk group in Washington DC and New York, respectively; while Vic Domen joined the antitrust team in Washington DC. Over the review period, Houston partner Layne Kruse obtained summary judgment for Robert Bosch Tool Corp in a $450m antitrust conspiracy claim filed by SawStop. Based in New York, trial lawyer Thomas McCormack remains active in a wide range of disputes. Also recommended are Scott Incerto in Austin, and Dallas-based Richard Krumholz, who heads the global litigation and disputes group.

Healthcare: life sciences Tier 4

Norton Rose Fulbright is recognized for its strong litigation practice, with an established track record of successfully defending pharmaceutical clients in multi-jurisdictional product liability claims and patent litigation. The antitrust team, headed by Robin Adelstein in New York, plays a key role in the firm's service offering. It is routinely involved in government investigations and enforcement actions, and also has extensive experience coordinating national competition strategies. Austin-based Stacey Martinez and Gina Shishima, D’Lesli Davis in Dallas, San Antonio-based Saul Perloff and Jeffrey Lewis in New York are recommended for product liability and torts, as well as transactional and contentious patent matters. Carol Poindexter in Washington DC is the key attorney for regulatory compliance issues.

Healthcare: service providers Tier 4

Norton Rose Fulbright handles complex M&A involving academic and other large-scale medical centers, as well as a variety of other transactions presenting unique regulatory issues. On the regulatory side, the team focuses on fraud and abuse litigation, and also has familiarity with third-party reimbursement rules. Key figures in the healthcare service group include Debbi Johnstone, who heads the life sciences and healthcare group from Houston, and Stacey Murphy, who leads the US healthcare practice in the St. Louis office. Andrew Roth and the New York team have a niche focus on medical school accreditation.

International tax Tier 4

Headed up by Houston-based Andrius Kontrimas, the international tax group at Norton Rose Fulbright has recently been involved in a number of bilateral APAs, foreign tax refund claims, global supply chain expansions, corporate restructurings and cross-border M&A negotiations. Oil and gas—including onshore and offshore drilling—is the primary sector of focus.

Patents: litigation (full coverage) Tier 4

Norton Rose Fulbright excels in multi-jurisdictional disputes, drawing on the firm's extensive global network to advise clients across borders. With Charles Walker, the head of the IP disputes practice in the US, and James Repass as the head of IP in the US, based in the Houston office, the practice has a strong foothold in one of the busiest patent litigation states in the country. The Minneapolis-based Timothy Kenny is the firm's global head of IP. Jeffrey Lewis joined Foley Hoag LLP in June 2020.

Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate Tier 4

Norton Rose Fulbright has a significant presence in the top US bankruptcy markets, leveraging a network of offices in New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles and several key cities across Texas. The firm is also easily able to resource multi-jurisdictional insolvency and restructuring mandates, co-ordinating with experienced colleagues in offices across Europe, Latin America, Asia, Australia, Africa and the Middle East; New York-based global practice head Howard Seife is especially noted for his work on Chapter 15 cases. Other key practitioners in the New York office include Eric Daucher, who also has significant cross-border expertise, and senior counsel Howard Beltzer. US team co-head Louis Strubeck splits his time between New York and Dallas. Samuel Kohn left for for Dorsey & Whitney LLP in April 2020.

Project finance

Norton Rose Fulbright is one of the most active firms in the renewable energy sector, advising both sponsors and lenders on complex financing transactions relating to wind farms, solar installations, energy storage facilities and biofuel cells. The group is able to advise on a range of financial structures, include safe harbour financing and tax equity investments, while outside the renewables sector, the firm assists with infrastructure projects utilizing conventional structures and P3 model. The team is jointly led by Keith Martin  and Benjamin Koenigsberg; the former specializes in tax equity financings, while the latter has a track record in ground-breaking projects, including the first offshore wind farm in the US. Other key team members include Todd Alexander, who advises on international limited recourse financings, and private placement specialist Noam Ayali. Robert Eberhardt is recommended for his work in merchant renewable energy projects.