The Legal 500 U.S. 2022 ranked nine Haynes Boone practice areas among the best in the nation, up from five ranked practices in 2021.
The directory, now in its 35th 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 firms in the country and listed five partners as key lawyers: Purvi Patel Albers, David Bell, Jeffery Becker, Tiffany Ferris, and Erin Hennessy.
The Legal 500 quoted a client who said Haynes Boone has “very friendly attorneys who are excellent at advising clients.” Another source said: “Purvi Albers, Tiffany Ferris – both amazing lawyers, who know our business, and tailor their practice to our needs. They are the best of the best.”
Structured Finance: Derivatives and Structured Products
The Legal 500’s 2022 U.S. directory ranked Haynes Boone among the top firms in Structured Finance and noted that the team “advises a broad range of clients, including international banks, private equity funds, hedge funds, and bank holding companies on securities, derivatives, and regulatory matters..”
The Legal 500 listed 10 finance partners from the firm as key lawyers: Giorgio Bovenzi, LeAnn Chen, Matthew Frankle, Alex Grishman, Tim Johnston, Neal Kaminsky, Phil Lookadoo, James Markus, Brian Sung, and Craig Unterberg.
“I have not come across another firm that has both the depth and breadth of [experience] that Haynes Boone has in the field of structured finance. It is invaluable to our business to have a go to firm that we can trust and rely on without a second thought,” one client said. Another source added: “Alex Grishman, Matthew Frankle and Brian Sung have deep subject matter [knowledge], impeccable work ethic and a perfect combination of legal skills and business sense to get the work done that is needed. I do not think that there is a better firm for this kind of work.”
Energy Litigation: Oil and Gas
The Legal 500 ranked Haynes Boone’s Energy Litigation Practice among the Top 18 firms nationally and listed David Ammons, Garrett Martin, Michael Mazzone, Michelle Scheffler, and Craig Stahl as key lawyers in the practice.
Legal 500 said the team has “experience litigating in state and federal courts, and in both domestic and international arbitrations.” The directory quoted clients who said they are “very practical” and “know the business extremely well.”
Energy Litigation: Conventional Power
The firm’s Energy Litigation Practice ranked among the Top 15 firms nationally, and Legal 500 lists four partners as key lawyers: Andrew Guthrie, Jason Jordan, Ben Mesches, and Leslie Thorne.
This team “has a strong presence in the Texas power industry, representing a diverse client base that includes renewable and thermal power generators, investors and lenders, municipal utilities and retail electric providers, among others,” Legal 500 said. “The group has an extensive history working on matters connected to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and has been particularly active in Winter Storm Uri-related litigation.”
One Legal 500 client said: “The team is highly experienced in energy and one of the best I have ever encountered.” Another said, “The team at Haynes Boone has a deep industry knowledge that comes from years of experience across the conventional power space … they draw on this experience in an integrated manner to provide insight and strategic solutions. They are unique because they are able to apply this skill-set in a client-focused way.”
Insurance: Advice to Policyholders
Haynes Boone’s Insurance Practice ranked in Legal 500’s Top 15 insurance firms in the nation, and the directory noted the team “handles claims resolution and litigation as well as negotiation of policies and contractual indemnity terms. The practice includes third-party liability as well as first-party property disputes while also advising clients on insurance and indemnity issues in corporate transactions.”
Three partners were listed as key lawyers: Barry Buchman, Ernest Martin Jr., and Leslie Thorne.
One client said: “They assembled the right team and built a case … We appreciated their guidance and explanations of the legal issues involved.”
M&A: Middle-Market (Sub-$500M)
The Legal 500 ranked Haynes Boone among the nation’s best at handling middle-market M&A transactions, and it listed Tom Harris, chair of the firm’s M&A practice, as a key lawyer in the sector.
“Haynes Boone, L.L.P. handles a wide variety of M&A and related transactions, including spin-offs, divestitures, strategic alliance, and distressed transactions, representing both buyers and sellers,” the Legal 500 said.
Healthcare: Life Sciences
The firm’s Healthcare Practice also ranked among the nation’s best in the 2022 Legal 500 U.S. directory which highlighted three attorneys as key lawyers: Benjamin Pelletier, Randy Peak, and Michael Smith.
The directory stated that the practice “offers a strong emphasis on genetics and precision medicine, with a growing presence in the personalized medicine space. It provides IP services for these clients, both in contentious matters and on transactions.”
Employee Benefits, Executive Compensation and Retirement Plans: Transactional
Haynes Boone’s Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Practice was ranked among industry leaders in the 2022 Legal 500 U.S. directory, and three partners are listed as key lawyers: Susan Wetzel, Chris Kang, and Jesse Gelsomini.
Haynes Boone “counts domestic and multinational companies across the food and beverages, financial services, retail, and energy sectors among its key roster of clients, and handles the executive compensation and employee benefits aspects of high-value acquisitions,” the Legal 500 wrote.
Financial Services Regulation
Haynes Boone’s Financial Services Regulation Practice was also featured in the 2022 Legal 500 U.S. directory among the Top 26 firms in the country, and four partners are listed as key lawyers: Giorgio Bovenzi, LeAnn Chen, Neal Kaminsky, and Craig Unterberg.
Legal 500 states that the practice “stands out for its work in global credit risk management, where it provides advice to prominent international banks.”
“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,” one client said. “Haynes Boone have throughout the years shown exceptional qualities when it comes to their financial services practice, including being thorough in their analysis and solution-oriented,” another client said. Another stated, “What makes the Financial Services Regulation of Haynes Boone unique is in my view that they are at the forefront of advising financial institutions on how regulatory reform will impact their business. They combine regulatory experience with practical insights.”
Practices to Watch
Legal 500 also recognized two Haynes Boone practices in the “Firms to Watch” category.
- Appellate: Court of Appeals/Appellate: Supreme Court: “Traditionally a dominant force in the Texas market, the arrival of [Partner Dan] Geyser — who splits his time between Dallas and Denver — is expected to strengthen the team's national offering.” Dan is listed as a Leading Lawyer in this year’s ranking of the nation’s top U.S. Supreme Court advocates.
- Patents: Prosecution: This practice “is able to cover the full gamut of IP matters, including counseling and patent portfolio management services. The group is particularly well known for its work in inter partes review proceedings.”