Chambers USA, the esteemed benchmark for legal excellence, is honoring Ward and Smith and several attorneys in its 2023 annual guide.
The firm earned rankings in bankruptcy/restructuring, intellectual property, and corporate/M&A.
The firm's bankruptcy practice shines with "significant capabilities in all areas," as its IP group is praised for litigation services involving patent infringement, trade secret misappropriation, and unfair competition. Ward and Smith's corporate/M&A practice is lauded for having substantial competence across all of its corporate work.
Taking this honor one step further, four individual attorneys were recognized for their exemplary performance: Paul Fanning and Lance Martin for creditors' rights, Angela Doughty for intellectual property, and Joe Schouten for IP litigation.
Angela leads the firm's intellectual property practice. Chambers highlighted her "excellent capacity to handle trademark litigation and portfolio management."
As the creditors' right practice chair, Paul is known for his representation of creditors in reorganizations, workouts, and bankruptcy disputes. Clients were exceptionally pleased with his customer service, with one person commenting, "Paul's expertise and client service ability are unmatched."
Lance was ranked for his "robust pedigree in creditor-side mandates, where he advises clients on workouts, bankruptcy proceedings and liquidations."
Joe was rated by Chambers USA as an Up-and-Coming attorney in the 2023 ranking. He is known for representing "a range of clients in intellectual property litigation, including patent and trademark infringement disputes."
Chambers USA determines its annual rankings through confidential, in-depth interviews with clients and attorneys and an assessment of recent work. Firms and lawyers must demonstrate sustained excellence to be ranked in the guide. More information about the publication's methodology can be found here.
