(Memphis, TN/November 1, 2011) Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC, has garnered 182 first-tier metropolitan rankings in the 2011 U.S. News – Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms" list, the second edition of an annual analysis that includes nearly 10,000 U.S. law firms. These Tier 1 rankings across 11 metropolitan markets in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Washington, D.C. earned Baker Donelson a spot among the top 20 firms nationally with the most first-tier metropolitan rankings.
In addition to its outstanding metropolitan rankings, Baker Donelson ranked nationally in 27 practice areas including, for the second consecutive year, earning a Tier 1 national ranking in Transportation Law. The Firm also has the outstanding honor of being named the first U.S. News – Best Lawyers "Law Firm of the Year" in Transportation Law. Only one law firm in each of the nationally ranked legal practice areas received recognition as a "Law Firm of the Year," making this award a particularly significant achievement.
Baker Donelson also earned the most Tier 1 rankings in the U.S. in four practice areas: Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants; Non-Profit/Charities Law; Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants; and Transportation Law.
The 2011 Best Law Firms rankings, produced by U.S. News Media Group and Best Lawyers, are presented in tiers both nationally and by metropolitan area or by state. These rankings showcase 9,633 different law firms ranked nationally in one or more of 75 major legal practice areas, and in metropolitan or state rankings in one or more of 119 major legal practice areas, providing a comprehensive view of the U.S. legal profession that is unprecedented both in the range of firms represented and in the range of qualitative and quantitative data used to develop the rankings.
To determine the "Best Law Firms" rankings, U.S. News Media Group and Best Lawyers conducted national surveys in which major clients and leading lawyers were asked to rate the law firms they consider best in their practice area. These reputational survey responses were combined with more than 3.9 million evaluations of individual lawyers in these firms in the most recent Best Lawyers survey of leading lawyers.
More information about the methodology and the full list of rankings are available online at http://bestlawfirms.usnews.com.The national first-tier rankings will be featured in the November print issue of U.S. News & World Report, which will go on sale November 15.
About the U.S. News Media Group
The U.S. News Media Group is a multi-platform digital publisher of news and analysis, which includes the monthly U.S. News & World Report magazine, the digital-only U.S. News Weekly magazine, www.usnews.com and www.rankingsandreviews.com. Focusing on Health, Money & Business, Education, and Public Service/Opinion, the U.S. News Media Group has earned a reputation as the leading provider of service news and information that improves the quality of life of its readers. The U.S. News Media Group’s signature franchises include its News You Can Use® brand of journalism and its series of consumer guides that include rankings of colleges, graduate schools, hospitals, health plans, and more.
About Best Lawyers
Best Lawyers® is the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. For over a quarter century, the company has helped lawyers and clients find legal counsel in distant jurisdictions or unfamiliar specialties. The 2012 edition of The Best Lawyers in America includes 41,284 lawyers covering all 50 states and the District of Columbia and is based on more than 3.9 million detailed evaluations of lawyers by other lawyers. Best Lawyers® also publishes peer-reviewed listings of lawyers in nearly 70 other countries, covering many of the world’s major legal markets. Best Lawyers® lists are excerpted in a wide range of general interest, business and legal publications worldwide, reaching an audience of more than 17 million readers.