The Legal 500 2019 U.S. Edition Ranks Ballard Spahr Practices and Lawyers for National Strength

Fifteen Ballard Spahr practice areas have been recognized for national strength in the 2019 rankings by The Legal 500. These include six newly ranked practices and two top-tier rankings: one for the firm's work in middle-market mergers and acquisitions and one for its municipal bankruptcy practice. The highly regarded annual guide to the legal profession also lists 52 Ballard Spahr attorneys as recommended nationally in their areas of practice—up from 28 ranked lawyers in 2018. Ballard Spahr practice areas recognized by The Legal 500 for 2019:

• Antitrust – Civil litigation/class actions: defense
• Antitrust – Civil litigation/class actions: plaintiff
• Dispute resolution – Product liability, mass tort, and class action: automotive/transport
• Dispute resolution – E-discovery
• Labor and Employment – Employee benefits, executive compensation, and retirement plans
• Financial services regulation
• Restructuring (including bankruptcy): municipal
• Energy: renewable/alternative
• M&A/corporate and commercial – M&A: middle-market (sub-$500m)
• Outsourcing
• Project finance: advice to lender
• Project finance: advice to sponsor
• Real estate
• Real estate – Land use/zoning
• Real estate – Real estate investment trusts (REITs)

The Legal 500 rankings are determined by researchers, including journalists and attorneys, who conduct months of in-depth market research. They solicit feedback from 300,000 clients worldwide and conduct interviews with leading peer attorneys.

The Legal 500 also recognized individual Ballard Spahr attorneys. Christopher D. Ford, a consumer financial services lawyer who focuses on Fintech and payment systems transactions, and William C. Rhodes, a public finance lawyer who leads both the firm’s Education industry group and its Municipal Recovery initiative, were both honored as elite "leading lawyers."

Ballard Spahr attorneys recognized by The Legal 500 for 2019:

Antitrust – Civil litigation/class actions – defense

• Jay N. Fastow
• Leslie E. John
• Stephen J. Kastenberg
• Edward D. Rogers

Antitrust – Civil litigation/class action – plaintiff

• Jay N. Fastow
• Leslie E. John
• Stephen J. Kastenberg
• Jason A. Leckerman
• Edward D. Rogers
  
  

Dispute resolution – E-discovery

• Philip N. Yannella
  
  

Dispute resolution – Product liability, mass tort and class action – automotive/transport – defense

• Roberto Rivera-Soto
• Casey G. Watkins
• Neal Walters
  
  

Financial Services: Regulatory

• Richard J. Andreano, Jr.
• John L. Culhane, Jr.
• Christopher D. Ford
• Mark J. Furletti
• Alan S. Kaplinsky
• John D. Socknat
  
  

Project Finance

• Raymond W. Faricy, III
• Patrick R. Gillard
• Dirk Michels
  
  

Restructuring (including bankruptcy) – municipal

• David J. Fernandez
• Vincent J. Marriott III
• Chantelle McClamb
• William C. Rhodes
• William P. Wassweiler
  
  

Industry Focus – Energy: Renewable/Alternative

• Raymond W. Faricy, III
• Patrick R. Gillard
  
  

Labor and Employment – Employee benefits, executive compensation, and retirement plans – design

• Robert J. Hartman
• Edward I. Leeds
• Joshua T. Natzel
• Brian M. Pinheiro
• Diane A. Thompson
  
  

M&A/corporate and commercial – M&A: middle-market (sub-$500m)

• Damon O. Barry
• Brian D. Doerner
• Amit Kakkar
• David H. Landau
• Karen C. McConnell
• Michele J. Rowland
• David R. Rudd
• Gregory L. Seltzer
• Robert E. Tunheim
  
  

Outsourcing

• Christopher D. Ford
• David H. Medlar
  
  

Real Estate and Construction – Land Use/Zoning

• Thomas G. Bennett
• Matthew N. McClure
  
  

Real Estate and Construction – Real Estate

• Laura L. Krenz
• Tina R. Makoulian
• Bart I. Mellits
• Debra K. Page
• Jeffrey S. Page
• Mark Pollak
• Alan S. Ritterband
• James R. Walston
  
  

Real Estate and Construction – Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

• J. Thomas Bashore II
• Douglas M. Fox
• Craig Solomon Ganz
• Charles R. Moran