New Report: Ballard Spahr Is a 'Most Feared' Law Firm for Litigation

Ballard Spahr ranks among the country’s “Most Feared Law Firms in Litigation,” according to a new report by leading legal industry research firm BTI Consulting Group.

BTI’s Litigation Outlook 2025 ranks the firm among the very best for advocacy in court and alternative forums. The report recognizes Ballard Spahr’s effectiveness in particular in class action litigation, complex commercial litigation, cybersecurity litigation, complex employment litigation, and intellectual property litigation. The independent report is based on surveys and interviews with more than 350 leading legal decision makers—such as general counsels and chief legal officers—at companies with revenue of at least $1 billion.

Ballard Spahr is one of just 29 firms identified in the report as “Intimidating Opponents 2025” for being particularly formidable and challenging to face in litigation. The firm also ranks among just 84 firms singled out by interviewees as the “most feared” firms that “they don’t want to see on the other side.”

“We’re proud of this recognition because it’s based on the assessment of our clients and companies our clients have gone up against,” said Jason A. Leckerman, chair of Ballard Spahr’s Litigation Department, which comprises more than 240 lawyers. “Our clients know firsthand how our highly skilled litigators go above and beyond to attain the best possible result on their behalf. These latest rankings affirm Ballard Spahr’s historical and ever-growing strength in litigation across legal practice areas and industries.”

BTI predicts an uptick in corporate litigation in 2025 based on survey responses indicating a majority of companies plan to increase their litigation budgets next year. The report’s subtitle—“More Complexity. More Growth. More Spending.”—reflects that trend, which BTI attributes in part to a growing number of complex cases in evolving areas such as artificial intelligence, data protection, and environmental, social, and governance. In addition, the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Loper Bright v. Raimondo—upending longtime mandatory court deference to government agencies in interpreting federal laws—is expected to generate more challenges to agency regulations.

“Litigation is on the rise,” Jason said, “and we’re well-positioned to help clients resolve cases and achieve their objectives in every type of dispute.”

For media inquiries, please contact Bill Shralow at 215.864.8195.