The Legal 500 US 2026 Guide Recognizes Fried Frank Practices and Lawyers

Fried Frank has again been recognized as a top-tier firm and ranked in 29 categories in the Legal 500 US 2026 guide, which ranks leading commercial law firms in the United States.

The 2026 rankings reflect the firm's consistent strength across its preeminent practices, with Tier 1 positions held across six distinct areas and notable tier advancements in both litigation and capital markets - affirming the firm's position as a premier destination for clients navigating complex, high-stakes matters.

Eleven lawyers are included in the prestigious "Hall of Fame," 31 lawyers are noted as elite "Leading Partners" and 10 lawyers are listed in the up-and-coming "Next Generation Partners" list. In total, 102 lawyers are recommended and mentioned in the 2026 editorial.

The firm was ranked in the following categories:

• Antitrust: Merger Control
• Dispute Resolution: Corporate Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense: Advice to Corporates
• Dispute Resolution: Corporate Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense: Advice to Individuals
• Dispute Resolution: General Commercial Disputes - Premium ($500m+)
• Dispute Resolution: M&A Litigation: Defense
• Dispute Resolution: Securities Litigation: Defense
• Finance: Capital Markets: Debt Offerings (Advice to Issuers and Advice to Underwriters)
• Finance: Capital Markets: Equity Offerings (Advice to Issuers and Advice to Managers)
• Finance: Capital Markets: High-Yield Debt Offerings (Advice to Issuers and Advice to Underwriters)
• Finance: Commercial Lending: Advice to Bank Lenders
• Finance: Commercial Lending: Advice to Borrowers
• Finance: Commercial Lending - Advice to Direct Lenders/Private Credit
• Finance: Restructuring (Including Bankruptcy): Corporate
• Finance: Structured Finance: Derivatives and Structured Products
• Government: Government Contracts
• Investment Fund Formation and Management: Alternative/Hedge Funds
• Investment Fund Formation and Management: Private Equity Funds (Including Venture Capital)
• Labor and Employment: Employee Benefits, Executive Compensation and Retirement Plans: Transactional
• M&A/Corporate and Commercial: M&A: Large Deals ($1bn+)
• M&A/Corporate and Commercial: Private Equity Buyouts: Large Deals ($500m+)
• Media, Technology and Telecoms: Technology Transactions
• Real Estate: Land Use/Zoning
• Real Estate: Real Estate: Large Cap ($500m+)
• Real Estate: Real Estate Finance
• Real Estate: Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
• Tax: US Taxes: Non-contentious
  

The following lawyers are included in Legal 500's Hall of Fame:

• Lawrence N. Barshay, Investment Fund Formation and Management: Alternative/Hedge Funds
• Alan S. Kaden, Tax: US Taxes: Non-contentious
• James J. McCullough, Government: Government Contracts
• Jonathan L. Mechanic, Real Estate: Real Estate: Large Cap ($500m+)
• Melanie Meyers, Real Estate: Land Use/Zoning
• David S. Mitchell, Finance: Structured Finance: Derivatives and Structured Products
• Carol E. Rosenthal, Real Estate: Land Use/Zoning
• Kenneth I. Rosh, Investment Fund Formation and Management: Private Equity Funds (Including Venture Capital)
• Robert C. Schwenkel, M&A/Corporate and Commercial: Private Equity Buyouts: Large Deals ($500m+)
• David I. Shapiro, Tax: US Taxes: Non-contentious
• Ray I. Shirazi, Finance: Structured Finance: Derivatives and Structured Products

The following individuals are noted as Leading Partners:

• Jonathan S. Adler, Investment Fund Formation and Management: Alternative/Hedge Funds
• Michael J. Barker, Real Estate: Real Estate Finance
• Stuart A. Barr, Real Estate: Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
• Lawrence N. Barshay, Investment Fund Formation and Management: Alternative/Hedge Funds
• Zachary Bernstein, Real Estate: Land Use/Zoning
• William J. Breslin, Finance: Structured Finance: Derivatives and Structured Products
• Daniel J. Bursky, Finance: Capital Markets: Debt Offerings, Finance: Capital Markets: Equity Offerings and Finance: Commercial Lending: Advice to Borrowers
• Steven Epstein, M&A/Corporate and commercial: M&A: Large Deals ($1bn+)
• Stephen M. Juris, Dispute Resolution: Corporate Investigations and White-collar Criminal Defense: Advice to Individuals
• Alan S. Kaden, Tax: US Taxes: Non-contentious
• Valerie Kelly, Real Estate: Real Estate: Large Cap ($500m+)
• Scott B. Luftglass, Dispute Resolution: M&A Litigation: Defense and Dispute Resolution: Securities Litigation: Defense
• Laurinda Martins, Real Estate: Real Estate: Large Cap ($500m+)
• James J. McCullough, Government: Government Contracts
• Jonathan L. Mechanic, Real Estate: Real Estate: Large Cap ($500m+)
• Melanie Meyers, Real Estate: Land Use/Zoning
• David S. Mitchell, Finance: Structured Finance: Derivatives and Structured Products
• Bernard (Barry) A. Nigro Jr., Antitrust: Merger Control
• Philip Richter, M&A/Corporate and commercial: M&A: Large Deals ($1bn+)
• Carol E. Rosenthal, Real Estate: Land Use/Zoning
• Kenneth I. Rosh, Investment Fund Formation and Management: Private Equity Funds (Including Venture Capital)
• Jeffrey Ross, Labor and Employment: Employee Benefits, Executive Compensation and Retirement Plans: Transactional
• Lisa Schneider, Investment Fund Formation and Management: Alternative/Hedge Funds
• Robert C. Schwenkel, M&A/Corporate and commercial: Private Equity Buyouts: Large Deals ($500m+)
• David I. Shapiro, Tax: US Taxes: Non-contentious
• Ray I. Shirazi, Finance: Structured Finance: Derivatives and Structured Products
• Steven J. Steinman, M&A/Corporate and commercial: Private Equity Buyouts: Large Deals ($500m+)
• Michael Vines, Real Estate: Real Estate Finance
• Michael J. Werner, Real Estate: Real Estate: Large Cap ($500m+)
• Allison Yacker, Investment Fund Formation and Management: Alternative/Hedge Funds
• Becky Zelenka, Investment Fund Formation and Management: Private Equity Funds (Including Venture Capital)

The following lawyers are noted as Next Generation Partners:

• Michael J. Anstett, Government: Government Contracts
• Jeremy R. Berry, Investment Fund Formation and Management: Private Equity Funds (Including Venture Capital)
• Joseph E. Fox, Tax: US Taxes: Non-contentious
• Ilan T. Graff, Dispute Resolution: Corporate Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense: Advice to Individuals
• Shane C. Hoffmann, Tax: US Taxes: Non-contentious
• Jason Koenig, Investment Fund Formation and Management: Alternative/Hedge Funds
• Randi Lally, M&A/Corporate and Commercial: Private Equity Buyouts: Large Deals ($500m+)
• Dorothy Mehta, Investment Fund Formation and Management: Alternative/Hedge Funds
• Nihal Patel, Finance: Structured Finance: Derivatives and Structured Products
• Adam D. Summers, Finance: Commercial Lending: Advice to Borrowers

This communication is for general information only. It is not intended, nor should it be relied upon, as legal advice. In some jurisdictions, this may be considered attorney advertising. Please refer to the firm's data policy page for further information.