Chambers and Partners recognized McGuireWoods lawyers 137 times and firm practice areas 66 times in the 2024 edition of the “Chambers USA” guide.
The firm earned 19 nationwide practice rankings, including a Band 1 ranking — Chambers’ highest — in Public Finance. McGuireWoods’ other nationwide rankings were in the following practice areas: Banking & Finance; Bankruptcy/Restructuring; Cannabis Law; Climate Change; Corporate Crime & Investigations; Corporate/M&A; Energy: Electricity (Regulatory & Litigation); Energy: Electricity (Transactional); Environment; Financial Services Regulation: Broker Dealer (Compliance & Enforcement); Food & Beverages: Regulatory and Litigation; Healthcare; Labor & Employment; Occupational Safety & Health; Product Liability & Mass Torts; Projects: Power & Renewables (Transactional); Sports Law; and Transportation: Rail (for Railroads).
McGuireWoods earned Band 1 regional practice rankings in Banking & Finance; Bankruptcy/Restructuring; Corporate/M&A; Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation; Energy & Natural Resources; Insurance; Intellectual Property; Labor & Employment; Litigation: General Commercial; Litigation: White Collar Crime & Government Investigations; Product Liability & Toxic Torts; Public Finance; and Real Estate.
In the guide, Chambers noted that McGuireWoods’ top-ranked public finance practice is “sought out for its strong capabilities” advising issuers, underwriters and borrowers.
“It undertakes an array of work in the transportation sector including on rail lines and airports,” Chambers reported. “It is also regularly engaged by state and local municipalities, offering a strength across a range of housing and community developments.”
A McGuireWoods client told Chambers that the firm’s public finance team “makes complex and nuanced issues seem like routine problems that are easily resolved.”
Another client praised McGuireWoods’ banking and finance capabilities, saying the firm is “very well connected within the financial markets and commercial lending markets” and “able to bring in resources and specialists as needed to meet timelines and always responds with urgency.”
McGuireWoods earned high marks for its M&A prowess, with a client telling Chambers that the firm’s corporate lawyers “aren’t just working from a playbook — the advice is practical and the team can pivot easily. It’s outstanding.”
In addition, the firm’s healthcare lawyers were lauded for having “deep knowledge and experience in navigating state and federal healthcare regulatory landscapes, lending to the successful operation and growth of national healthcare organizations.”
Individually, 31 lawyers earned Band 1, “Star” or “Eminent Practitioner” rankings, underscoring their stature as leaders in their practices and industry areas.
The Chambers USA honors follow McGuireWoods’ nationwide rankings in Chambers’ annual fintech and high-net-worth guides.
Practice Rankings
McGuireWoods earned state recognition in the following practices.
- Antitrust (Illinois)
- Banking & Finance (North Carolina, Pittsburgh & Surrounds, Georgia, Illinois, California)
- Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Virginia, North Carolina, Pittsburgh & Surrounds, Illinois)
- Corporate/M&A (Charlotte & Surrounds, Southern Virginia, Texas, Maryland, New York)
- Corporate/M&A and Private Equity (Pittsburgh & Surrounds, Illinois)
- Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (North Carolina)
- Energy & Natural Resources (North Carolina, Pennsylvania)
- Environment (Virginia, North Carolina, District of Columbia)
- Healthcare (Illinois, North Carolina)
- Insurance (Georgia)
- Intellectual Property (Southern Virginia, Texas)
- Intellectual Property: Trademark, Copyright & Trade Secrets (Texas)
- Labor & Employment (California, North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Illinois)
- Litigation: General Commercial (North Carolina, Virginia, Pittsburgh & Surrounds)
- Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (Virginia)
- Product Liability & Toxic Torts (Virginia)
- Public Finance (Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia)
- Real Estate (Southern Virginia, Northern Virginia, North Carolina)
- Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use (Northern Virginia)
Individual Rankings
McGuireWoods lawyers were recognized in the following categories.
Antitrust
Illinois – Amy Starinieri Gilbert, Amy Manning, Angelo Russo and Sarah Zielinski of Chicago
Appellate Law
Nationwide – Jonathan Ellis of Raleigh
Banking & Finance
California – Peter Szurley of San Francisco
Georgia – Art Gambill, Christopher Greene and Gerum Yilma of Atlanta
Illinois – Donald Ensing, Yuan-Ying Hsu and Philip Perzek of Chicago
North Carolina – Christian Brose, Eric Burk, Kevin McGinnis, Raj Natarajan and W. Kent Walker of Charlotte; Anne Croteau of Raleigh
Pennsylvania – Peter Butcher and Penny Zacharias of Pittsburgh
Bankruptcy/Restructuring
Illinois – Aaron McCollough of Chicago
North Carolina – Trey Rayburn of Charlotte
Pennsylvania – Frank Guadagnino and Mark Freedlander of Pittsburgh
Texas – Demetra Liggins of Houston
Virginia – Sarah Boehm, Dion Hayes and John Maddock of Richmond
Climate Change
Nationwide – Allison Wood of Washington, D.C.
Construction
Virginia – Michael Dingman of Tysons
Corporate/M&A
Maryland – Heather Welch Arbogast, Brian Kelly and Cecil E. Martin III of Baltimore
New York – Jeffrey L. Rothschild of New York
North Carolina: Charlotte & Surrounds – Chris Scheurer and David B. Whelpley Jr. of Charlotte
Southern Virginia – Brian Hager, Joanne Katsantonis and Michael Woodard of Richmond
Corporate/M&A & Private Equity
Pennsylvania – Benjamin Hantz, David Hornyak and Thomas Zahn of Pittsburgh
Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation
North Carolina – Taylor French and Allison Tanner of Charlotte
Energy: Electricity (Regulatory & Litigation)
Nationwide – Julia English, Katlyn Davis Farrell, Todd Mullins and Noel Symons of Washington, D.C.
Energy: Electricity (Transactional)
Nationwide – Brian Kelly of Baltimore and Joanne Katsantonis of Richmond
Energy & Natural Resources
North Carolina – James Jeffries of Charlotte; Kristin Athens (associate to watch), Brett Breitschwerdt, Mary Lynne Grigg and Andrea Kells of Raleigh
Pennsylvania – Anthony Carna and Gregory Krock of Pittsburgh
Environment
District of Columbia – Aaron Flynn, Makram Jaber and Allison Wood
Georgia – Adam Sowatzka of Atlanta
North Carolina – David Franchina of Charlotte; W. Dixon Snukals (associate to watch) of Raleigh
Financial Services Regulation: Broker Dealer (Compliance)
Nationwide – John Ayanian of Washington, D.C.
Financial Services Regulation: Broker Dealer (Enforcement)
Nationwide – Cheryl Haas of Atlanta and Elizabeth Hogan of Washington, D.C.
Food & Beverages: Regulatory & Litigation
Nationwide – James Neale of Charlottesville and Trent Taylor of Richmond
Healthcare
Georgia – Kristen McDermott Woodrum of Atlanta
Illinois – Scott Becker, Holly Buckley and Amber McGraw Walsh of Chicago
North Carolina – Kayla McCann Marty and Bart Walker of Charlotte
Insurance
Georgia – Joseph Englert, Shelby Guilbert and Anthony Tatum of Atlanta
Intellectual Property
Southern Virginia – David E. Finkelson, Janet P. Peyton, Brian C. Riopelle, Robin Cooke Vance and Lucy Jewett Wheatley of Richmond
Texas – Darren Collins and Jason Cook of Dallas
Intellectual Property: Trademark, Copyright & Trade Secrets
Texas – Yasser Madriz of Houston
Labor & Employment
California – Sabrina A. Beldner of Century City
Illinois – Michael Phillips and Joel Spitz of Chicago
Maryland – Elena Marcuss of Baltimore
North Carolina – Brian Barger, Paul Navarro and Meredith Pinson of Charlotte
Texas – Joel Allen of Dallas and Meghaan Madriz of Houston
Virginia – Amy Morrissey Turk of Norfolk; Dana Rust of Richmond and David Greenspan of Tysons
Litigation: General Commercial
Maryland – Ava Lias-Booker of Baltimore
North Carolina – Bradley R. Kutrow of Charlotte
Texas – Thomas Farrell of Houston
Virginia – Jonathan Blank and James Neale of Charlottesville
Litigation: Medical Malpractice Defense
North Carolina – Mark Anderson of Raleigh
Litigation: Securities
Georgia – Cheryl Haas of Atlanta
Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations
Illinois – Christina Egan of Chicago
Virginia – Benjamin Hatch of Norfolk; John Adams and Laura Colombell Marshall of Richmond
Product Liability & Toxic Torts
Virginia – Andrew Gann; Samuel L. Tarry Jr. and J. Tracy Walker IV of Richmond
Projects: Power & Renewables: Transactional
Nationwide – Michael Woodard of Richmond
Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy
Nationwide – Timothy P. Callahan of Chicago
Public Finance
District of Columbia – Robert Kaplan
Georgia – Kenneth Neighbors and Isaac Yilma of Atlanta
Maryland – Alan Cason and Anna Horevay of Baltimore
New York – John Semeniak of New York
North Carolina – Lisa Williams of Charlotte: Kristen Kirby and Mary Nash K. Rusher of Raleigh
Virginia – Arthur Anderson, Thomas Bruno and Anne Curtis Saunders (associate to watch) of Richmond; Michael Graff of Tysons
Real Estate
Florida: North & Central – Christopher Thanner of Jacksonville
Georgia – John Grieb of Atlanta
North Carolina – William Harris of Charlotte
Southern Virginia – Nancy Little of Richmond
Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use
Northern Virginia – Scott Adams and Gregory Riegle of Tysons
Southern Virginia – D. Brennen Keene of Richmond
Tax
Georgia – Gerald Thomas of Atlanta
Transportation: Aviation Finance
Nationwide – Deepak Reddy of New York and Michael Scoville of Washington
Transportation: Rail (for Railroads)
Nationwide – Eric Bilik of Jacksonville