Kirkland & Ellis LLP

‘The best of the best for mass tort litigation’, Kirkland & Ellis LLP regularly has a fulcrum role in class actions and MDLs in major environmental and toxic tort disputes throughout the country. Recognized as the ’epitome of creative lawyering’, the team, which is more generalist than many in the ranking, has an excellent perspective throughout the litigation continuum, using its feared trial lawyers as effective leveraging tools to achieve beneficial settlements for clients, as well as being dogged and effective advocates in federal and state courts throughout the country. Washington DC-based litigator Mike Brock is a distinguished advocate whose versatile practice has included some high-profile environmental and toxic tort mandates; he continues to act as lead trial lawyer for BP in ongoing cases emanating from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Other recommended lawyers include Chicago-based litigators Renee Smith, Leslie Smith, and Donna Welch, all of whom have experience advising manufacturers and life sciences clients in toxic tort matters.