Whether you recently suffered a personal injury, experienced intellectual property theft or lived through landlord negligence, you need an experienced attorney willing to advise you on legal matters and represent you in the courtroom. The better the practice, the higher your chances of winning. Who is the best litigation law firm in New York City?

1. Olshan Frome Wolosky

As evidenced by decades of experience, numerous successful cases and deep expertise in a broad range of focuses, Olshan Frome Wolosky is the best litigation law firm in New York City. Whether you head a large corporation, run a small business or need personal legal advice, it tailors its services to your specific situation, ensuring it meets your needs.

Unlike other law firms, it is large enough to handle complicated matters easily, but small enough to be cost-effective and personable. The attorneys are responsive, steadfast and client-focused, working closely together to find creative, effective solutions. They handle private, public and individual litigation law in a variety of industries, ranging from hospitality to insurance.

In 2024, 35 attorneys were named to the New York Metro Super Lawyers list. Just 5% of all lawyers in the state make this list. Best Lawyers recognized eight as “The Best Lawyers in America” and placed three on the “Ones to Watch” list in 2025.

Numerous independent third parties have recognized the firm, including Chambers USA, Best Lawyers, and Legal 500 US. Best Lawyers designated it the “Best Law Firm” in several categories, including commercial litigation. The National Law Journal has also named it one of the top 20 midsize law firms in the country.

2. Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance is a multinational law firm with branches in places like Beijing, Dubai and Madrid. Luckily, it has an office right here in New York. It is one of the world’s oldest and largest law firms, with roots stretching back to London circa 1800, so it has its pick of world-class lawyers. Few firms can boast about having centuries of experience.

As these characteristics suggest, its services may not be within the average New Yorker’s budget. For reference, its typical fee range for unfair or wrongful dismissal matters is between $61,600 and $1.71 million, depending on complexity. Splurging may be sensible if you are facing a complicated, high-risk legal battle.

The New York team has formidable jurisdictional knowledge, deep market insights and advanced legal technologies at its disposal. It can handle everything from intellectual property to real estate litigation. Whether you come to it as an investor, business owner or individual, it can help you.

To date, the firm has achieved 124 Band 1 rankings — one being the highest and six being the lowest — in the Chambers Global Guide 2025, which is more than any other firm for the second consecutive year. Being ranked in any band is a significant achievement, as they are based on technical ability, diligence, professional conduct, client service and commitment.

3. White & Case

International law firm White & Case serves organizations and governments. It routinely advises the world’s largest corporations, so its regular clientele consists of executives and directors. It may not be accessible to typical New Yorkers, but it is among the best practices in the city.

It will represent you in all litigation stages, whether helping you through dispute resolution, class action or trial. It will provide advice to help you make well-informed decisions and aggressively fight for you if needed. Recently, it helped resolve one of the largest broken deal disputes in U.S. history after four years of litigation and a two-week trial.

If its past cases are not enough to convince you of its legal prowess, its awards might. Recently, it earned multiple Tier 1 rankings in Legal 500 U.S. 2025. At the 2025 Lawyer Awards, it won “Corporate Team of the Year” because it routinely collaborates to help clients win.

More importantly, its New York office secured 10 Band 1 rankings in Chambers USA 2025 in bankruptcy, white-collar crime and technology litigation. In total, it has received 68 practice rankings and 135 lawyer rankings.

4. Shearman & Sterling

Formed in 2024 via a merger between Shearman & Sterling and Allen & Overy, A&O Shearman has been named the world’s most innovative law firm by the Financial Times. Today, it has over 4,000 lawyers globally. They advise over 33% of NYSE-listed businesses and around 20% of the NASDAQ.

They practice global corporate and commercial litigation, handling the high-stakes, complicated disputes others don’t like to take. They have extensive experience representing multinational corporations, private capital firms and individuals before civil courts worldwide.

They have extensive experience with class actions and group settlements regarding everything from malpractice claims to false advertising. They provide prelitigation counseling and winning strategies. You will receive support through every stage of their trial-tested approach, including discovery, resolution negotiation, court proceedings and, when advantageous, settlement.

If you are a low-income individual or part of a nonprofit organization, you could benefit from the pro bono practice. You could receive high-quality legal services free of charge if you cannot afford legal representation. The lawyers fight to protect fundamental rights and preserve the natural environment. They cannot respond to all queries, but may be able to help you.

5. Romano Law

The experienced litigators from Romano Law represent individuals and businesses and can help you in state and federal courts. They specialize in business litigation in New York, providing practical guidance to help you resolve disputes efficiently. They can advise you in fashion, real estate, technology, finance or media law.

The civil litigation service covers employment disputes, royalty disagreements, fraud, First Amendment cases, intellectual property disputes, breach of contract and fiduciary duty cases. A network of counsel attorneys specializing in specific areas of litigation, mediation and arbitration will guide you from the presuit investigation to the trial.

While they always try to resolve the issue amicably with negotiation or mediation — which is faster and more cost-effective for everyone involved — those methods don’t always work out. When that happens, they go to trial. Thankfully, they are very familiar with the inside of a courtroom, so they will represent you diligently.

6. Phillips & Associates PLLC

Phillips & Associates PLLC has offices in New York City, Long Island, and White Plains. It has a proven track record, securing over $250 million in successful settlements and verdicts for over 500 clients. It aggressively represents clients to increase their chances of success.

It primarily handles discrimination and sexual assault matters. In one example, it secured a landmark $2.2 million verdict for race discrimination and retaliation. However, it also takes on employment matters related to compensation, wrongful termination, hostile work environments or forced retirement.

These lawyers provide free, confidential consultations. Since their work is contingent-based, you pay nothing until they successfully obtain a verdict or settlement. They will even advance the cost of your litigation, meaning they spend the money to properly litigate, which involves paying for discovery and experts. Many firms do not do this.

This diligence has earned multiple awards over the years. For instance, the American Institute of Legal Counsel — an impartial third-party rating organization — selected it as one of the “10 Best Employment & Labor Law Firms” in New York. It was also chosen as a member of “Best Employment Attorneys in America,” an award less than 1% of attorneys in America receive.

7. Gana Weinstein LLP

While Gana Weinstein LLP serves clients nationwide, it is based in New York. Its quality advocacy gets results — it fights hard for the best possible outcome. While negotiation and arbitration are possible avenues, it believes litigators must be ready to try cases no matter what. If it believes going to trial is best, it will recommend that course of action.

To date, it has successfully resolved hundreds of arbitrations through verdict or settlement, demonstrating its battle-tested team’s skills. Whether you come to them as an individual or a startup owner, they can advise and represent you.

The experienced class action attorneys can tackle large-scale legal issues. Past disputes range from landlord negligence to consumer fraud. Recently, it secured a $7.8 million settlement for a class action brought against a global security analysis firm.

It can help you navigate commercial debt, deceptive trade practices, contract disputes, securities fraud, insurance fraud or employment litigation, guiding you through negotiation, mediation or trial in state or federal court. It assesses potential costs and risks to improve counsel and cost-effectiveness.

8. McDermott Will & Emery

McDermott Will & Emery can draw on nearly a century of legal experience and more than 1,400 lawyers to help you through negotiation, arbitration or trial. They have ample experience in the courtroom and deep substantive knowledge in various areas of law. While they have a reputation for helping multinational firms win big-ticket cases, they also work with individuals.

These well-respected trial lawyers and highly specialized litigators do their best to ensure client satisfaction. They offer a highly personalized, personable service because they care about the outcome of your trial. According to its annual client survey, its organization-wide net promoter score is 80, which is generally considered exceptionally high.

When you rely on this practice, you don’t just get help from one person — the lawyers form a tight-knit network, collaborating daily across industries, practices and geographies to deliver insights and get results. This is why it was recognized as a “leading firm” and “top-tier firm” in 2024 and 2025 by Legal500.

Over the years, it has taken on around 74,000 pro bono and community service hours to help low-income individuals. The cost of living is steep in New York, so receiving free legal assistance would benefit you. It has partnered with community-based and nonprofit organizations to protect civil and human rights involving education, housing and employment.

9. Greenstein & Pittari LLP

Since 1995, Greenstein & Pittari LLP has recovered around $200 billion on behalf of over 20,000 satisfied clients. Its New York practice areas include personal injury, medical malpractice, sexual abuse, nursing home abuse, sexual harassment and wrongful death.

Since these lawyers work on contingency, you pay nothing unless they secure compensation for you. Instead of paying out of pocket, you pay them a percentage of the compensation you receive from negotiation or a successful verdict. Since their earnings depend on the case’s success, they fight aggressively on your behalf.

Whether you are in a hospital or at home, they will travel to you for your initial consultation to make things convenient. While they will prioritize negotiation and arbitration, they are prepared to litigate before a judge to seek justice if necessary.

10. Kirkland & Ellis

Kirkland & Ellis is one of the largest law firms in the city, employing around 900 attorneys at its New York office. They represent you in trial courts, administrative tribunals and other dispute resolution proceedings. For high-stakes matters, they collaborate with the firm’s other locations to ensure you get the best possible support.

These professionals have successfully tried cases in virtually every substantive area of law, including class action, mass tort, insurance coverage, product liability and securities litigation. However, that doesn’t mean they have an out-of-the-box strategy they fall back on. They customize their strategies and tactics to your needs and situation.

Even if they don’t plan on trying through verdict, they prepare to do so from the beginning. This cost-effective approach often leads to more favorable pre-trial results because they identify critical issues and creative angles early on, which they can use to their advantage during negotiation and litigation.

This is why Law360 designated this practice as a “Firm of the Year” in 2024 after it won the most “Practice Group of the Year” awards. Also, in 2025, Bloomberg Law recognized its trial lawyers in its “Unrivaled” list, which spotlights the industry’s most successful settlements and trials.

Pick One of the Best Litigation Law Firms in New York City

Now that you know who the best litigation law firm in New York City is, you can decide which one best fits your situation. While each has high-quality lawyers committed to protecting your interests, their practice areas and experience levels differ.

Reach out to each law firm to set up initial consultations. This way, you can clearly understand their unique approach and fee structure. Consider starting at the top of the list and working your way down for a comprehensive overview.