More Than 350 K&L Gates Lawyers Recognized Among 2026 Best Lawyers in America, Ones to Watch

The 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, a peer-review publication in the legal profession, has recognized more than 350 K&L Gates lawyers in 24 offices as top legal talent across various industries and practice areas. In addition, close to 50 of the firm’s lawyers were named in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America, a list that recognizes lawyers early in their careers. For more than 40 years, the Best Lawyers guide highlights outstanding legal professionals selected by their peers through millions of votes each year.

This year, 17 K&L Gates partners were recognized with 18 “Lawyer of the Year” awards, an accolade received by only one lawyer in each practice area and region across the country, resulting in a total of nearly 620 recognitions overall for the firm.

Congratulations to the Lawyer of the Year award recipients below, as well as to all of the lawyers recognized in the 2026 edition. To view the full list of individuals recognized, please click here.

LAWYERS OF THE YEAR

Boston

• Jeffrey King – Admiralty and Maritime Law

Charleston

• James Bruce – Mergers and Acquisitions Law

Charlotte

• Rick Giovannelli – Mergers and Acquisitions Law
• Sean Jones – Corporate Governance Law
• Sean Jones – Securities / Capital Markets Law

Harrisburg

• David Fine – Appellate Practice
• Craig Wilson – Litigation - Environmental

Miami

• April Boyer – Labor Law - Management

Nashville

• Slade Sevier – Litigation - Real Estate

Pittsburgh

• Stephen Barge – Litigation and Controversy - Tax
• David Lehman – Mergers and Acquisitions Law
• Patrick McElhinny – Litigation - Intellectual Property
• Anna Shabalov – Copyright Law
• John Sylvester – Insurance Law

Raleigh

• Stanford Baird – Environmental Law

Seattle

• Charles Royce – Banking and Finance Law
• Ankur Tohan – Energy Regulatory Law

Wilmington

• Scott Waxman – Securitization and Structured Finance Law