General Information
Overview
Content is provided by the firm.
The firm’s history dates back to 1893 through the long roots of the Alston, Miller & Gaines’ predecessor firms. The merger with Jones, Bird and Howell formed Alston & Bird on December 1, 1982. Expansion beyond Georgia began with the establishment of an office in Washington, DC, followed by the 1997 merger with Bell Seltzer Park & Gibson (Charlotte and Raleigh, NC) and Walter, Conston, Alexander & Green in 2001 (New York, NY), and the acquisition of Crews, Shepherd & McCarty LLP in 2007 (Dallas, TX). Alston & Bird’s Silicon Valley office opened in August 2008, and our Los Angeles office opened in September following the acquisition of Weston Benshoof Rochefort Rubalcava and MacCuish LLP. In 2011, the firm established our first European office in Brussels, and in September 2015 continued our international expansion to China with the opening of the Beijing office. With the opening of a San Francisco office in 2017, we extended our presence in California to three locations. Our European footprint expanded in 2019 with the opening of our London office. The firm's energy offerings expanded again with the opening of our Fort Worth office in 2020.
TEAMWORK
Alston & Bird’s nationally recognized firm culture is based on successful teamwork and allows us to quickly access virtually any combination of skills that a client may require. The firm has been ranked for 24 consecutive years on Fortune magazine’s list of “Best Companies to Work For.” This recognition demonstrates the satisfaction of those who work at the firm and translates into resources committed to delivering high-quality work product to clients.
CLIENT FOCUS
Alston & Bird has been consistently recognized as a U.S. law firm providing superior client service in the BTI Client Service A-Team. This recognition results from interviews with approximately 240 corporate counsel at Fortune 1000 companies.
BREADTH AND DEPTH
There is simply no substitute for having someone down the hall – someone very good – who can answer a question about an FCC issue, a biotech patent, actuarial analysis, regulatory compliance, global technology outsourcing, complex litigation, or whatever the issue may be. Alston & Bird has both the critical mass and the skill combination to meet the most complex client needs. A key demonstration of our skills: 227 of our attorneys are listed in The Best Lawyers in America. Another 131 of our lawyers are listed in Ones to Watch – the future is bright at Alston & Bird.
Rankings
Alston & Bird LLP is nationally ranked in 44 practice areas and metro ranked in 62 practice areas. Best Law Firms rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process.
Read how Best Law Firms ranks firms"Law Firm of the Year" Awards
2024 "Law Firm of the Year" in Securitization and Structured Finance Law
National Rankings
Tier 1
Tier 1 for Banking and Finance Law
Tier 1 for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Tier 1 for Commercial Litigation
Tier 1 for Construction Law
Tier 1 for Corporate Law
Metro Rankings
Atlanta, GA
Tier 1 for Appellate Practice
Tier 1 for Banking and Finance Law
Tier 1 for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Tier 1 for Bet-the-Company Litigation
Tier 1 for Commercial Finance Law
Highlighted Client Comments
All client comments represent the opinions of the people who provided them. All potential clients are urged to remember that no two cases are ever completely alike and that the result in one case does not guarantee a similar result in another case.
Real Estate Law
Alston & Bird is the best in the business.
Patent Law
Alston & Bird is a tremendous, full-service law firm. Its attorneys are knowledgeable and courteous. I haven't had a negative experience with any of the attorneys with whom I've engaged and would highly recommend Alston & Bird to any other person or entity that needs legal representation.
Banking and Finance Law
The Alston & Bird team provides exceptional client service, proactively anticipating client needs and heading off potential questions, and turning around work in an efficient and thoughtful manner, while providing a strong business lens and mindset to their legal expertise.
Rankings
"Law Firm of the Year" Awards
2024 "Law Firm of the Year" in Securitization and Structured Finance Law
National Rankings
Tier 1
Tier 1 for Banking and Finance Law
Tier 1 for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Tier 1 for Commercial Litigation
Tier 1 for Construction Law
Tier 1 for Corporate Law
Tier 1 for Criminal Defense: White-Collar
Tier 1 for Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
Tier 1 for Environmental Law
Tier 1 for Financial Services Regulation Law
Tier 1 for Health Care Law
Tier 1 for International Trade and Finance Law
Tier 1 for Land Use and Zoning Law
Tier 1 for Litigation - Antitrust
Tier 1 for Litigation - Construction
Tier 1 for Litigation - Environmental
Tier 1 for Litigation - ERISA
Tier 1 for Litigation - Intellectual Property
Tier 1 for Litigation and Controversy - Tax
Tier 1 for Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Tier 1 for Patent Law
Tier 1 for Private Funds / Hedge Funds Law
Tier 1 for Real Estate Law
Tier 1 for Securities / Capital Markets Law
Tier 1 for Securities Regulation
Tier 1 for Securitization and Structured Finance Law
Tier 1 for Tax Law
Tier 1 for Trademark Law
Tier 2
Tier 2 for Derivatives and Futures Law
Tier 2 for Information Technology Law
Tier 2 for Litigation - Banking and Finance
Tier 2 for Litigation - Patent
Tier 2 for Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants
Tier 2 for Technology Law
Tier 3
Tier 3 for Antitrust Law
Tier 3 for Appellate Practice
Tier 3 for Copyright Law
Tier 3 for Employment Law - Management
Tier 3 for FDA Law
Tier 3 for Insurance Law
Tier 3 for Labor Law - Management
Tier 3 for Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law
Tier 3 for Litigation - Bankruptcy
Tier 3 for Litigation - Labor and Employment
Tier 3 for Litigation - Securities
Metro Rankings
Atlanta, GA
Tier 1 for Appellate Practice
Tier 1 for Banking and Finance Law
Tier 1 for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Tier 1 for Bet-the-Company Litigation
Tier 1 for Commercial Finance Law
Tier 1 for Commercial Litigation
Tier 1 for Commercial Transactions / UCC Law
Tier 1 for Communications Law
Tier 1 for Construction Law
Tier 1 for Corporate Law
Tier 1 for Criminal Defense: White-Collar
Tier 1 for Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
Tier 1 for Employment Law - Management
Tier 1 for Environmental Law
Tier 1 for Financial Services Regulation Law
Tier 1 for Health Care Law
Tier 1 for Immigration Law
Tier 1 for Information Technology Law
Tier 1 for Insurance Law
Tier 1 for International Arbitration - Commercial
Tier 1 for Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants
Tier 1 for Litigation - Banking and Finance
Tier 1 for Litigation - Bankruptcy
Tier 1 for Litigation - Construction
Tier 1 for Litigation - Environmental
Tier 1 for Litigation - Health Care
Tier 1 for Litigation - Intellectual Property
Tier 1 for Litigation - Labor and Employment
Tier 1 for Litigation - Patent
Tier 1 for Litigation - Securities
Tier 1 for Litigation - Trusts and Estates
Tier 1 for Litigation and Controversy - Tax
Tier 1 for Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants
Tier 1 for Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Tier 1 for Nonprofit / Charities Law
Tier 1 for Patent Law
Tier 1 for Privacy and Data Security Law
Tier 1 for Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
Tier 1 for Real Estate Law
Tier 1 for Securities / Capital Markets Law
Tier 1 for Securities Regulation
Tier 1 for Tax Law
Tier 1 for Technology Law
Tier 1 for Trademark Law
Tier 1 for Trusts and Estates
Tier 2 for Copyright Law
Tier 2 for Labor Law - Management
Tier 2 for Litigation - Insurance
Tier 2 for Securitization and Structured Finance Law
Tier 3 for Litigation - Land Use and Zoning
Charlotte, NC
Tier 1 for Banking and Finance Law
Tier 1 for Corporate Law
Tier 1 for Criminal Defense: White-Collar
Tier 1 for Financial Services Regulation Law
Tier 1 for International Trade and Finance Law
Tier 1 for Litigation - Health Care
Tier 1 for Litigation - Intellectual Property
Tier 1 for Litigation - Patent
Tier 1 for Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Tier 1 for Patent Law
Tier 1 for Private Funds / Hedge Funds Law
Tier 1 for Securitization and Structured Finance Law
Tier 1 for Tax Law
Tier 1 for Trademark Law
Tier 2 for Appellate Practice
Tier 2 for Derivatives and Futures Law
Tier 2 for Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law
Tier 2 for Securities / Capital Markets Law
Dallas/Fort Worth, TX
Tier 1 for Banking and Finance Law
Tier 1 for Commercial Litigation
Tier 1 for Corporate Law
Tier 1 for Financial Services Regulation Law
Tier 1 for Litigation - Intellectual Property
Tier 1 for Litigation - Patent
Tier 1 for Oil and Gas Law
Tier 1 for Securitization and Structured Finance Law
Tier 3 for Bet-the-Company Litigation
Los Angeles, CA
Tier 1 for Construction Law
Tier 1 for Environmental Law
Tier 1 for Land Use and Zoning Law
Tier 1 for Litigation - Construction
Tier 1 for Litigation - Environmental
Tier 1 for Litigation - Labor and Employment
Tier 1 for Litigation - Land Use and Zoning
Tier 1 for Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
Tier 1 for Real Estate Law
Tier 1 for Water Law
Tier 3 for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
New York City, NY
Tier 1 for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Tier 1 for Corporate Law
Tier 1 for Private Funds / Hedge Funds Law
Tier 1 for Real Estate Law
Tier 1 for Securitization and Structured Finance Law
Tier 2 for Banking and Finance Law
Tier 2 for Commercial Litigation
Tier 2 for Derivatives and Futures Law
Tier 2 for Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
Tier 2 for Tax Law
Tier 3 for Criminal Defense: White-Collar
Raleigh, NC
Tier 1 for Commercial Litigation
Tier 1 for Litigation and Controversy - Tax
Tier 1 for Tax Law
Tier 2 for Litigation - Banking and Finance
San Francisco, CA
Tier 1 for Commercial Litigation
Tier 1 for Litigation - Antitrust
Tier 1 for Litigation - Environmental
Tier 2 for Environmental Law
Tier 3 for Antitrust Law
San Jose, CA
Tier 1 for Patent Law
Washington, D.C., DC
Tier 1 for Corporate Governance Law
Tier 1 for Corporate Law
Tier 1 for Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
Tier 1 for FDA Law
Tier 1 for Health Care Law
Tier 1 for International Trade and Finance Law
Tier 1 for Litigation - ERISA
Tier 1 for Litigation - Insurance
Tier 1 for Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Tier 1 for Privacy and Data Security Law
Tier 1 for Securities / Capital Markets Law
Tier 1 for Tax Law
Tier 2 for Criminal Defense: White-Collar
Tier 2 for Litigation - Antitrust
Tier 2 for Litigation - Environmental
Tier 2 for Litigation and Controversy - Tax
Tier 2 for Securities Regulation
Tier 3 for Antitrust Law
Tier 3 for Securitization and Structured Finance Law
Practice Areas
The below are areas of legal specialty volunteered by the firm and do not designate a specialty in which a Best Law Firms ranking is held.
- Antitrust Law
- Arbitration
- Banking and Finance Law
- Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
- Bet-the-Company Litigation
- Commercial Litigation
- Construction Law
- Corporate Governance Law
- Corporate Law
- Criminal Defense: White-Collar
- Derivatives and Futures Law
- Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
- Employment Law - Management
- Energy Law
- Environmental Law
- Equipment Finance Law
- Financial Services Regulation Law
- Health Care Law
- Immigration Law
- Information Technology Law
- Insurance Law
- International Arbitration - Commercial
- International Trade and Finance Law
- Labor Law - Management
- Land Use and Zoning Law
- Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants
- Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law
- Litigation - Antitrust
- Litigation - Banking and Finance
- Litigation - Bankruptcy
- Litigation - Construction
- Litigation - Environmental
- Litigation - ERISA
- Litigation - First Amendment
- Litigation - Intellectual Property
- Litigation - Labor and Employment
- Litigation - Patent
- Litigation - Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy)
- Litigation - Securities
- Litigation - Trusts and Estates
- Litigation and Controversy - Tax
- Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants
- Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants
- Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Natural Resources Law
- Oil and Gas Law
- Patent Law
- Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
- Privacy and Data Security Law
- Private Funds / Hedge Funds Law
- Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
- Public Finance Law
- Real Estate Law
- Securities / Capital Markets Law
- Securities Regulation
- Securitization and Structured Finance Law
- Tax Law
- Technology Law
- Trademark Law
- Trusts and Estates
Individuals Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America®
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Client Comments
All client comments represent the opinions of the people who provided them. All potential clients are urged to remember that no two cases are ever completely alike and that the result in one case does not guarantee a similar result in another case.
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Office Locations
Atlanta,
GA
One Atlantic Center
1201 West Peachtree Street, Suite 4900
Atlanta, GA 30309-3424
United States
404-881-7000
Call our Atlanta, GA location at 404-881-7000
Get Directions
Get directions to our Atlanta, GA location
Palo Alto,
CA
Building C - Suite 200
755 Page Mill Road
Palo Alto, CA 94304
United States
650-838-2000
Call our Palo Alto, CA location at 650-838-2000
Get Directions
Get directions to our Palo Alto, CA location
Charlotte,
NC
Vantage South End
1120 South Tryon Street, Suite 300
Charlotte, NC 28203
United States
704-444-1000
Call our Charlotte, NC location at 704-444-1000
Get Directions
Get directions to our Charlotte, NC location
Dallas,
TX
Chase Tower
2200 Ross Avenue, Suite 2300
Dallas, TX 75201
United States
214-922-3400
Call our Dallas, TX location at 214-922-3400
Get Directions
Get directions to our Dallas, TX location
Fort Worth,
TX
Bank of America Tower
301 Commerce, Suite 3635
Fort Worth, TX 76102
United States
214-922-3400
Call our Fort Worth, TX location at 214-922-3400
Get Directions
Get directions to our Fort Worth, TX location
Los Angeles,
CA
333 South Hope Street, 16th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90071-3004
United States
213-576-1000
Call our Los Angeles, CA location at 213-576-1000
Get Directions
Get directions to our Los Angeles, CA location
New York,
NY
90 Park Avenue, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10016-1387
United States
212-210-9400
Call our New York, NY location at 212-210-9400
Get Directions
Get directions to our New York, NY location
Raleigh,
NC
555 Fayetteville Street, Suite 600
Raleigh, NC 27601-3034
United States
919-862-2200
Call our Raleigh, NC location at 919-862-2200
Get Directions
Get directions to our Raleigh, NC location
San Francisco,
CA
560 Mission Street, Suite 2100
San Francisco, CA 94105-0912
United States
415-243-1000
Call our San Francisco, CA location at 415-243-1000
Get Directions
Get directions to our San Francisco, CA location
East Palo Alto,
CA
755 Page Mill Road Building C - Suite 200
East Palo Alto, CA 94304
United States
650-838-2000
Call our East Palo Alto, CA location at 650-838-2000
Get Directions
Get directions to our East Palo Alto, CA location
Washington,
DC
The Atlantic Building
950 F Street, NW
Washington, DC 20004-1404
United States
202-239-3300
Call our Washington, DC location at 202-239-3300
Get Directions
Get directions to our Washington, DC location
Beijing,
CN
Hanwei Plaza
West Wing, Suite 21B2
No. 7 Guanghua Road
Chaoyang District
Beijing 100004
China: Global Firms
86 10 8592 7500
Call our Beijing, CN location at 86 10 8592 7500
Get Directions
Get directions to our Beijing, CN location
Brussels,
BE
Rue Guimard 9
Brussels B-1040
Belgium
32 2 550 3700
Call our Brussels, BE location at 32 2 550 3700
Get Directions
Get directions to our Brussels, BE location
London,
GB
LDN:W
6th Floor, 3 Noble Street
London EC2V 7DE
United Kingdom
44 0 20 3823 2225
Call our London, GB location at 44 0 20 3823 2225
Get Directions
Get directions to our London, GB location
Management and Personnel
Managing Partner
Richard R. Hays
Contacts
Wealth Planning & Exempt Organizations
R. Mark Williamson
Wealth Planning & Exempt Organizations
Benjamin T. White
Technology
Janine Brown
State and Local Tax
Michael T. Petrik
Securities Practice
William Scott Ortwein
Securities Litigation
John A. Jordak Jr.
Real Estate Finance & Investment
Gerard C. Keegan, Jr.
Real Estate Finance & Investment
Allison M. Ryan
Products Liability
Bernard Taylor Sr.
Mergers and Acquisitions
Kevin Miller
Mergers and Acquisitions
Justin R. Howard
Litigation and Trial Practice
William H. Jordan
Litigation and Trial Practice
Douglas G. Scribner
Legislative and Public Policy
Robert C. Jones
Labor and Employment
Lisa H. Cassilly
IP – Mechanical Patent
Jason P. Cooper
International Tax
Edward Tanenbaum
International Litigation
Karl Geercken
Intellectual Property-IP & Technology Transactions
David S. Teske
Intellectual Property Litigation
Michael J. Newton
Intellectual Property Litigation
Keith E. Broyles
Intellectual Property - Trademark and Copyright
David J. Stewart
Intellectual Property - Electronics and Computer
Guy R. Gosnell
Insurance Litigation and Regulation
Gerald L. Mize, Jr.
Health Care
Jennifer L. Butler
Health Care
J. Mark Ray
Global Finance and Debt Products
Rick S. Blumen
Global Finance & Debt Products
Robert J. Sullivan
Food and Drug Law
Marc J. Scheineson
Financial Services and Products
Mark C. Kanaly
Federal Income Tax
Sam K. Kaywood Jr.
Exempt Organizations
Benjamin T. White
ERISA Litigation
H. Douglas Hinson
Environmental and Land Use
Douglas S. Arnold
Environmental & Land Use
Nicki Carlsen
Energy
Kenneth G. Jaffe
Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation
David R. Godofsky
Electronic Entertainment
David S. Teske
Corporate
David E. Brown, Jr.
Construction Law
G. Christian Roux
Antitrust
Teresa T. Bonder