NEW YORK (July 12, 2010) – The National Law Journal today named 20 firms from across the U.S. to its 2010 “Midsize Hot List.” The listing recognizes firms with between 50 and 150 attorneys who have demonstrated what it takes to get ahead as a midsize law firm in a legal services market increasingly dominated by large-firm competition. The “Midsize Hot List” includes law firms from major markets on both coasts and also from smaller markets including Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Portland, Maine. The complete report is available in today’s issue of The National Law Journal and on www.nlj.com.

While lower hourly rates remain the greatest advantage that midsize firms offer, the firms included on this year’s list have also demonstrated the ability to snag big clients by delivering specialized services, in areas ranging from antitrust and media law to oil and gas law, and to hold on to smaller clients through bread-and-butter practices.

The special report includes thumbnails of 18 firms and offers profiles spotlighting the unique achievements of two firms — Minneapolis-based Bowman and Brooke and Shartsis Friese of San Francisco.  Awardees were selected by the editors of The National Law Journal, based upon reporting over the past year.

“This year’s Midsize Hot List shows the agility of law firms with 50 to 150 attorneys in ducking the recession’s blows — or at least bouncing back more quickly than many big-firm competitors,” said David Brown, The National Law Journal’s editor in chief.

The “Midsize Hot List” firms for 2010 are:

Arnstein & Lehr, Chicago
Axinn, Veltrop &  Harkrider, Hartford, Conn.
Bowman and Brooke, Minneapolis
BuckleySandler, Washington, D.C.
Carter  Ledyard & Milburn, New York
Connolly Bove Lodge & Hutz, Wilmington, Del.
Dow  Lohnes, Washington, D.C.
Farella Braun + Martel, San Francisco
Goldberg Segalla, Buffalo, N.Y.
Hollingsworth, Washington, D.C.
Kaufman & Canoles, Hampton, Va.
Liskow &  Lewis, New Orleans
McKool Smith, Houston
Mitchell Silberberg &  Knupp, Los Angeles
Oblon Spivak McClelland Maier & Neustadt, Alexandria, Va.
Pierce  Atwood, Portland, Maine
Porter Hedges, Houston
Shartsis Friese, San Francisco
Whyte  Hirschboeck Dudek, Milwaukee
Zuckerman Spaeder, Washington, D.C.

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