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NEW YORK – Oct. 1, 2012 –  ALM’s The National Law Journal today published the 2012 Plaintiffs Hot List, its picks for the top U.S. law firms doing exemplary and cutting-edge work for plaintiffs, evidenced by at least one significant win in the 12 months ending July 1, plus an impressive track record before that.

This year’s winners included attempts to seek recompense for the victims of Bernard Madoff’s fraud and the global financial system breakdown; a successful effort to provide a venue for overseas investors to pursue fraud claims after the U.S. Supreme Court denied them access to U.S. courts; and actions on behalf of individuals and small businesses in the massive litigation that followed the Deepwater Horizon environmental disaster. To be eligible, firms needed to devote at least 50 percent of their litigation resources to plaintiffs work.

The 2012 Plaintiffs Hot List includes:

Baron & Budd. A leader in the Deepwater Horizon litigation that yielded a $7.8 billion BP settlement.

Barrack, Rodos & Bacine. Won a $145 million securities fraud settlement from University of Phoenix’s parent.

Beasley Allen Crow Methvin Portis & Miles. Represented Gulf Coast small businesses in the BP litigation.

Berger & Montague. Its seven-year effort helped obtain a $7.25 billion preliminary antitrust settlement.

Bernstein Liebhard. Engineered an initial $100 million settlement against a Madoff feeder-fund.

Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossman. Paved way for $2 billion in recoveries from subprime originators.

Cohen Millstein Sellers & Todd. Its wins helped many low-wage workers and exploited consumers.

Girard Gibbs. Racked up settlements and verdicts totaling nearly $690 million last year.

Grant & Eisenhofer. Represented whistleblower in Abbott Laboratories case settling for $1.6 billion.

Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro.  $100 million Madoff bundler settlement helped it emerge as a top whistleblower firm.

Hausfeld. Added to its air carrier price fixing wins while pioneering Chinese antitrust and LIBOR actions.

Korein Tillery. Capped a big year with $105 million settlement for water systems over herbicide atrazine.

Labaton Sucharow. Won a $275 million subprime settlement for former Bear Stearns shareholders.

Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein. After six years, won $460 million for LCD screen antitrust plaintiffs.

Milberg. Toning shoe litigation contributed to its $350 million in recoveries for consumers last year.

Motley Rice. Scored major wins for 9/11 victims’ families and Gulf Coast businesses, workers and residents.

Panish Shea & Boyle. Recovered $500 million in wrongful death, catastrophic injury and products suits.

Phillips & Cohen. Whistleblower action against Glaxo­Smith­Kline PLC ended in $3 billion settlement.

Spector Roseman Kodroff & Willis. Sidestepped SCOTUS to pursue securities suits against foreign firms.

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