WASHINGTONIANDecember 2007 washingtonian.com Big Guns Washington lawyers may tend to dress alike, but they’re not all the same when dealing with problems. Here are 30 of the very best—plus 800 more who are close behind. Hang on to the list—when you really need a lawyer, you might want one of these. By Kim Isaac Eisler Some of those on our list of Washington’s legal trouble can happen to anyone— waiting room or the attorney tends to top lawyers have represented presidents. and often does without warning. Lots of ramble, it could get very expensive. Others have defended murderers and Washingtonians are arrested on criminal thieves. Some might have represented charges, from drunk driving to vehicular I have spent much of the past 20 years —or might yet represent—you. homicide. You might be called to testify writing about Washington lawyers. I have If the United States is a nation of laws, before Congress. More common is a met, spoken to, and observed thousands Washington is a city of lawyers: There letter from the IRS—or from an attorney of them. I’ve become friends with a few. are more here per capita than in any representing a departing spouse. You can This is the fifth time that The other city in the world. There are more slip and fall on an unshoveled sidewalk— Washingtonian has compiled a list of here than in many entire countries. or someone can fall on yours. top lawyers. It is created primarily by This list of top lawyers in private practice One thing you’ll discover if you need peer recommendation. We asked, by Sskews toward those who represent one of these lawyers: They don’t come telephone and e-mail, some 1,000 people as opposed to corporations. It cheap. For a good criminal-defense attorneys who (excluding themselves excludes some important but technical lawyer, the floor is close to $400 an hour. and members of their firms) the top fields of law. But some areas of corporate Rates for the top attorneys reach $1,000 practitioners in their fields are and whom and constitutional law are so bound up an hour. Most lawyers bill in six-minute they would hire to represent them with our city that we couldn’t ignore increments, meaning a one-minute call in a range of areas. Then we checked them. That includes lawyers who counts as six minutes—a tenth of an hour. on those people and asked for their practice before the Supreme Court, the So if you call a lawyer for a quick question, recommendations. We invited them to Securities and Exchange Commission, try to get six minutes’ worth of advice. take shots at one another; many availed and federal agencies like the Food and Divorce lawyers’ fees are the hardest to themselves of the opportunity. One Drug Administration and the Federal gauge. Some charge more but work fast. wrote that a colleague “should not be Communications Commission. Others are relative dawdlers but charge included on any list of best lawyers. No Most people get through life without lower rates. A common number here is knowledgeable client would or should having to hire an attorney for anything $450 an hour. Try to find a busy divorce retain this individual.” more serious than drawing up a will or lawyer. A busy lawyer wants to get on to In some areas, such as securities law, overseeing a real-estate transaction. But the next case. If you walk into an empty there is virtual unanimity about who the DECEMBER 2007 | WASHINGTONIAN | 1 best are. In a contentious field like divorce, Olson has always pushed more forcefully University, has positioned himself to it gets hard after the top guy, Sandy Ain. for the advancement of protégés such make the most of it. Most recently In such cases we talked to clients, judges, as controversial federal-court nominee the unflamboyant Martin was hired to and former judges to get their opinions. Miguel Estrada. He is a top adviser to defend Atlanta Falcons quarterback In the end we came up with some Republican presidential candidate Rudy Michael Vick on federal and state 800 attorneys—about 1 percent of Giuliani. charges relating to illegal dogfighting. the estimated 80,000 lawyers around Olson turned 61 on September 11, Politicians occasionally need big-time Washington. Among those, we identified 2001—the day his first wife, Barbara, help, too. Idaho senator Larry Craig has 30 to single out as the very best. Such died aboard the American Airlines plane hired Martin to find a way to expunge choices involve arbitrary decisions and that terrorists crashed into the Pentagon. his guilty plea in the famous foot-tapping subjective judgments. We tried to pick He remarried last year. incident at the Minneapolis airport. A people from across the region, from 2. Brendan V. Sullivan Jr. (Williams judge ruled against Craig earlier this different practice groups, and from & Connolly). He may be Washington’s year, but the legal battles for both Craig different law firms so no firm would most famous lawyer because of his and Vick continue. ➝ have more than two on the top-30 list. televised assertion during the Iran- 5. Maureen E. Mahoney (Latham In some cases, up-and-comers replaced Contra hearings that he was not a & Watkins). The preeminent female veterans who had been on the list for potted plant. But his reputation is such litigator at the US Supreme Court, this many years—not because the older that New York Stock Exchange chair former clerk for Justice William Rehnquist lawyers aren’t good at what they do but Dick Grasso bypassed the entire New has argued 18 cases at the high court, to recognize newer talent. York bar to secure Sullivan’s services in winning 16 of them. The 53-year-old Four times in the past we have chosen his defense. daughter of an Indiana personal-injury Washington’s number-one lawyer. For decades Sullivan has prided himself attorney, Mahoney is fast on her feet, a Previous winners are Robert Bennett on the claim that no client of his had quick study of arcane issues, and fiercely of Skadden Arps, Brendan Sullivan of served jail time. He suffered a rare loss last determined. Williams & Connolly, Michele Roberts year when Cendant Corporation CEO She is on most short lists to serve on of Akin Gump, and Robert Barnett of Walter Forbes was convicted of fraud by the Supreme Court herself one day. In Williams & Connolly. a Connecticut jury; Forbes is serving a the meantime, it doesn’t hurt that the Senate majority leader Harry Reid 12-year sentence. It took prosecutors good friend who succeeded her as a says this year’s winner couldn’t win three trials—the first two ended in hung clerk in Rehnquist’s chambers is now confirmation as US attorney general. That juries—to beat Sullivan. No lawyer can the Chief Justice of the United States. might keep him from being the nation’s win every case, and Sullivan’s now been 6. Seth P. Waxman (WilmerHale). top lawyer, but he is Washington’s top at it for 38 years. At 65, he remains, in Waxman, who was solicitor general lawyer. the minds of prosecutors, the most feared during the Clinton administration, courtroom opponent in the nation. may be Washington’s busiest attorney. 1. Theodore B. Olson (Gibson, Dunn 3. Sanford K. “Sandy” Ain (Ain & He has argued landmark decisions on & Crutcher). Long known as one of the Bank). For most legal specialties you can everything from campaign advertising nation’s top constitutional lawyers, this have a spirited argument about which of to patent disputes. He has found time to native Californian made the winning four or five lawyers might be the best. But represent a developer trying to get slot argument in the landmark case of Bush among divorce lawyers, Sandy Ain is alone licenses for a casino in Pittsburgh, argued v. Gore, which put President Bush in the at the top. When Law & Order star S. a federal-circuit case worth hundreds White House. Olson’s resonant baritone Epatha Merkerson thanked him during a of millions to his client TiVo, and is voice matches his wit and reason. Because nationally televised awards ceremony, Ain handling the appeals of six Bosnians he arrived in Washington with Ronald was embarrassed. He takes pride in not imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay, five Reagan, Olson is perceived in some circles having people know what he is doing. accountants accused of fraud, and a high- as a spokesman for the right, a view held Ain disdains the acrimonious aspects of tech company claiming that eBay stole its by few who actually know him. divorce and laments the loss of civility in ideas. Whew! His clients have included such modern society. He would rather divide Waxman, no relation to Congressman Democrats as former senator Chuck assets than assign blame for a failed Henry Waxman, may be trying to Robb and Congresswoman Jane Harman. marriage. Many millionaire divorces, like stockpile cash before the Democrats When Time’s Matt Cooper was ordered that of Danaher Corporation’s Steven regain the White House. He is considered to turn over his notes in the Scooter Rales, end up in his hands. He did such a front-runner for the first Supreme Libby investigation, it was Olson who a good job for billionaire Sheila Johnson, Court vacancy should Hillary Clinton filed Cooper’s appeal to the US Supreme ex-wife of BET founder Robert Johnson, win the White House, a job that would Court.