LAWDRAGONLAWDRAGON BETTER THAN the500 THE BEST ALSO: > COHEN MILSTEIN’S PLAN FOR EUROPE – A NEW ORLEANS PHOTO ESSAY TRENDS IN ISLAMIC BANKING, GLOBAL LITIGATION, FAMILY LAW AND MORE Strength By Your Side® An aggressive and experienced plaintiffs’ law firm devoted to representing victims everywhere. No fee until we win. The resources to win. Over $8 billion in verdicts and settlements Largest products liability personal injury verdict in 310-477-1700 history - $4.9 Billion 866-992-1700 Largest tire defect verdict in history - $56 million 5 verdicts and settlements in excess of $10 www.PSandB.com million in last two years More than 35 verdicts and settlements in excess of $1 million in last two years One of Top 12 Plaintiffs' Firms in Nation -- National Law Journal 100 Most Influential Lawyers in Nation -- National Law Journal Best Lawyers in America -- American Lawyer Media Top 100 Lawyers in California -- Daily Journal Trial Lawyer of the Year -- Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles Best Lawyers in Los Angeles -- Los Angeles Times Major litigation is rarely straightforward. WORKING WITH YOUR LAW FIRM SHOULD BE. Major litigation can be a stressful journey, involving high-risk exposure and unpredictable results. You need lawyers who will simplify the process—not complicate it further. At Winston & Strawn we’re committed to helping our clients fi nd the most direct route to a successful outcome. When you’re faced with complex litigation, choose a law fi rm that will help you chart the right course. Choose Winston & Strawn. Chicago Geneva London Los Angeles Moscow New York Paris San Francisco Washington, D.C. www.winston.com Jeoffrey Robinson Allen Davis Kevin Calcagnie Mark Robinson, Jr. People First Robinson, Calcagnie & Robinson Inc. The attorneys of Robinson, Calcagnie & Robinson, Inc. have made a career of putting people first – and suing those companies that don’t. Examples include: I $51 million verdict in a federal Vioxx trial. I $128 million jury verdict against Ford for the fuel tank design on the Ford Pinto. I Helping win $3.3 billion against tobacco companies and $4.9 billion against General Motors. People over profit is the Robinson, Calcagnie & Robinson, Inc. way in court every day. That philosophy has made the firm one of the nation’s leading trial firms and partner Mark P. Robinson, Jr. one of the Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America. 620 Newport Center Drive, 7th Floor • Newport Beach, CA 92660 Telephone (949) 720-1288 • Facsimile (949) 720 1292 Email: [email protected] Contents Conversations With . .14 Jerry Oshinsky expands his theatrical pursuits without taking time away from his renowned policyholder practice. Demystifying the Banking Boom . .21 Structuring deals in compliance with Shari’a, or Islamic law, requires both the right legal counsel and Shari’a advisors. 21 A Climate for Change . .26 Lawyers and clients need to be proactive as global warming regulations open the door to anti-development lawsuits. The Whole Wide World . .32 The demand for energy is creating a fascinating range of international litigation across the continents. 26 A Very British Coup . .38 Can plaintiffs’ practices survive in Europe? Both sides of the pond watch as Cohen Milstein’s new London office takes off. The Neverending Story . .48 A photo essay reveals how the legal system in New Orleans remains cracked and confused two years after the storm. Advocacy Redefined . .58 38 The collaborative law process is changing the face of family law by settling disputes outside of the courts. A Fresh Look: Tackling Transparency . .62 The RAND Institute for Civil Justice and UCLA Law join forces to evaluate the level of transparency in our civil justice system. The Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America . .66 48 Our 3rd annual guide to the best of the legal profession showcases the perennial all-stars, fresh faces and everybody in between. The Finalists . .127 An unprecedented number of nominations and votes from around the country gave us plenty to choose from in selecting the profession’s most elite guide. COVER SPREAD, FROM LEFT (BACK COVER) TO RIGHT (INSIDE FLAP): Seth Waxman, Frank Branson, Judith Livingston, H. Rodgin Cohen, Stacey Mobley, Richard Posner, Paula Boggs, William Lee, Evan Chesler, Martin Lipton, Thomas Girardi, Sheila Birnbaum, 66 Michael Hausfeld, Theodore Wells, Kenneth Ziffren lawdragon.com | Issue 10 | LAWDRAGON 3 LAWDRAGON 500 Leading Lawyers in America BLB&G’s Max Berger and Sean Coffey The excellence of a law firm is a product “ of its people. This honor is a result of the hard work, dedication and extraordinary commitment of all of BLB&G’s Partners, Counsel, Associates and Staff throughout the years. We wouldn’t be here without you. Thank you! ” John P. (“Sean”) Coffey Max W. Berger Senior Partner Founding Partner BERNSTEIN LITOWITZ BERGER & GROSSMANN LLP New York • California • Louisiana • New Jersey www.blbglaw.com Trusted advocacy. Proven results. Stay ahead of the curve Visit www.jenner.com Chicago | Dallas | New York | Washington, DC Jenner & Block LLP www.jenner.com PUBLISHER / CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Katrina Dewey [email protected] CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Mark Bucklin [email protected] EDITOR-IN-CHIEF John Ryan [email protected] LAWDRAGON 500 EDITOR Draeger Martinez [email protected] PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Hugh Williams [email protected] DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING Ivan Rodriguez [email protected] SENIOR WEB EDITOR Tina Spee [email protected] DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Laura De Anda [email protected] EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Michelle Fox [email protected] Leesha Blackmon [email protected] GRAPHIC DESIGNER Joseph Shuldiner LAWDRAGON ADVERTISING and SUBSCRIPTIONS: Ivan Rodriguez at [email protected] REPRINTS: Contact Jeremy Ellis at [email protected] Scoop ReprintSource is the only reprint service authorized by Lawdragon. © Lawdragon Inc. 2007 All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is strictly prohibited. Issue 10 Lawdragon Inc. (known office of the publication) 600 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 870 Los Angeles, California 90017 6 LAWDRAGON | Issue 10 | lawdragon.com From the Editor Dear Readers, A LOT HAS CHANGED SINCE WE PUT OUT OUR FIRST Lawdragon 500 issue more than two years ago. “What’s Lawdragon?” was the most common response lawyers and judges gave when our editorial staff called for their insight into the best of the profession. The process was frustrating, but rewarding. Now, as we release our third annual guide, it’s still a lot of work. But mostly, it’s a lot of fun. Take a look at this year’s cover to get a sense of how the national legal community has responded to our company. The image blends reality, art and fantasy. We’d love to get all of these lawyers in the same room. But we’ll settle for the fact that they worked with our award-winning photographer and design team to make this concept come alive. Lawdragon has always been about more than our 500 guides. Above all, we’re a legal affairs content company. In this magazine, we examine Cohen Milstein Hausfeld & Toll’s pioneering efforts to launch its plaintiffs’ practice in London and Europe. We also have attorney-written articles on climate change regulations, Islamic banking, global energy disputes, confidentiality agreements in civil cases and a revolution in family law – a diverse range of legal commentary that reflects Lawdragon’s efforts to interest lawyers of all stripes. We hope you’ll keep this magazine in your lobbies and on the coffee tables of your offices and homes. But we also know that you spend most of your time behind the comput- er screen. And that’s where you’ll find us. While readers have always loved our print magazine, we have so much more to offer on www.lawdragon.com. Think of this maga- zine as an elaborate invitation to join our online legal com- munity, where you can network with other lawyers and clients. It’s the place to be for lawyers and law firms, and a resource where clients can find the best talent. This year’s cover and the pages inside represent Lawdragon’s success at building the strongest of founda- tions for this community. As always at Lawdragon, we view this success as just another beginning. John Ryan Editor-in-Chief [email protected] lawdragon.com | Issue 10 | LAWDRAGON 11 CONVERSATIONS WITH Jerry Oshinsky BY JOHN RYAN s a litigator, Jerry Oshinsky is already at the top of his game. He is gen- erally considered one of the top practitioners in the field of insurance A coverage and chairs the largest practice in the country – about 90 lawyers – devoted exclusively to representing policyholders in disputes with their insurance carriers. His clients have included dozens of Fortune 500 com- panies, including the likes of AT&T, General Motors, Pfizer and Merck. But the Dickstein Shapiro partner feels that his skills are, in fact, improving at this stage of his career thanks to his side work as an actor. His decision to 14 LAWDRAGON | Issue 10 | lawdragon.com Photo by Hugh Williams Hugh by Photo take acting classes at the Theatre Lab in Washington, ditched his longtime base in Washington, D.C., where D.C., back in 2001, quickly blossomed into a full-blown the firm is based. He and his wife bought a home in the passion. He has acted in 15 plays and in several dozen area as a hotel of sorts to stay in when visiting their two staged readings. He also has produced a handful of children, both of whom are married and raising their plays and many readings through his own production own families in Southern California. The beauty of Santa company, DIJO Productions Theatre Company. Barbara and the fun of having four grandkids nearby led “In acting, you have to emphasize the words better, the Oshinskys to make a permanent switch in 2005.