Caption: Richards Layton’ & Fingers (& Lawyers recognized as the Best Lawyers in America offers one particularly visible example of that depth, and helps spotlight the strength of the Delaware legal community.

Firm’s results offer one measure of the depth of legal talent supporting Delaware’s national role in corporate law

WILMINGTON, Del. — Ninety-seven attorneys at Richards, Layton & Finger have been recognized in the 2027 editions of The Best Lawyers in America and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America, an achievement that also underscores the strength of Delaware’s broader legal community.

The total includes 74 established attorneys named to The Best Lawyers in America and 23 earlier-career attorneys recognized as “Ones to Watch.” Twelve Richards Layton attorneys also were selected as Wilmington “Lawyer of the Year” recipients in particular practice areas.

Richards Layton said it had more attorneys included in the traditional Best Lawyers list than any other Delaware firm.

While the announcement highlights one firm, its larger significance is found in the legal market in which those attorneys practice. Delaware has developed a concentration of corporate lawyers, litigators, bankruptcy attorneys and other specialists whose work supports the state’s position as a national center for business law.

Richards Layton’s numbers offer one particularly visible example of that depth, and the helps spotlight the strength of our legal community includes lawyers at other Delaware firms, government agencies, corporations, nonprofit organizations and legal services organizations.

Breaking down the 97

The headline number combines two related but distinct forms of recognition.

The 74 attorneys named to The Best Lawyers in America are generally established practitioners with at least 10 years of experience and developed reputations in their fields.

The 23 attorneys named “Ones to Watch” are generally lawyers in private practice for five to nine years. The category recognizes attorneys earlier in their careers who are beginning to establish strong professional reputations.

The 12 “Lawyer of the Year” recipients represent the most selective portion of the announcement. The designation is awarded to one attorney in a particular practice area within a metropolitan market.

Richards Layton attorneys received those Wilmington honors in areas including corporate governance, banking and finance, bankruptcy litigation, intellectual property litigation, patent litigation, labor law, real estate, structured finance and commercial transactions.

The combination of established and emerging attorneys suggests that the firm has both current strength and a developing pipeline of future legal leaders.

“Best Lawyers in America offers a meaningful perspective on the caliber of our lawyers and the work they perform for clients,” Richards Layton President Paul Heath said. “Because this recognition is based on peer review, we are especially grateful for the respect and confidence of our colleagues, and we appreciate the time and consideration they devote to the selection process.”

Recognition reflects a professional community

The peer-review process gives the results a broader dimension.

Best Lawyers bases its selections largely on confidential evaluations submitted by attorneys practicing in the same geographic region and area of law. Candidates are nominated, reviewed by other lawyers and checked for eligibility and professional standing.

That means the recognition depends in part on Delaware attorneys evaluating the work and reputations of other Delaware attorneys. It reflects a professional community with considerable knowledge in corporate governance, commercial litigation, bankruptcy, intellectual property, financial services and other complex areas.

The awards are not a scientific measurement of legal ability. They do not directly compare courtroom outcomes, client satisfaction, legal fees or public access to legal services. Larger and better-known firms also have more attorneys eligible for recognition and greater visibility within the legal community.

The rankings are therefore best understood as a measure of professional reputation rather than a guarantee of results for every client.

Delaware’s advantage extends beyond one firm

Delaware’s legal reputation has been built over generations by its courts, lawmakers, law firms and individual attorneys.

Richards Layton, Delaware’s largest law firm and one of its oldest, is an important part of that history. But Delaware’s national position does not depend on any single institution.

Law firms throughout the state serve as Delaware counsel in national transactions and litigation. Attorneys advise corporate boards, represent shareholders, guide companies through bankruptcy, interpret business statutes and argue cases that can affect corporate practices across the country.

Government lawyers, members of the judiciary, corporate counsel and attorneys working in public-interest and legal-aid organizations contribute additional experience and perspective to the state’s legal system.

Together, that community gives Delaware a level of specialized legal knowledge that is unusual for a state of its size.

A foundation of Delaware’s corporate economy

Companies choose Delaware for several connected reasons: established corporate statutes, a substantial body of legal precedent, a respected judiciary and access to attorneys familiar with complicated business matters.

The Delaware Court of Chancery is widely regarded as the nation’s leading forum for disputes involving the internal affairs of corporations and other business entities. Its decisions can influence corporate boards, executives, investors and shareholders across the country.

Delaware reported more than 2.28 million active business entities in 2025. Another 334,461 entities were formed during that year, a more than 15% increase from 2024, according to the Delaware Division of Corporations.

Maintaining that position requires more than an efficient filing system. Delaware must be able to demonstrate that companies and investors will have access to predictable laws, experienced judges and lawyers capable of handling sophisticated transactions and disputes.

The Richards Layton results help illustrate the size and range of that professional capacity. The recognized attorneys practice in corporate law, bankruptcy, commercial litigation, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, structured finance, tax, trusts and estates, employment law, environmental law and commercial real estate.

Those specialties are also represented across Delaware’s larger legal market.

Why the public should care

Most Delaware residents will never hire a lawyer to manage a corporate merger, litigate a shareholder dispute or restructure a national company. The public benefits are largely indirect, but they are significant.

Delaware’s corporate franchise generates substantial tax and fee revenue for state government. That revenue supports public services and reduces the amount that would otherwise need to be collected from residents and locally operating businesses.

The legal sector also supports high-paying jobs in Wilmington and throughout the state. Those positions extend beyond attorneys to paralegals, legal assistants, technology specialists, accountants, court reporters and administrative employees. Visiting attorneys, clients and litigants also generate activity for hotels, restaurants and other businesses.

A respected legal community helps Delaware compete with other states seeking to attract corporate registrations. Companies are more likely to remain incorporated in Delaware when they believe the state offers reliable courts, understandable laws and a deep pool of legal talent.

The 97 Richards Layton recognitions is prominent example of something larger: Delaware has developed a legal community with expertise and influence far beyond what might be expected in a state of its size.

Richards Layton’s results are an institutional accomplishment for the firm. Viewed in context, they also help tell the story of a broader Delaware legal market whose judges, attorneys and legal professionals protect and sustain one of the state’s most important economic advantages.

See List:

The Richards Layton attorneys named in The Best Lawyers in America are listed below. An asterisk denotes a 2027 Wilmington, Delaware Lawyer of the Year honoree; the corresponding award practice area appears in bold.

• Michael Allen – Corporate Governance Law; Corporate Law
• Paul Altman – Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships); Corporate Law
• Jennifer Veet Barrett – Corporate Law
• C. Stephen Bigler – Corporate Governance Law; Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law
• Robert Burns – Commercial Litigation; Corporate Law
• C. Malcolm Cochran IV – Commercial Litigation
• Susan Hannigan Cohen – Commercial Litigation; Corporate Law
• * Mark Collins – Banking and Finance Law; Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Litigation – Bankruptcy
• F. Peter Conaty Jr. – Tax Law; Trusts and Estates
• Frederick Cottrell III – Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Intellectual Property; Litigation – Patent; Patent Law; Trademark Law
• Matthew Criscimagna – Securitization and Structured Finance Law
• Brock Czeschin – Commercial Litigation; Corporate Law
• Doneene Damon – Securitization and Structured Finance Law
• Catherine Dearlove – Commercial Litigation; Corporate Law; Litigation – Mergers and Acquisitions
• Daniel DeFranceschi – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Litigation – Bankruptcy
• Raymond DiCamillo – Commercial Litigation; Corporate Law; Litigation – Mergers and Acquisitions
• Daniel Dreisbach – Commercial Litigation
• Richard Facciolo – Securitization and Structured Finance Law
• * Kelly Farnan – Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Intellectual Property; Litigation – Patent
• Steven Fineman – Litigation – Intellectual Property
• Anne Foster – Commercial Litigation; Corporate Law; Litigation – Mergers and Acquisitions
• Kevin Gallagher – Commercial Litigation; Corporate Law; Litigation – Mergers and Acquisitions
• * Mark Gentile – Corporate Governance Law; Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law
• Kevin Gross – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
• William Haubert – Corporate Governance Law; Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law
• Christine Dealy Haynes – Commercial Litigation
• Paul Heath – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
• John Hendershot – Commercial Litigation; Corporate Law
• Tara Hoffner – Securitization and Structured Finance Law
• Travis Hunter – Commercial Litigation
• *Jennifer Jauffret – Commercial Litigation; Employment Law – Management; Labor Law – Management; Litigation – Labor and Employment
• Cynthia Kaiser – Commercial Transactions / UCC Law
• Cory Kandestin – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
• * Bernard Kelley – Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships); Corporate Law
• Beth Gansen Knight – Tax Law; Trusts and Estates

• * John Henry Knight – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
• Rudolf Koch – Commercial Litigation; Corporate Law; Litigation – Mergers and Acquisitions
• Mark Kurtz – Commercial Transactions / UCC Law
• Kyle Lachmund – Commercial Litigation; Corporate Law
• Gregory Ladner – Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships); Corporate Law
• James Leyden Jr.– Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships); Corporate Law; Securitization and Structured Finance Law
• Claire Love– Securitization and Structured Finance Law
• Stephen Lukes Jr. – Commercial Transactions / UCC Law
• Elisa Erlenbach Maas – Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
• Robert Maddox – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
• Michael Merchant – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
• Katharine Lester Mowery – Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Intellectual Property
• * Jeffrey Moyer – Commercial Litigation; Copyright Law; Litigation – Intellectual Property; Litigation – Patent; Patent Law
• Matthew Murphy – Corporate Law; Litigation – Mergers and Acquisitions
• Stephanie Norman – Corporate Law
• Matthew Perri – Corporate Law
• * J. Weston Peterson – Securitization and Structured Finance Law
• * Mark Purpura – Banking and Finance Law; Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships); Financial Services Regulation Law
• Srinivas Raju – Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships); Commercial Litigation; Corporate Governance Law; Corporate Law
• Marcos Ramos – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
• Jason Rawnsley – Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Intellectual Property; Trade Secrets Law
• Richard Rollo – Corporate Law
• Antonios Roustopoulos – Real Estate Law
• Lisa Schmidt – Commercial Litigation; Corporate Law; Litigation – Mergers and Acquisitions
• Eric Schwartzman – Securitization and Structured Finance Law
• Chad Shandler – Litigation – Intellectual Property; Litigation – Trusts and Estates
• Zachary Shapiro – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
• Russell Silberglied – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Litigation – Bankruptcy
• W. Donald Sparks II – Tax Law; Trusts and Estates
• * Robert Stearn Jr. – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Bet-the-Company Litigation; Litigation – Bankruptcy
• Amanda Steele – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
• Stanford Stevenson III – Tax Law
• Melissa Stubenberg – Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
• Nathaniel Stuhlmiller – Corporate Law
• * Sara Wagner – Real Estate Law
• Robert Whetzel – Environmental Law; Litigation – Environmental
• Gregory Williams – Appellate Practice; Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Corporate Governance Law; Corporate Law; Litigation – Mergers and Acquisitions; Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Securities / Capital Markets Law
• * William Yemc – Commercial Transactions / UCC Law; Insurance Law
• John Mark Zeberkiewicz – Corporate Governance Law; Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law

The Richards Layton attorneys named in Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” are:

Best Lawyers bases their rankings on the peer reviews of attorneys in the same geographical and practice area.

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