Best Lawyers has named Essex Richards to their 2025 list of “Best Law Firms” in America. The firm received a national ranking and metropolitan rankings in several practice areas.
For the ninth year in a row, Essex Richards earned a national ranking for its ERISA Litigation practice. ERISA (which stands for the Employee Retirement Security Income Act of 1974) is a federal law that governs private employers’ retirement, health, disability, and other benefit plans. Essex Richards is one of only three law firms in North Carolina to be nationally ranked in this area. It is the only firm in North Carolina that represents primarily employees and plaintiffs in ERISA litigation to receive a national ranking.
In addition to Essex Richards’ national ranking for ERISA Litigation, the law firm also received Charlotte Metropolitan Tier 1 and 2 rankings in sixteen practice areas:
Tier 1:
- Commercial Litigation
- Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
- Employment Law – Individuals
- Family Law
- Family Law Mediation
- Insurance Law
- Litigation – ERISA
- Litigation – First Amendment
- Litigation – Labor & Employment
- Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs
- Trusts and Estates
Tier 2:
- Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
- Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
- Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law
- Corporate Law
- First Amendment Law
Best Lawyers compiles their annual “Best Law Firm” rankings using a combination of client feedback, information provided on law firm and law firm leaders surveys, and peer reviews. For the 2025 edition Best Lawyers researched 127 jurisdictional practice areas, 75 national practice areas and 188 distinct metro areas. Best Lawyer had staggering levels of participation this year with 4,739 law firm survey participants, 101,528 references submitted by 2,375 individual firms and 26,073 voters across 23,117 firms nationwide. The resulting “Best Law Firms” recognition is considered to be one of the highest standards in the legal industry.
To read more about this year’s rankings, visit U.S. News.