Global law firm K&L Gates LLP has been ranked in more than 35 practice areas in The Legal 500 United States 2026 edition, with the firm’s accolades including a Tier 1 ranking in the Shipping – litigation and regulation category. The edition also recommends more than 130 K&L Gates lawyers as leading practitioners. Published annually, The Legal 500 rankings recognize the practice area teams who are providing the most cutting edge and innovative advice to corporate counsel.

As a firm, K&L Gates was recognized in the following categories:

• Alternative/hedge funds
• Aviation and air travel – finance
• Construction (including construction litigation)
• Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense: advice to corporates
• Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense: advice to individuals
• Delaware counsel
• E-discovery
• Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: design
• Energy litigation: oil and gas – mid-market ($0-500m)
• Energy regulation: electric power
• Energy regulation: oil and gas
• Energy: renewable/alternative power
• Energy transactions: electric power – mid-market ($0-500m)
• Environment: litigation
• Environment: regulatory
• Environment: transactional
• Financial Services Regulation: Banking
• Fintech
• General commercial disputes – mid-market ($0-250m)
• Government relations
• Healthcare: Service providers
• Insurance: Advice to policyholders
• International arbitration
• Life sciences (firm to watch)
• M&A litigation: defense
• M&A: middle-market ($500m-999m)
• Mutual/registered/exchange-traded funds
• Patents: litigation (full coverage)
• Patents: prosecution (including re-examination and post-grant proceedings)
• Private equity buyouts: middle market (Up to $500m)
• Private equity funds (including venture capital)
• Product liability, mass tort and class action – defense: consumer products (including tobacco)
• Real estate – mid-market ($0-500m)
• Shipping – litigation and regulation
• Trademarks: non-contentious (including prosecution, portfolio management and licensing)
• US taxes: non-contentious

Along with the firm’s rankings, 11 K&L Gates lawyers were identified by The Legal 500 as either a “Hall of Fame” member, “Leading Partner,” “Next Generation Partner,” or “Leading Associate” in their respective practice areas. These lawyers, and the categories in which they were recognized, are:

• Leah Baucom – M&A: middle-market ($500m-$999m) [Next Generation Partner]
• Calvina Bostick – M&A: middle-market ($500m-$999m) [Leading Partner]
• Mark Goshko – Mutual/registered/exchange-traded funds [Hall of Fame]
• Victoria Hamscho – Government relations [Leading Associate]
• Tanner Honea – Shipping: litigation and regulation [Next Generation Partner]
• George Kontakis – Shipping – litigation and regulation [Next Generation Partner]
• Ndenisarya Meekins – Mutual/registered/exchange-traded funds [Leading Partner]
• Karishma Page – Government relations [Leading Partner]
• Michael Scanlon – Government relations [Leading Partner]; Shipping – litigation and regulation [Leading Partner]
• Elle Stuart – Shipping – litigation and regulation [Leading Associate]
• Scott Waxman – Delaware counsel [Leading Partner]

To view the firm’s full rankings, including the listed lawyers, visit The Legal 500 United States 2026 edition.