Akerman is pleased to announce that it has once again been recognized by Best Lawyers as one of the “Best Law Firms” in the United States in its annual survey. The firm earned 35 national practice rankings and received the singular distinction of being named the “2026 Leveraged Buyouts & Private Equity Law Firm of the Year.” This prestigious award is granted to only one firm nationwide in each practice area, recognizing Akerman’s leadership, national strength, and consistent excellence in the leveraged buyouts and private equity sector.
Leading the Market in Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity
The Best Lawyers “Law Firm of the Year” awards honor firms that demonstrate sustained performance, innovation, and peer respect at the highest level. The Leveraged Buyouts & Private Equity category recognizes exceptional skill in transactional structuring, regulatory compliance, due diligence, and creative deal execution. Being selected as the top firm in this category confirms Akerman’s standing among the nation’s elite legal advisors to private equity sponsors, investors, and portfolio companies.
Record Number of Tier 1 Rankings Nationwide
Akerman achieved a record-breaking 157 Tier 1 rankings nationally and across major business centers, reflecting the firm’s broad capabilities and reputation for excellence across the full scope of its practices. The honors also encompass 131 Metropolitan Tier 1 distinctions highlighting Akerman’s strength in key markets such as Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Washington, D.C., and others.
Leadership Perspective
“Best Law Firms’ recognition reflects the extraordinary talent and collaboration of our teams nationwide,” said Scott Meyers, Akerman Chairman and CEO. “Earning the distinction as the ‘2026 Leveraged Buyouts & Private Equity Law Firm of the Year’ demonstrates our market-leading strength in complex transactions and our unwavering focus on achieving excellence for clients. These honors across all our practices affirm the creativity, skill, and dedication of Akerman lawyers who continue to deliver outstanding results throughout the United States and around the world.”
Recognition Demonstrates Firmwide Excellence
Best Law Firm rankings are based on client feedback, firm performance, and peer evaluations drawn from millions of surveys nationwide. This recognition follows the release of the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list, in which 344 Akerman lawyers were honored across 80 practice areas—representing record results for the firm and placing Akerman among the top firms recognized in the country.
National Rankings
- Leveraged Buyouts & Private Equity Law – "2026 Law Firm of the Year"
- Appellate Practice
- Banking and Finance Law
- Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
- Commercial Litigation
- Construction Law
- Corporate Law
- Criminal Defense: White-Collar
- Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
- Employment Law - Management
- Environmental Law
- Franchise Law
- Health Care Law
- Insurance Law
- International Arbitration - Commercial
- Labor Law - Management
- Land Use and Zoning Law
- Litigation - Banking and Finance
- Litigation - Bankruptcy
- Litigation - Construction
- Litigation - Environmental
- Litigation - Intellectual Property
- Litigation - Labor and Employment
- Litigation - Real Estate
- Litigation - Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy)
- Litigation - Securities
- Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Patent Law
- Private Funds / Hedge Funds Law
- Real Estate Law
- Securities / Capital Markets Law
- Securities Regulation
- Tax Law
- Trusts and Estates
- Venture Capital Law
For the complete list of Akerman’s results, click here.