Recognition

More than half of Smith Anderson’s 2024 Chambers USA-rated practices are now ranked in the highest category that the publication awards ("Band 1"). We continue to have more lawyers recognized within the practice of Corporate/M&A than any other North Carolina-based law firm. In the publication's practice area rankings, the firm received honors in thirteen practice categories.

Smith Anderson also earned the top ranking of Band 1 in the North Carolina Private Wealth Law chapter of the Chambers High Net Worth (HNW) Guide, making it the only Band 1 firm in the state recognized for its work in Private Wealth Law. Three of the firm’s Trusts and Estates attorneys are also ranked in the Guide.

Smith Anderson is one of only eight law firms in the world to be recognized in the Agribusiness chapter of the Chambers Global 2024 guide. According to clients, "The guidance given by the Smith Anderson team is consistently strong, well-positioned and well-articulated." 

Smith Anderson was recognized as one of the nation's top law firms for client service excellence in the 2020 BTI Client Service A-Team guide, the only law firm ranking based solely on direct, unprompted feedback from corporate counsel. 

Smith Anderson was identified by BTI Consulting Group as one of 37 midsize law firms across the United States “punching above their weight” by “bring[ing] the same level of confidence and reliability as the big firms.” Research conducted by the BTI Consulting Group is based on more than 340 in-depth interviews with legal decision makers at large organizations.

The 2024 edition of Best Law Firms® has recognized Smith Anderson as a leading firm in a total of 48 practice areas, including 39 Metropolitan Tier 1 ratings, the highest rating available in a specific geographic region, and two National ratings.

The 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® recognized 82 of our lawyers – including five named “Lawyer of the Year” for Raleigh and 29 were named Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America.

Smith Anderson was named the 2024 "North Carolina Firm of the Year" and Benchmark Litigation®, “the definitive guide to America’s leading litigation firms and lawyers,” recognized 15 of our attorneys as North Carolina “Litigation Stars” and “Labor & Employment Stars” in its 2024 edition. Smith Anderson was also awarded a “Highly Recommended” ranking for North Carolina, the highest possible rating. 

The 2023 guide recognizes 30 of the firm's lawyers as either Super Lawyers or Rising Stars in its annual ratings.

LMG Life Sciences, the only ranking directory to identify leading law firms and lawyers in various practice areas of the life sciences industry, recognized Smith Anderson in the Licensing & Collaboration category in its 2023 rankings for the second year in a row. 

Smith Anderson has achieved Mansfield Certified Plus status for its actions to diversify leadership, recruit, hire and retain attorneys from underrepresented groups in the legal profession and for ensuring diverse lawyers are considered for new business efforts.  Smith Anderson is one of two North Carolina law firms that achieved the 2023 Midsize Mansfield Certification and the only firm in the state to receive 2023 Midsize Mansfield Certified Plus status.

Smith Anderson is listed at number 285 on the National Law Journal’s 2024 “NLJ 500” list, which identifies the 500 largest law firms in the United States based on the average number of full-time attorneys for the period between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2023.

Business North Carolina magazine has selected Smith Anderson, the largest business and litigation law firm headquartered in the Research Triangle region, as one of North Carolina’s Best Employers. The program recognizes the state’s best places to work with the awards program for North Carolina companies that are taking steps to build positive, enduring cultures.

Smith Anderson was named a 2024 “Best Place to Work” by the Triangle Business Journal for the fifth year in row. The award recognizes the most admired workplaces in the region and is measured by employee feedback about the direction of the business, management effectiveness, level of employee engagement, culture, work/life balance, pay and benefits.

Smith Anderson landed on the Law360 list of the 400 largest law firms in the U.S. at 288, measured by domestic attorney headcount as of Dec. 31, 2023.