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 2025 guide. Additionally, our firm has two of only five lawyers individually ranked in the chapter worldwide.

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.

Law360 has recognized Smith Anderson as a 2024 North Carolina Regional Powerhouse for its leading role in high-profile mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and its success in handling impactful litigation. Additionally, 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. 

The 2025 edition of Best Law Firms® has recognized Smith Anderson as a leading firm in a total of 48 practice areas, including 41 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.

For the sixth consecutive year, Smith Anderson was named the 2025 "North Carolina Firm of the Year" and Benchmark Litigation, “the definitive guide to America’s leading litigation firms and lawyers,” recognized 12 of our attorneys as North Carolina “Litigation Stars”  in its 2025 edition. Smith Anderson was also awarded a “Highly Recommended” ranking for North Carolina, the highest possible rating. 

Smith Anderson received national recognition from LMG Life Sciences in the publication’s 2024 rankings, maintaining our position in the Licensing & Collaboration category for the third consecutive year. We remain the only law firm based in North Carolina to achieve this prestigious national acknowledgment. LMG Life Sciences is the only ranking directory to identify leading law firms and lawyers in various practice areas of the life sciences industry.

The 2025 guide recognizes 32 of the firm's lawyers as either Super Lawyers or Rising Stars in its annual ratings.

Smith Anderson has again achieved Mansfield Certified Plus status for the firm’s efforts to attract, retain and develop attorneys from underrepresented groups and for ensuring all firm talent has a fair and equal opportunity to advance into leadership.

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.

IFLR1000: The Guide to the World’s Leading Financial and Corporate Law Firms has again ranked Smith Anderson’s M&A and Finance practices in the North Carolina chapter of its 2024 edition.

Additionally, five lawyers were ranked as Highly Regarded Practitioners and another received national recognition as a Notable Practitioner.