Best Lawyers in America for Civil Rights Law
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State
Spencer G. Scharff represents and advises businesses, nonprofits, and individuals in complex litigation in state and federal courts. He is admitted to practice in California, Arizona, New York, and the District of Columbia, and has extensive experience in high-stakes commercial litigation, regulatory disputes, and appellate advocacy. Before founding Scharff PC, Spencer was a member of Goddard Law Office PLC, where he practiced alongside former Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard. He previo...
Steven C. McGaver is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Civil Rights Law. Steven C., who practices law in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Steven C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Annie Depper is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Civil Rights Law, Criminal Defense: General Practice and Criminal Defense: White-Collar. Annie, who practices law in Little Rock, Arkansas, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Annie is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Douglas S. Chin has extensive experience in state and federal courts, from Hawaii to the United States Supreme Court, and experience in managing state and local government agencies at the highest levels. Mr. Chin focuses his practice in commercial litigation, administrative law, and government relations. Mr. Chin is rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell® ; the highest rating possible, for his skill and integrity. Mr. Chin has been named to The Best Lawyers in America® list in...
For the past 20 years, Benjamin Gideon has been committed to representing injured victims in Maine and Northern New England. As a dedicated attorney at Gideon Asen LLC in Auburn, Maine , he has successfully secured multiple recoveries above $1 million across Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Ben has notable achievements in the field of civil rights law, medical malpractice , personal injury litigation , and product liability litigation for plaintiffs. He holds the record for t...
David M. Fuqua is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Civil Rights Law and Mediation. David M., who practices law in Little Rock, Arkansas, has been recognized since 2011. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which David M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Neil L. Henrichsen is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Civil Rights Law, Employment Law - Individuals and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Neil L., who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Neil L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Tamara Serwer Caldas heads the firm's Pro Bono Program and leads the firm’s attorneys in providing pro bono legal services to low-income clients, community groups and nonprofit organizations. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Caldas served as Deputy Director of the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation (AVLF) since 2011. She worked with AVLF in a number of capacities since joining in September 2005, including serving as Managing Attorney since 2007. At AVLF, she developed civil pro bono pro...
Robert L. Hutton has substantial litigation experience. His credentials include having argued several cases before the United States Court of Appeals, the Tennessee Appellate Courts and the Tennessee Supreme Court. Mr. Hutton is privileged to be one of the few attorneys to have argued a case before the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Hutton practices generally in litigation, with substantial experience in federal civil rights, constitutional law, general business litigation, and criminal law...
Recognized by the Washington Post as “ the feared attorney of the #MeToo movement ,” Debra S. Katz has been successfully litigating employment discrimination, civil rights, and whistleblower protection cases for nearly 40 years. Ms. Katz is a founding partner of Katz Banks Kumin LLP, where she concentrates her practice on employment discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful discharge, whistleblower retaliation claims, and contractual employment disputes. She has developed extens...
I learned the value of hard work growing up on a dairy farm, and it stuck with me. I have always loved to learn and did well in school, graduating from UW Madison, where I received my law degree in 1993. I have been a partner at Gingras, Cates & Luebke since 2000. My practice areas include whistleblower cases, employment law, civil rights, professional malpractice, personal injury and family law. I was raised to care deeply about the welfare of others, and that value is reflected in the w...
PERSONAL INJURY & CONSUMER PROTECTION After 50+ years of practicing law, I still remember my first class action lawsuit for the civil rights of women and persons of color. Even though I had just graduated from the University of Michigan Law School, I knew that I wanted a career dedicated to civil litigation. I only wanted to engage in litigation for which fees were contingent upon winning, because hourly work required that my time and efforts be reasonable. I knew that what I wanted to do...
Emily Mahler is a partner in Margolis Edelstein’s Employment and Labor Law Group. She represents employers in labor and employment litigation, including claims involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful discharge, breach of contract and wage disputes. Emily represents corporations, small businesses, nonprofit organizations and public entities. She appears regularly in federal and state courts throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as before the U.S. Equal Emplo...
Ernest Galvan is a partner at Rosen Bien Galvan & Grunfeld LLP. He assists clients in difficult and complex matters involving actual or potential litigation. Mr. Galvan has worked with clients to resolve a wide range of problems, including business formation and dissolution, commercial disputes, employment law matters, disability access compliance, and attorney fee disputes. Mr. Galvan’s practice includes both trial and appellate matters. He has successfully briefed and argued cases...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.