Best Lawyers® has released its Best Law Firm® rankings for 2026 (16th edition). Berman Tabacco has been ranked both nationally and in the San Francisco region as a leader in the areas of Litigation-Antitrust (for the eighth time); Litigation-Securities (for the seventh time); and, for the first time, as the top tier for Mass Tort Litigation / Class Action – Plaintiffs, both nationally and regionally. The Best Law Firms rankings are based on a combination of client feedback, information provided on law-firm surveys, and Best Lawyers® peer reviews. They state that this reflects “the selectivity of national recognition, with only 0.5% of firms in the U.S. belonging to this select group.”
To be eligible for consideration as a Best Law Firm, a firm must have at least one attorney ranked in the current edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. Berman Tabacco has six ranked attorneys in the 2026 edition: partners Joseph J. Tabacco, Jr. and Nicole Lavallee have both been recognized in the areas of Litigation (Securities), Litigation (Antitrust), and Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions–Plaintiffs; partner Matthew D. Pearson has been recognized in the areas of Litigation (Securities) and Mass Tort Litigation; of counsel Christopher T. Heffelfinger has been recognized in the areas of Litigation (Antitrust) and Litigation (Securities); partner Todd A. Seaver has been recognized in the areas of Litigation-Antitrust and Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions; and partner Carl Hammarskjold has been recognized in the area of Litigation-Antitrust. Best Lawyers® holds itself out as “the oldest and most respected peer-review publication company in the legal profession,” with the 2025 edition showcasing the top 5% of practicing attorneys in the U.S. (based upon more than 13 million peer evaluations) and recognizing attorneys in 150 practice areas. Best Lawyers® states that their rankings of “outstanding lawyers are compiled by conducting exhaustive peer review surveys in which tens of thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers,” and that it “is the oldest and most respected peer-review publication company in the legal profession.”
Metropolitan San Francisco
• Tier 1 in Litigation – Antitrust
• Tier 1 in Litigation – Securities
• Tier 1 in Mass Tort Litigation / Class Action – Plaintiffs
National Rankings
• Tier 1 in Mass Tort Litigation / Class Action – Plaintiffs
• Tier 2 in Litigation – Antitrust
• Tier 2 in Litigation – Securities