I hope you find this issue’s special report on Valley attorneys and the local business of law informative and that it gives an in-depth look at the current state of the industry, the people who drive it and also how it has changed over the years. Our report finds that the legal industry in the Valley has matured. There still aren’t giant law firms based here but there are many of substantial size offering a wide variety of specialties and many are on the cutting edge. The Business Journal editorial staff made the final selections of the Top 25 Lawyers of the Valley after interviews and research on the individuals and consultations with their colleagues and others in the industry of law. So how did we select the attorneys who we feature as the Top 25 Lawyers of the Valley? This was the criteria we used in selecting the Top 25: We chose attorneys who had significant case load impact cases that changed how the law was interpreted and or used. The 25 attorneys were selected based on their accomplishments thus, many of the attorneys we identified as finalists have been in practice for a number of years. And, we were also seeking attorneys who had significantly built and or grew their firms and or helped their companies do the same. When you read our special report, you’re going to notice that in the stories that are not the profiles of the 25 attorneys, we feature some of the other 104 lawyers nominated and use them as sources (the so-called ‘non-winners’). That’s because all of these professionals do great work and are involved in interesting and significant matters. Thanks to the attorneys and others in the legal industry who helped us with this report. Business Journal Editor Jason Schaff can be reached at (818) 316-3125 or at [email protected] .
