The Financial Times has recognized Pillsbury as one of North America’s most innovative law firms as part of its 2019 Innovative Lawyers program. The firm was commended for its pioneering work on three individual matters: a precedent-setting disgorgement case, a long-awaited milestone for the U.S. nuclear industry and advocacy in support of life-saving domestic violence legislation. The creative solutions Pillsbury employed to address these complex problems ultimately earned the firm further recognition as one of the publication’s 25 Most Innovative Law Firms in North America.

“We are thrilled to be included on FT’s Most Innovative Law Firms list again and congratulate our colleagues whose efforts helped secure this noteworthy honor for the firm,” said Pillsbury Firm Chair David Dekker. “Their impressive work exemplifies Pillsbury’s depth of legal expertise and tireless commitment to the success of our clients.”

In the Litigation & Disputes category, Financial Times recognized a $370 million damages award won on appeal by Miami partners Jennifer Altman and Shani Rivaux on behalf of clients Joe Samuel Bailey and Laserscopic Spinal Centers of America Inc. The appellate win dramatically increased a trial court’s original judgment of only $1.6 million. FT’s commendation acknowledges Altman and Rivaux’s innovation in developing a novel theory of disgorgement damages as a remedy for lost potential profits that has helped clarify disgorgement damages law in Florida. Altman and Rivaux also were named to the National Law Journal’s prestigious Winning Litigators list in September in connection with the Bailey case.

In the Rule of Law & Access to Justice category, Financial Times honored a team of Pillsbury’s public policy lawyers for their work with the nonprofit Domestic Violence Legal Empowerment and Appeals Project (DV LEAP) in developing and lobbying for H. Con. Res. 72. Developed by Washington, DC partner Craig Saperstein, senior counsel Hon. Gregory Laughlin and associate Brendan Hennessey, the concurrent resolution was passed in September 2018 and encourages state courts to prioritize family violence claims and risks to children during custody proceedings. Pillsbury has been a longtime pro bono partner with DV LEAP, spearheading various efforts in recent years to protect the rights and lives of domestic abuse victims.

Finally, in the Enabling Business Growth & Transformation category, Energy partner Jay Silberg’s work to advance Nuclear Regulatory Commission approval for Holtec International’s development of the first consolidated spent-fuel storage facility in the U.S. was recognized for innovation. In May, the NRC’s Atomic Safety & Licensing Board rejected numerous challenges to the Holtec project, keeping the company’s New Mexico storage facility on track for licensing in 2020. Since 1998, the U.S. government has been in breach of its contracts to dispose of spent nuclear fuel at facilities across the country, and the board’s ruling moves the U.S. nuclear industry closer to ending the 21-year storage stalemate. In addition to the Financial Times honor, Silberg was selected in September as a Law360 MVP in energy law.

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP is an international law firm with a particular focus on the technology & media, energy, financial services, and real estate & construction sectors. Recognized by legal research firm BTI Consulting as one of the top law firms for client service, Pillsbury and its lawyers are highly regarded for their forward-thinking approach, their enthusiasm for collaborating across disciplines and their authoritative commercial awareness.