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Benchmark Honors Saul Ewing’s Baltimore Office with Maryland Firm of the Year Award
(Baltimore, MD, February 15, 2013) – Saul Ewing LLP is pleased to announce that its Baltimore office has been recognized as Maryland State Firm of the Year by the U.S. Benchmark Litigation Annual Awards. Charles O. Monk, II, managing partner of the Baltimore office, accepted the award on behalf of the firm during a ceremony at JW Marriott Essex House in New York City.
“Saul Ewing is honored to receive this recognition from Benchmark Litigation,” Monk said. “The award is especially meaningful given that it resulted in part from our clients expressing satisfaction with our representation and fellow litigators in Maryland making note of our work.”
Benchmark selected the Baltimore office from among a shortlist of four finalists. The selection was based, in part, on positive peer reviews resulting from interviews conducted by Benchmark researchers. During these interviews, the researchers examined Saul Ewing’s recent casework out of the Baltimore office and asked clients and other litigators outside of the firm to offer their professional opinion of the firm’s work.
The gravitas of the case matters handled during the past year also helped the firm secure the award, according to Benchmark.
In particular, Benchmark cited Saul Ewing’s representation of Exelon Corporation and Constellation Energy Group, Inc. in securing approval from the Maryland Public Service Commission to proceed with their $8 billion merger. This deal — which took 13 months of work — created the largest competitive energy supplier in the country and was expected to create 6,000 jobs in Maryland and more than $1 billion in benefits for the state, the city of Baltimore and Baltimore Gas & Electric customers.
Saul Ewing’s representation of an international insurance broker in an insurance dispute arising out of an oil/fuel spill in Brazil also was cited by Benchmark. The spill occurred following an explosion that sunk a cargo ship at port. The case against the broker was filed by an international chemical company, which is seeking damages in excess of $100 million for clean-up cost assessments and claims by the government of Brazil and third parties.
“While the award singles out the Baltimore office,” Monk said, “our work is a result of our partners, associates and staff across the entire Saul Ewing firm putting our clients’ needs front and center. Receiving this honor is a credit to the hard work of the entire Saul Ewing team.”
Monk noted, “We are especially proud that our firm’s Diversity and Inclusion efforts were recognized when the firm was also selected by Benchmark Litigation as a finalist for the national Diversity Firm of the Year award. While not winning top honors in that category, Saul Ewing was the only regional firm to be so honored.”
Other Saul Ewing attorneys who attended the awards ceremony to represent the firm included partner Michelle N. Lipkowitz and associate Indira K. Sharma, who also work in the Baltimore office and head the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, along with partner Teresa K.D. “Terri” Currier, Chair of the Women’s Development Initiative, and associate Dawn D. Crowder.
Benchmark used the same research for the awards to select firms and attorneys for listing in the 2013 edition of Benchmark Litigation, a guide to America’s leading litigation firms and attorneys. In this year’s Benchmark edition, the Baltimore office moved up into the “Highly Recommended Local Litigation Firms” category. For more information about this and other Saul Ewing listings in this year’s guide, click here.