Kelley Drye Advertising Practice Awarded Highest Honor by U.S. News ​“Best Law Firms”

Kelley Drye & Warren LLP has long been recognized as the gold standard¹ for national advertising practices. Today, the firm announced that its Advertising and Marketing practice received the top ranking in the ​“Advertising Law - National” and ​“Advertising Law - DC” categories in the ​“Best Law Firms” study published by U.S. News and Best Lawyers. Kelley Drye’s first-tier ranking will be featured online and in the October print issue of the U.S. News & World Report, which goes on sale today.

Complementing this achievement, partner John E. Villafranco was recognized as the 2011 Advertising Law ​“Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers for his work in Washington, D.C. With a pulse on the federal agencies and regulators, Mr. Villafranco and his partners bring the Washington perspective to clients who do business around the country and globally. Partner William C. MacLeod was also recognized individually by Best Lawyers.

“While we are deeply honored and humbled by the accolades we have received from U.S. News/Best Lawyers, in addition to Chambers USA and U.S. Legal 500 rankings, our most satisfying achievements are those that we reach on behalf of our clients,” said Mr. Villafranco. ​“We work hard to help our clients avoid the scrutiny of government and competitors, a responsibility that takes constant vigilance because, these days, more and more companies are the target of investigations and litigation.”

The attorneys in Kelley Drye’s Advertising and Marketing practice group have broad experience and relationships² at the Federal Trade Commission, the offices of state Attorneys General, the National Advertising Division (NAD), and the networks; substantive expertise in the areas of advertising, promotion marketing and privacy law, as well as consumer class action defense; and a national reputation for excellence in advertising litigation and NAD proceedings.

U.S. News Media Group and Best Lawyers note that ​“achieving a high ranking is a special distinction that signals a unique combination of excellence and breadth of expertise.” Input from more than 9,500 clients - including from every Fortune 100 company and half the Fortune 1000 - and 8,800 leading lawyers was evaluated to derive the results for the Best Law Firms survey.

1 U.S. Legal 500 2010: ​“Kelley Drye & Warren LLP’s ​‘gold standard’ national advertising practice handles transactional work, NAD hearings, class action defense and false advertising litigation. It is particularly well regarded for its regulatory prowess...”

2 Chambers USA 2010: Kelley Drye attorneys are ​“totally wired into this area; they have good relationships with the key players and are at the cutting edge of developments in the field.”