2026 Rankings Published by The Best Lawyers in America®

Cranfill Sumner LLP today announced that the 2026 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America® “Best Law Firms” ranked the firm as a Regional Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 law firm in multiple practice areas. 

Three of the firm’s offices were ranked as Regional Tier 1 on the list. 

Firms included in the 2026 Best Law Firms® list are recognized for professional excellence with impressive ratings from clients and peers. To be considered for this milestone achievement, at least one lawyer in the law firm must be recognized in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®.

The 2026 edition of Best Law Firms® includes rankings in 75 national practice areas and 127 metropolitan-based practice areas. The highest-rated firm in each national practice area attains the prestigious “Law Firm of the Year” honor. The transparent, collaborative research process employs qualitative and quantitative data from peer and client reviews, supported by proprietary algorithmic technology, to produce a tiered system of industry-led rankings of the top 4% of the industry.

The list recognized Cranfill Sumner’s offices for the following practice areas:

Regional Tier 1

Charlotte

  • Litigation – Insurance
  • Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers

Raleigh

  • Commercial Litigation
  • Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law
  • Insurance Law
  • Litigation – Insurance
  • Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
  • Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants
  • Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers

Wilmington

  • Commercial Litigation
  • Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
  • Employment Law – Management
  • Litigation – Insurance
  • Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
  • Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants

Regional Tier 2

Charlotte

  • Civil Rights Law
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Litigation – Labor and Employment
  • Litigation – Municipal
  • Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants

Raleigh

  • Appellate Practice
  • Bet-the-Company Litigation
  • Litigation – Construction
  • Mediation
  • Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
  • Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs

Wilmington

  • Litigation – Health Care

Regional Tier 3

Charlotte

  • Employment Law – Management
  • Product Liability Litigation – Defendants

Raleigh

  • Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
  • Construction Law
  • Criminal Defense: White-Collar