Eighteen Todd & Weld attorneys recognized by 2024 Best Lawyers in America
Eighteen Todd & Weld attorneys are recognized in 2024 Best Lawyers in America.
First published in 1983, Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation. For the 2024 edition Best Lawyers in America analyzed more than 16.1 million confidential peer evaluations, resulting in just over 76,000 leading lawyers being included in the new edition, which is approximately 5.8 percent of practicing lawyers in the United States.
Lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed.
Corporate Counsel has called Best Lawyers "the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice."
The Todd & Weld attorneys listed in 2024 Best Lawyers in America are:
- Nicholas B. Carter (Commercial Litigation)
- Tyler E. Chapman (Litigation – Real Estate)
- Paul R. Cirel (Criminal Defense: White Collar; Health Care Law; Litigation – Health Care; and 2024 “Lawyer of the Year” in Boston for Litigation – Health Care)
- Howard M. Cooper (Civil Rights Law; Commercial Litigation; First Amendment Law)
- Elaine M. Epstein (Family Law)
- Ingrid S. Martin (Criminal Defense: White Collar; Health Care Law; and 2024 “Lawyer of the Year” in Boston for Health Care Law)
- David E. Meier (Criminal Defense: General Practice; Criminal Defense: White Collar)
- Richard M. Novitch (Family Law)
- Christopher R. O'Hara (Employment Law – Management; Litigation – Labor and Employment; Qui Tam Law)
- David H. Rich (Commercial Litigation; First Amendment Law; Litigation – First Amendment; and 2024 “Lawyer of the Year” in Boston for First Amendment Law)
- Seth J. Robbins (Commercial Litigation)
- John J. Ronan (Family Law)
- Max D. Stern (Bet-the-Company Litigation; Civil Rights Law; Criminal Defense: General Practice; Criminal Defense: White Collar)
- Melinda Thompson (Criminal Defense: White Collar)
- Gary Owen Todd (Family Law; Litigation – Trusts & Estates)
- J. Owen Todd (Commercial Litigation; Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law; Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs)
- Christopher Weld Jr. (Commercial Litigation; Construction Law; Litigation – Construction; Litigation – Real Estate; and 2024 “Lawyer of the Year” in Boston for Litigation – Real Estate)
- Benjamin J. Wish (Commercial Litigation)
Mr. Carter, first selected to Best Lawyers in 2018, has over two decades of trial experience in state and federal courts, as well as before administrative agencies and in arbitration. A partner at the firm, Mr. Carter represents clients and individuals in a vast array of litigation matters, including complex business disputes, employment discrimination claims, elder exploitation, and financial fraud claims. He has successfully represented clients in class action lawsuits, personal injury matters, and products liability claims.
Mr. Chapman, first selected to Best Lawyers in 2023, has a general litigation practice with a focus on commercial and real estate litigation. A partner at the firm, Mr. Chapman’s cases frequently involve disputes relating to the sale, acquisition, and development of real estate as well as disputes over easements and other property rights. He also specializes in landlord-tenant disputes and construction defect litigation.
Mr. Cirel, first chosen to Best Lawyers in 2016, has been litigating in courts and administrative agencies on behalf of healthcare clients for more than 30 years. He assists medical professionals in fraud and abuse investigations, false claims actions, audits, and disciplinary and other administrative agency proceedings. A partner at the firm, Mr. Cirel also represents healthcare professionals before various licensing authorities.
Mr. Cooper, a Best Lawyers honoree since 2006, is a Founding Partner of Todd & Weld. He represents clients in litigation involving corporate, closely held business, real estate, partnership, and franchise matters. Mr. Cooper also regularly handles significant civil rights and First Amendment matters that are often of public significance. In criminal matters, Mr. Cooper handles white collar criminal cases, including the defense of organizations and individuals targeted for prosecution in federal and state court in false claim, environmental, tax or public corruption investigations.
Ms. Epstein, a Best Lawyers honoree for 20 years, has over 35 years of experience as a family law practitioner. She is a founder and first president of the Massachusetts Women's Bar Association. A partner at the firm, she has tried dozens of cases in the Probate & Family Courts and resolved hundreds more short of trial in a wide range of matters, including substantial asset divisions, contested parental rights, and novel issues involving the property rights of non-married cohabitants and the rights of non-biological parents. Ms. Epstein has litigated complex jurisdictional issues and actions involving numerous cutting-edge issues in state, federal and appellate courts.
Ms. Martin concentrates her practice on the intersection of criminal defense and healthcare law. First chosen to Best Lawyers in 2018, Ms. Martin represents a broad range of healthcare providers and entities in state and federal courts involving government investigations. She assists medical professionals appearing before licensing boards, and guides clients through peer review proceedings, audits, and accreditation procedures. A partner at the firm, Ms. Martin advises clients on contractual and business litigation matters where her familiarity with the healthcare regulatory environment is often critical.
Mr. Meier, a partner at the firm, specializes in criminal defense and government investigations. Selected to Best Lawyers since 2016, Mr. Meier represents a full range of clients, including executives and companies faced with internal corporate fraud or other white-collar investigations; public officials and other professionals under investigation for alleged corruption or ethical violations; private individuals alleged to have committed serious felonies, sexual assaults, or death-related crimes; and students facing disciplinary proceedings at academic institutions.
Mr. Novitch represents clients in all aspects of family law, including trials of complex matrimonial matters, high net worth property division, and national and international parenting disputes. First selected to Best Lawyers in 2021, Mr. Novitch is an accomplished appellate attorney with experience handling complex cases and issues on appeal, including matters before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and Massachusetts Appeals Court.
Mr. O'Hara focuses primarily on complex business litigation and employment law disputes in state and federal courts, and in commercial arbitration. Mr. O'Hara, a Founding Partner of the firm, has represented plaintiffs and defendants in whistleblower and qui tam cases and has achieved significant recoveries on behalf of individuals. First selected to Best Lawyers in 2017, Mr. O’Hara’s employment law practice includes advising companies and individuals on hiring, termination, investigations, wage and hour issues, company handbook/policies, state and federal employment laws, and non-competition and non-solicitation agreements.
Mr. Rich, first chosen to Best Lawyers in 2021, concentrates his practice on complex business and commercial litigation, First Amendment law, and employment law. He has obtained numerous multi-million-dollar jury verdicts in a variety of matters, including defamation cases. A partner at the firm, Mr. Rich is quoted frequently in the media and regularly lectures on matters relating to defamation law, employment matters and trial practice.
Mr. Robbins, a Best Lawyers honoree since 2023, specializes in several areas of litigation, including complex business and commercial disputes, First Amendment law, employment law, and probate and fiduciary law. Mr. Robbins, a partner at the firm, has successfully tried and resolved cases on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants in various federal and state courts throughout the country.
Mr. Ronan, a partner at the firm, concentrates his practice in all aspects of family law including divorce, custody, complex financial issues in divorce matters, modification, and prenuptial agreements. Mr. Ronan, first selected to Best Lawyers in 2023, regularly manages complex family law matters on behalf of clients in the Massachusetts Probate and Family Law Court.
Mr. Stern, a Best Lawyers honoree since in 1987, has more than 40 years of experience litigating groundbreaking criminal matters and complex civil cases. A partner at the firm, Mr. Stern has appeared and argued at every trial and appellate level, including the U.S. Supreme Court. He has received numerous awards for his legal work, including the American College Award for Courageous Advocacy, and the Joseph Balliro Award of the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers "in recognition of a lifelong commitment and dedication to the zealous defense of the accused."
Ms. Thompson, first chosen to Best Lawyers in 2020, concentrates her practice in the areas of government investigations, white collar crime, and criminal defense. A partner at the firm, she represents a full range of clients, including executives and companies faced with internal corporate fraud or other white-collar investigations; private individuals alleged to have committed serious felonies, sexual assaults, or death-related crimes; and students facing disciplinary proceedings at academic institutions.
Gary Owen Todd, first selected to Best Lawyers in 2012, is recognized locally and nationally as a preeminent family law practitioner specializing in domestic relations and probate litigation. A Founding Partner of Todd & Weld, Mr. Todd has successfully negotiated, mediated, and tried a wide range of family law issues, including divorce, custody, parental rights, complex child support, property division, modification, and contempt. In addition to his litigation work, Mr. Todd is a court appointed Special Master, Discovery Master, Guardian, Conservator, and Attorney for Children.
J. Owen Todd throughout his distinguished career that began in 1960 has handled virtually every kind of case from murder to mass tort litigation, and from bankruptcy litigation to “bet-the-company” commercial cases in every type of court throughout 36 states. Mr. Todd is a 40-year Best Lawyers honoree being named to the inaugural edition in 1983. He served as a Massachusetts Superior Court judge from 1988 to 1992. He left the bench to become one of the founding partners of Todd & Weld. In addition to his litigation practice, Mr. Todd maintains an active arbitration and mediation practice.
Mr. Weld is a Founding Partner Emeritus of Todd & Weld LLP and has over 30 years of experience in business litigation, arbitration, and dispute resolution. First named to Best Lawyers in 2018, Mr. Weld, managing partner of the firm, has achieved favorable results for clients through trials, arbitrations, mediations and negotiated resolutions. His cases generally have the common thread of presenting a business dispute with vigorously contested issues of substantial value.
Mr. Wish, a partner at the firm and first-time Best Lawyers honoree, is a veteran trial attorney concentrating his practice on complex commercial litigation, shareholder and real estate disputes, and white-collar criminal defense. His clients include international and national businesses, Massachusetts-based enterprises such as technology firms, real estate developers, and networks of automobile dealerships, and individuals.