Boutique Powerhouse: Keller Anderle Scolnick Lands Seven Partners on Elite Lawdragon 500

IRVINE, CA – January 15, 2026 – In a powerful display of legal talent that belies its size, the nationally-recognized boutique trial firm Keller Anderle Scolnick (KAS) has announced that seven of its partners have been named to the 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America. This remarkable achievement, which includes five returning honorees and one new selection, underscores the firm's outsized impact on the national stage and its reputation as a hub for elite litigators.

For a specialized firm to place such a high number of its attorneys on one of the legal profession's most exclusive lists is a significant accomplishment. The Lawdragon 500 is not a simple popularity contest; it is the product of rigorous journalistic research, peer nominations, and a careful vetting process designed to identify the nation's most effective and influential advocates. This recognition places KAS partners in direct competition with, and among the ranks of, lawyers from the largest and most storied law firms in the world.

An Elite Distinction

The Lawdragon 500 is widely regarded as a pinnacle of professional recognition. The publication itself describes its honorees as "advocates who lead the way for clients, their communities, their firms. They are brilliant, impassioned and dedicated to the law and its practice." Inclusion on the list signifies a lawyer's proven track record in securing major victories and shaping legal outcomes in high-stakes matters.

What makes the achievement by Keller Anderle Scolnick particularly noteworthy is the concentration of talent within a boutique framework. While large, multinational firms may have more honorees by sheer volume, KAS's ratio of recognized lawyers to its total number of attorneys is exceptionally high. This per-capita excellence highlights a deliberate strategy of building a firm composed exclusively of top-tier trial talent, capable of handling the most complex and demanding cases.

One legal industry analyst, speaking on the condition of anonymity, noted, "For a boutique to consistently place this many lawyers on the Lawdragon 500 is a clear signal to the market. It tells general counsel that you don't need a mega-firm's army to win; you need the right generals. KAS has a roster full of them."

A Roster of Renowned Litigators

The list of KAS honorees is a mix of enduring legends and rising stars, reflecting the firm's deep bench strength. Leading the roster is partner Jennifer Keller, who remains on the list through her lifetime selection to the Lawdragon Hall of Fame in 2023. This rare honor places her in the pantheon of the nation's most respected and influential attorneys, a testament to a career defined by landmark victories in commercial, white-collar, and intellectual property litigation.

Joining her are five returning partners, each a formidable litigator in their own right:

• Kay Anderle, the firm's managing partner, is recognized for her masterful handling of complex business disputes, class actions, and intellectual property cases.
• Chase Scolnick is known for his aggressive and effective courtroom presence in high-stakes commercial and white-collar defense matters.
• Benjamin Barron has built a reputation for navigating intricate commercial litigation, including corporate governance and partnership disputes.
• Anand Sambhwani focuses on high-value business litigation, with an emphasis on intellectual property, real estate, and professional liability.
• Jeremy Stamelman is a skilled trial lawyer with a strong record in commercial litigation and white-collar criminal defense.

This year, they are joined by newly selected partner Gregory Bernstein, whose inclusion signals his growing prominence and significant recent contributions in the firm's core practice areas. His selection further solidifies the firm's reputation for cultivating and retaining elite legal talent.

The Boutique Advantage in High-Stakes Battles

The success of Keller Anderle Scolnick is emblematic of a broader trend in the legal industry: the rise of the specialized boutique firm for "bet-the-company" litigation. In an era of increasing complexity, corporate clients are frequently opting for smaller, more agile firms that offer deep, focused expertise and a trial-ready posture from day one. These firms can often provide more direct partner involvement, greater efficiency, and fewer of the client conflicts that can plague larger, full-service institutions.

KAS has built its entire model around this principle. The firm specializes in high-stakes jury trials across a wide spectrum of practice areas, including commercial disputes, intellectual property, securities, and white-collar defense. This focused approach has yielded extraordinary results, with the firm's attorneys having won over $1 billion in verdicts and judgments for plaintiffs while also successfully defending clients against claims valued in the hundreds of millions.

The firm’s consistent recognition aligns directly with the most pressing challenges facing modern businesses. As intellectual property becomes a primary driver of corporate value, the need for seasoned IP litigators grows. Similarly, heightened regulatory enforcement has made experienced white-collar defense counsel more critical than ever. KAS's recognized expertise in these and other complex commercial areas positions it at the nexus of modern business disputes. This repeated validation by one of the industry's most respected guides solidifies the firm's reputation not just as a collection of skilled lawyers, but as a formidable force in the national trial landscape.