Goulston & Storrs, an Am Law 200 firm, has received top rankings in the 2020 edition of Chambers USA in nine of its practice areas – Banking & Finance, Bankruptcy/Restructuring, Environment, Labor & Employment, Leisure & Hospitality, Litigation: General Commercial, Real Estate, and Retail. Chambers also ranked 28 Goulston & Storrs attorneys among the top U.S. attorneys in their respective fields either nationally or regionally.

National rankings include:

Retail (Band 2 USA) – Goulston & Storrs’s Retail practice is “highly reputed for its work in all areas of retail real estate, representing developers, REITs, landlords and tenants.” The practice is also noted for its “strong reputation helping international brands and retailers integrate and expand into the US market.” Clients note that attorneys “are subject matter experts who add a tremendous amount of value." Clients also commented that the “team is very sharp and very focused," and also that attorneys “are awesome at negotiating and are the complete package."

"It is a creative and business-oriented team that we feel very lucky to work with," a further commentator notes, adding: "The work is very high-quality."

Leisure & Hospitality (Band 3 USA) – Goulston & Storrs’s Leisure & Hospitality Team is known for solid hospitality practice with experience working alongside major hotel brands, financial institutions and investors on a variety of transactional matters and operational issues. Recognized areas of expertise include management agreements, joint ventures and financing, alongside niche strengths in matters such as liquor licensing.

One client commented that: "The service is excellent; it's why they are our go-to firm. They're very responsive and very prompt. It is a fantastic team."

Regional rankings include:

Real Estate (Band 1 MA, Band 2 D.C.) – In Massachusetts, Goulston & Storrs’s Real Estate group “retains its position as a market-leading firm” and is “regularly called upon by regional and national developers and investors to handle big-ticket matters.” Areas of specialty that clients and researchers recognize include retail and office development as well as real estate-related capital market transactions. Zoning and land use advice is considered “first-class” by clients, and attorneys are recognized for showing excellent expertise in construction and leasing. Clients refer to attorneys as "top-notch lawyers" who have "very broad experience in the industry” and are considered to be “better than anyone else.”

In D.C., the team is recognized for significant capabilities across a broad range of real estate matters, including financing, development, acquisition and disposition. The group is highly regarded for its zoning and land use work and is considered a go-to practice for land entitlement, zoning and historic preservation matters. The lawyers in DC are noted to be successful in working with major developers, entrepreneurs, investment funds and landlords, among others.

A client notes that the attorneys in DC “draw on deep knowledge of current and evolving zoning and land use issues and bring this thinking to each assignment."

Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Band 2 MA) – The firm’s Bankruptcy/Restructuring practice is known for solving “complex restructuring and insolvency matters of all stripes.”  Clients include lenders and debtors and the team has a wide range of experience with particular experience in matters pertaining to the real estate and retail sectors. The firm is noted for having advanced expertise in corporate reorganization issues and success in representing distressed portfolio firms on behalf of private equity companies.

Client feedback was very positive and included feedback such as the team is “very responsive and I always know that their work will be exemplary. I really rely on them for high-level thinking." Another client comment was that “the team has a good synergy and is focused on getting the deal done properly, practically and as efficiently as possible. They are subject-matter experts who add a tremendous amount of value."

Environment (Band 2 MA) – Goulston & Storrs’s Environment practice is “distinguished for its niche in the environmental aspects of real estate and well known for its expertise in regulatory matters, brownfield redevelopment and property transactions” as well as “its strength in environmental insurance” and “environmental cost recovery.” “The team provides high-quality representation of developers, investors and private equity companies and is well regarded for its strength in the environmental insurance space.” It has strong capabilities in advising on environmental cost recovery matters. The team is also known for being experienced in education and healthcare sector representation.

Clients and referrals recognize the practice as doing “a lot of work in the transactional space and [having] excellent lawyers." One source commented that “overall the team is remarkably strong. It has the full breadth of experience and knowledge and undertakes high-quality work."

Clients say the team "provides amazing support" and praise its members as "subject matter experts."

Banking & Finance (Band 3 MA) – Goulston & Storrs’s Banking & Finance practice is known for offering “quality advice to insurers, private equity sponsors and banks on complex capital markets and senior debt transactions.”  The team is also recognized for handling matters in the real estate finance arena. With sector expertise in healthcare, energy, technology and retail, the team is recognized for regularly handling matters with significant cross-border elements and is frequently sought out for its expertise in leveraged buyout transactions.

Clients noted that the team is fully integrated and “there is always a senior person driving every deal forward, regardless of size, and they are always available." Additionally, it was noted that the team is “very good at responding quickly to our needs and supporting any questions or issues that may arise." Another client interviewed noted that the team’s “work is excellent and they understand our business forwards and backwards."

Labor & Employment (Band 4 MA) – Goulston & Storrs’s Labor & Employment ]team is known for being adept at undertaking a wide range of labor and employment matters, including negotiating employment and separation agreements as well as advising on discrimination and harassment in the workplace. Interviewees also commented that the team is exceptional for its handling of class actions, particularly those relating to wage and hour issues, and is often sought out for its expertise in the area of noncompetition.

One client was particularly impressed and shared that they “have needed [the firm’s] help in a wide range of areas and the uniformity of the quality [the firm offers, across different specialties, is unique." Another source highlighted that the firm “as a whole is very responsive” and “has excellent employment lawyers who are very congenial."

Litigation: General Commercial (Band 3 MA) – Goulston & Storrs’s litigation group was “recommended for its handling of a broad range of business and commercial disputes, including real estate, banking and First Amendment litigation.” Specifically singled out is the litigation team’s deep expertise in professional liability claims, particularly those involving legal industry participants. It is noted that the firm represents clients on litigation matters in a range of sectors including education, healthcare and transportation.

One client noted that the “team is strong and seasoned” and that the team’s “ability to quickly analyze the strengths and weaknesses of a claim stands out."

The Chambers Guides have ranked the best law firms and lawyers since 1990, and cover 190 countries across the world. Inclusion in Chambersis based solely on extensive, confidential interviews with thousands of lawyers and clients to identify the leading law firms and lawyers worldwide. Individual lawyers are ranked based on their legal knowledge and experience, ability, effectiveness, and client service. Law firms are ranked on the same qualities, as well as overall effectiveness and capability. Rankings are grouped in bands from 1-6, with 1 being the best.