Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher has long had a knack for taking on fights that will shape the law. This year proved no exception, as the litigation powerhouse scored wins in an unprecedented press pass dispute with the Trump administration and a major challenge to how the Securities and Exchange Commission appointed its in-house administrative law judges.

Large law firms like Gibson Dunn often get a reputation for being defense-oriented. But F. Joseph Warin, the chair of the litigation department in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office, says the firm is lucky to have clients who come to the firm to bring affirmative challenges, often resulting in fights that knock down statutes and regulations. “We take a matter where a) the stakes are high, and b) the mountain is treacherous, but we’re able to create the types of arguments that courts find successful,” Warin said.