NEW YORK & CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sidley Austin LLP has received 20 first-tier national rankings in the inaugural U.S.News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” survey, the most of any U.S. law firm. Rankings of 39 national practice areas are included in the October print issue of U.S.News & World Report, U.S.News Media Group’s flagship publication, with the full results available online today.

“I want to congratulate Sidley Austin on its extraordinary performance in the U.S.News - Best Lawyers ‘Best Law Firms’ rankings for 2010,” said Steven Naifeh, President and Founder of Best Lawyers. “With twenty first-tier rankings, Sidley Austin received more first-tier national rankings than any other firm in the United States.”

Out of 39 nationally ranked practice areas, Sidley’s 20 first-tier national rankings exceeded those of more than 10,000 U.S. law firms evaluated. Those practice areas include: Antitrust, Banking and Finance, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization, Biotechnology, Communications, Corporate, Derivatives and Futures, Energy, General Commercial Litigation, Insurance, Intellectual Property, International Arbitration, Mergers & Acquisitions, Mutual Funds, Private Funds/Hedge Funds, Railroad, Securities/Capital Markets, Securitization and Structured Finance, Tax and Transportation Law.

In the survey’s regional rankings, Sidley has 26 first-tier rankings - the most of any law office in Chicago - and has first-tier rankings in the Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco (including Palo Alto) and Washington, D.C. metropolitan areas. In addition, the firm was named as one of the “Best Law Firms to Work For.”

“We are elated by the results of the survey,” said Thomas A. Cole, chair of Sidley’s Executive Committee. “To be recognized by a prestigious U.S. news publication with the most first-tier national rankings and as one of the best law firms to work for is a great honor. We will continue to build on our 144 years of commitment to client service, quality and collegiality that distinguishes and defines our firm.”

Charles W. Douglas, chair of the firm’s Management Committee, added, “It is particularly gratifying that this survey, which reflects our clients’ comments, recognizes Sidley as first-tier in a wide range of practices and industries, ranging from traditional practice areas such as corporate and general commercial litigation, to innovative practice areas such as biotechnology and derivatives law.”

U.S.News Media Group is the nation’s leading source of rankings and service journalism. Best Lawyers® is the leading survey of lawyers worldwide. The U.S.News - Best Lawyers Law Firm rankings evaluated firms across the United States using a wide range of objective data as well as individual assessments from more than 6,000 clients, including every Fortune 100 company and more than 500 of the Fortune 1000 companies, nearly 9,000 private practice lawyers and thousands of law firm employees.

A firm profile and complete rankings for Sidley are available on the U.S.News & World Report web site at: www.USNews.com/BestLawFirms.

Sidley Austin LLP is one of the world’s largest full-service law firms, with approximately 1600 lawyers practicing in 17 U.S. and international cities, including Beijing, Brussels, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hong Kong, London, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo. Sidley is recognized for service and responsiveness—BTI, a Boston-based research and consulting firm, has named Sidley as one of only two firms to have been in the top ten of the BTI Client Service rankings every year since the inception of those rankings in 2001, and as number one in three of those years.

For purposes of the New York State Bar rules, this press release may be considered Attorney Advertising and the headquarters of the firm are Sidley Austin LLP 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019, 212.839.5300 and Sidley Austin LLP One South Dearborn, Chicago, IL 60603, 312.853.7000. Prior results described herein do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Sidley Austin LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership which operates at the firm’s offices other than Chicago, London, Hong Kong, Singapore and Sydney, is affiliated with other partnerships, including Sidley Austin LLP, an Illinois limited liability partnership (Chicago); Sidley Austin LLP, a separate Delaware limited liability partnership (London); Sidley Austin LLP, a separate Delaware limited liability partnership (Singapore); Sidley Austin, a New York general partnership (Hong Kong); Sidley Austin, a Delaware general partnership of registered foreign lawyers restricted to practicing foreign law (Sydney); and Sidley Austin Nishikawa Foreign Law Joint Enterprise (Tokyo). The affiliated partnerships are referred to herein collectively as Sidley Austin, Sidley, or the firm.