Ballard Spahr's Consumer Financial Services, Media Law Groups Earn Law360 "Practice Group of the Year" Honors

The Consumer Financial Services Group and the Media and Entertainment Law Group at Ballard Spahr have each been named a "Practice Group of the Year" by Law360, which honors law firm practices that worked on the biggest deals or achieved the biggest wins in important cases in 2017.

Law360, a leading source of national and international legal news, selected Practice Groups of the Year to highlight the top U.S. practices in 35 areas of legal focus. Ballard Spahr's Media and Entertainment Law practice is one of only five nationwide named in the "media & entertainment" category. The firm's Consumer Financial Services practice is one of only five nationwide named in the "banking" category—and one of just two with substantial practices in consumer financial services. The Law360 recognition is in addition to Ballard Spahr's ranking as one of only four firms in the country with consumer financial services regulatory practices listed in the highest tier by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.

With more than 125 attorneys in offices across the country, Ballard Spahr's Consumer Financial Services Group is nationally recognized for its guidance in structuring and documenting new consumer financial services products, its experience with the full range of federal and state consumer credit laws, and its skill in defending private and governmental investigations. The Group handles a range of complex matters and cases for prominent clients in the consumer finance industry.

"We worked hard last year on behalf of our clients, so it is tremendously gratifying that Law360 journalists who follow the industry recognize the strength of our national practice and the results we have achieved," said Alan Kaplinsky, co-Practice Leader of the Consumer Financial Services Group at Ballard Spahr. "I'm proud of our entire group. Earning a national honor like Practice Group of the Year takes an outstanding effort by the full team."

Ballard Spahr's Media and Entertainment Law Group is a national standard-bearer in supporting the free press and the First Amendment rights of groups and individuals. The Group helps clients nationwide navigate challenging media law issues across all platforms and industries. The Group was bolstered by an October 2017 merger with Levine Sullivan Koch & Schulz (LSKS), which had been the nation's preeminent First Amendment and media law boutique. The resulting team represents the biggest and most prominent names in the industry.

"This is an important time for First Amendment advocacy and the role of the media in our democratic society," said David Bodney, co-Practice Leader of the Media and Entertainment Law Group. "This recognition from Law360 is an affirmation that we are helping clients fight the good fight well."