Milbank LLP was named “Appellate Firm of the Year” at the Benchmark Litigation US Awards 2026, which recognize the country’s most distinguished litigators and their firms for exemplary work over the past 12 months. Litigation & Arbitration partner Neal Katyal, who leads Milbank’s Supreme Court and Appellate practice, was also named “Appellate Litigator of the Year.” The two wins are particularly striking given that this was the first year Milbank has offered a dedicated Supreme Court and Appellate practice.
The team has had a number of victories on behalf of a range of clients. "Winning the individual award was certainly wonderful, but I am most proud of Milbank winning the practice group award,” Neal commented. “I am privileged to be part of the most dynamic and brilliant appellate team in the country. Each attorney on our team worked countless hours and showed unparalleled creativity, and I'm so grateful that Benchmark recognized that."
Most recently, the team secured a landmark victory before the Supreme Court of the United States in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump. In a 6–3 decision, the Court held that the president lacked authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to unilaterally impose sweeping tariffs without clear congressional authorization, striking down the tariff regime and reaffirming constitutional limits on executive power.
Neal, with Milbank Litigation & Arbitration partner Colleen Roh Sinzdak and associates Samantha Ilagan, Jessica Huang and Chase Hanson, and the Liberty Justice Center, represented five small businesses that challenged the tariffs.
Neal focuses on appellate and complex litigation, with extensive experience in all sorts of matters of federal and state law. He is one of a few living individuals to have argued more than 50 cases before the Supreme Court of the United States. Before entering private practice, Neal served as Acting Solicitor General of the United States.
Litigation & Arbitration and Financial Restructuring partner Andrew Leblanc was also one of just four attorneys shortlisted in the Bankruptcy Litigator of the Year category. He is among a select group of individuals to be recognized in this category every year for over a decade and has won five times. Andy “enjoys a unanimous reputation as one of the leading genuine bankruptcy litigators in the US” (Benchmark Litigation) and has advised on many of the most complex financial restructuring matters in recent years.
