Sari Friedman Reviews | U.S. News – Best Lawyers® Releases 2017 Best Law Firms List

Washington, D.C. – Nov. 1, 2016 – U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers, for the seventh consecutive year, announce the Best Law Firms rankings.

Firms included in the 2017 Best Law Firms list are recognized for professional excellence with persistently impressive ratings from clients and peers. Achieving a tiered ranking signals a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise.

"U.S. News is the global authority in rankings," says Tim Smart, executive editor of U.S. News & World Report. "Evaluating law firms is a natural extension of what we do best."

The 2017 rankings are based on the highest number of participating firms and highest number of client ballots on record. To be eligible for a ranking, a firm must have a lawyer listed in The Best Lawyers in America, which recognizes the top 4 percent of practicing attorneys in the U.S. Over 10,000 attorneys provided more than 800,000 law firm assessments, and over 10,000 clients provided more than 90,000 evaluations.

"For seven years now, we have added law firm rankings to our rankings of individual lawyers," says Steven Naifeh, CEO and co-founder of Best Lawyers. "It has been a daunting task. This year we reviewed 13,803 law firms across the United States and across 122 practice areas, for a total of 2,005 firms receiving a national law firm ranking. Each year, we have expanded our reach while also trying to simplify the process, as much as possible, for the law firms that provide us with the information that we use to create the rankings. We are proud that the legal profession has come to view our law firm rankings each year with such deep and widespread respect."

Ranked firms, presented in tiers, are listed on a national and/or metropolitan scale. Receiving a tier designation reflects the high level of respect a firm has earned among other leading lawyers and clients in the same communities and the same practice areas for its abilities, its professionalism and its integrity.

Awards were given in 74 national practice areas and 122 metropolitan practice areas. One "Law Firm of the Year" is named in each of the 74 nationally ranked practice areas.

The 2017 Best Law Firms list will be featured in two publications. The national First Tier rankings will be featured in the Third Edition of the "Best Law Firms" Legal Issue, which will be distributed in January to more than 35,000 C-level executives. National and metropolitan First Tier rankings will be featured in the "Best Law Firms" General Counsel Publication, which will be distributed in December to more than 30,000 in-house counsel, and in digital format to more than 60,000 private practice lawyers worldwide.

About Best Law Firms

The U.S. News – Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms" rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys in their field, and review of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process. To be eligible for a ranking, a law firm must have at least one lawyer listed in the 22^nd Edition of The Best Lawyers in America© list for that particular location and specialty.

About U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report is a digital news and information company that empowers people to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives. Focusing on Education, Health, Personal Finance, Travel, Cars and News & Opinion, USNews.com provides consumer advice, rankings, news and analysis to serve people making complex decisions throughout all stages of life. More than 37 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

About Best Lawyers

Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected attorney ranking service in the world. For more than 30 years, Best Lawyers has assisted those in need of legal services to identify the attorneys best qualified to represent them in distant jurisdictions or unfamiliar specialties. Best Lawyers lists are published in leading local, regional and national publications across the globe. The Best Lawyers in America list recognizes the very best lawyers in each practice area and metropolitan region in the country. Read More ...

Sari Friedman Lawyer - New Transportation Related Laws To Know Before Hitting The Road Starting In 2017

In addition to other changes happening around the nation, this election year has also resulted in several new laws that will take effect on Jan. 1, 2017, in California. California Department of Motor Vehicles wants you know about these transportation-related laws before taking your vehicles on the roads starting this New Year's Day.

Use of Electronic Wireless Devices (AB 1786, Quirk)

Holding wireless telephones or other electronic communication devices while driving will be prohibited unless it’s mounted on the vehicle’s windshield or dashboard that doesn’t require drivers to look away from the road often. The drivers can only activate or deactivate a feature or function on the device with the motion of a single finger swipe or tap.

Child Safety Seats (AB 53, Garcia)

If your child is younger than 2 years of age, weighs less than 40 pounds and shorter than 40 inches in height, then this new law requires them to be seated in a properly secured, appropriate rear-facing passenger restraint system seat.

Motorcycle Lane Splitting (AB 51, Quirk)

Starting in 2017, the California Highway Patrol can develop educational guidelines for lane splitting for two-wheeled motorcycles to help ensure safety of the motorcyclists, drivers and passengers on the road. The law requires the CHP to consult with specified agencies and organizations that have an interest in road safety.

Vehicle Registration Fee (SB 838, Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review)

Beginning on April 1, 2017, the vehicle registration fee on every vehicle or trailer coach will increase from $43 to $53. And no, this is not an April Fools’ Day joke.

Environmental License Plate (SB 839, Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review)

Fees for renewal, retention, transfer or duplication of Environmental Licence Plates will increase from $38 to $43 starting on New Year’s Day. The law also increases fees for the issuance of these personalized license plates from $43 to $53, beginning on July 1, 2017.

Accident Reporting (SB 491, Committee on Transportation and Housing)

This law increases the minimum financial threshold for property damage of a vehicle involved in a road collision to $1,000 (from $750) in order to be reported to the DMV.

Vehicle Safety Recalls (AB 287, Gordon)

This law enacts the Consumer Automotive Recall Safety Act. It requires the DMV to include general advisory on each vehicle registration renewal notice of cars that are being recalled or need repairs. The law also prohibits dealer from renting out any vehicle with a recall 48 hours after receiving the notice.

Year of Manufacture License Plates (SB 1429, Nielsen)

This law extends the Year of Manufacture license plate program to include plates that were manufactured through the 80s. SB 1429 will benefit owners of vintage motor vehicles who wish to keep their car’s original license plate instead of trading in for a regular one.

Background Checks of Drivers of Transportation Network Companies (AB 1289, Cooper)

Ride-booking companies like Uber and Lyft are required to perform a thorough background check of all their drivers. These companies cannot employ or contract with any driver who is a registered sex offender on the U.S. Department of Justice National Sex Offender website, a felony or has been convicted of any misdemeanor assault, battery, domestic violence or DUI within the past seven years. Penalty for each offense ranges from $1,000 to more than $5,000.

Installing Counterfeit or Nonfunctional Air Bags (AB 2387, Mullin)

This law prohibits any person and companies from knowingly and intentionally manufacturing, importing, installing or distributing any device that is intended to replace an airbag system in a motor vehicle if the device was a counterfeit, nonfunctional or doesn’t meet the federal safety requirements. Another misdemeanor violation (punishable by a $5,000 fine or up to one year in jail) includes prohibition of selling, installing or reinstalling devices that would cause a vehicle's diagnostic system to fail. Read More...