Motley Rice has made it to the top by helping underdogs. The firm played a key role in a monumental California state court ruling in January that three companies must pay $1.15 billion in lead-paint abatement.

The 72-lawyer firm has evolved from an early focus on families of Sept. 11, 2001, terror attack victims into a myriad of case types, including environmental; medical device and pharmaceutical; and financial.