To thrive in New England, law firms representing corporate clients should be well versed in life sciences, alternative energy and health care matters. As our 2014 New England Report shows, the Boston-area legal sector is enjoying the benefits of a $1 billion state-funded investment in life sciences — and all the intellectual property work, transactions and litigation that flow from it. Connecticut law firms, too, are busier with work stemming from the Affordable Care Act and also with private equity and real estate deals. But many firms in the region’s less populated areas — Vermont and Rhode Island, especially — are experiencing business well below prerecession levels. In sum, it’s uneven legal terrain for lawyers in New England.

BOSTON: New England’s Brightest Spot