In the last year, plaintiffs lawyers helped their clients win billions of dollars in awards—in fact, the 100 largest verdicts of 2013 yielded more than $10 billion in recoveries. That sum is likely to be equaled or surpassed in 2014. The ripple effects of these wins reach beyond dollars, with plaintiffs’ efforts helping in many cases to reshape public policies or reform corporate behavior.

Recognizing the impact of this work, The National Law Journal and Law.com this year teamed to select law firms that are doing the most creative and substantial work on the plaintiffs side.