From Courtrooms to Change-Makers
Law is a profession that is based on virtue, intellect, and the purpose of justice. But nowadays, in this high-paced world, a lawyer is not only a champion in the courtroom, but also a social reformer, counsellor, and social change leader. A new generation of influential lawyers is emerging around the world to transform the meaning of legal excellence. These people mix legal acumen with insight, compassion, and bravery to make their work a driver that can build companies, neighbourhoods, and policies.
Here are the five such leaders who have had far more than a conventional legal practice.
Lisa Blatt
Lisa Blatt is generally regarded as one of the most powerful lawyers before the Supreme Court of the United States. She has argued more cases than any woman in history before the Court, 54 to date, and earned a reputation as a sharp legal strategist and a persuasive advocate.
Blatt has influenced constitutional law, business regulation, and civil rights litigation as the current key person of the Supreme Court and Appellate practice at Williams and Connolly. Her career portrays the utmost excellence of the law. She is still mentoring new lawyers, demonstrating to them that power is achievable by preparing, being clear, and doing the right thing.
Sebastian Rice
London-based partner Sebastian Rice of Akin Gump has been recognised as one of the Fifty Most Influential Lawyers 2025 by Financial News due to his exceptional work in corporate law. Rice is a cross-border transactions and regulatory strategy expert specialising in providing advice to major financial institutions, asset managers and companies on complex deals.
He is more than a client lawyer; he is at the heart of regulatory practice in Europe. Known as an innovative solver and a collected leader, Rice embodies the attributes of the new legal opera. He is a new generation of international lawyers who not only achieve results but also can establish ethical and professional norms.
Ajay Pathak
Ajay Pathak, who is a partner at Goodwin, is an industry leader in disciplines related to private equity and fund structuring and is included in the Financial News’ 50 Most Influential Lawyers 2025. Pathak is a recognised name in investment fund formation, based in London and advises some of the largest asset managers around the world. This has enabled him to emerge as a trusted consultant to the European financial market, thanks to his ability to bring technical legal knowledge and business acumen.
His leadership demonstrates the use of powerful lawyers in bringing innovations to the law of investments, where structures are both competitive and obliging. Still, he influences the European market of private equity in terms of strategy and integrity.
Will Pearce
Will Pearce, a partner at Davis Polk, has made it into the list of the 25 most influential lawyers in Financial News as a result of his contribution to cross-border mergers and acquisitions in Europe. Pearce, with extensive experience in cross-border and corporate governance, has worked on some of the biggest and most complicated transactions in the region. He has an influence on high-value transactions, but also on the establishment of transparency and regulatory compliance norms.
He is one such modern legal and collaborative leader who is also accurate. His work highlights the role that influential lawyers will play in fostering trust within corporations, investors, and regulatory organisations in the new economy.
Dominic Griffiths
Dominic Griffiths, a partner in Mayer Brown, has been recognised by Financial News as one of the Fifty Most Influential Lawyers 2025 in the banking and finance law industry. Griffiths has a long-standing reputation for advising major financial institutions on structured finance, derivatives and regulation issues.
His career presents the impact of legal knowledge on shaping the financial ecosystem through stability, compliance, and innovation. Through this work, Griffiths strives to be involved in wider industry discussions around risk management and sustainable finance. The impact of powerful lawyers striking that balance between commercial and good governance in this ever-changing financial landscape is displayed in what they contributed as thought leaders.
What is Legal Excellence?
The only thing these five leaders have in common is their belief that the law should do more than settle disputes; it should make lives better. By doing so, these lawyers embody this new relationship to their profession by defending consumers, fighting climate change, advocating for social justice, promoting ethical business standards, making legal services more accessible, and more.
Through their work, we learn that it is not the title, but courage, integrity, and being at the forefront of change that actually count in the law. In spite of everything, they are there to remind us that the best lawyers are the ones who combine keen legal learning with humanism, vision and purpose.
Going forward, we find that legal excellence will remain in the hands of those who are ready to think outside the box, take risks, and reclaim what is right. Not only are these leaders shaping the world we live in today, but they are also leaving behind the next generation of lawyers.