3 Indian Americans on Forbes list of America’s top 200 lawyers

Neal Katyal, former Principal Deputy Solicitor General of the United States, and two other Indian Americans— Monica Arora and Ambika Kumar — have made it to the Forbes inaugural list of America’s top 200 lawyers.

The list “highlights the finest practitioners in the profession—lawyers with stellar track records in their specialties, those who have broken barriers to emerge as leaders in their fields, and attorneys most respected by peers and clients.”

Selected through, what Forbes calls “a rigorous, multi-stage process” from a massive and growing sector—a more than $300 billion industry, the list represents a “collection of top lawyers involved in the most consequential cases, deals or legal trends in recent years.”

READ: 10 Indian American women on Forbes 50 Over 50 list (August 16, 2023)

Three Indian Americans on the Forbes power list of lawyers with “reputations for integrity, records of excellence—and Forbes’ recognition as the best in the business” are:

Neal Katyal, Hogan Lovells, Washington, District of Columbia

Katyal, Forbes noted, has argued 50 cases before the US Supreme Court and has extensive experience in litigation, constitutional law, patents, arbitration and employment.

He serves as the Special Prosecutor for the State of Minnesota in the murder of George Floyd. While Acting Solicitor General of the United States from 2010-2011, Katyal won a case upholding the constitutionality of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

Katyal won another landmark voting rights-related case in 2023 when the Court rejected the “independent state legislature theory” in a North Carolina gerrymandering case.

READ: 4 Indian American businesswomen on Forbes’ 2023 list (July 6, 2023)

“Congratulations to partner @NealKatyal, who Forbes Magazine just named one of America’s Top 200 Lawyers. The series highlights top legal practitioners, including those with stellar track records, leaders in their fields, and who are respected by peers and clients,” Hogan Lovells wrote on X.

Ambika Kumar, Davis Wright Tremaine, Seattle, Washington

Kumar is co-chair of Davis Wright Tremaine’s media practice and a go-to lawyer on content liability and electronic privacy issues, according to Forbes.

She is widely recognized for her free-speech expertise, knowledge of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, and her understanding of how free-speech principles apply to evolving technology.

Kumar also counsels clients on defamation, copyright, trademark and public records matters. Her client list has included Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon and Alaska Airlines.

Monica Arora, Proskauer Rose, New York, New York

Arora is a top investment fund lawyer and co-head of the Private Funds Group at Proskauer. She advises asset managers on buyouts, credit, growth equity, real assets and infrastructure funds.

A thought leader in the industry, she represents global asset managers across the full spectrum of investment fund matters, from large investment firms to start-ups, according to Forbes.