This depends on how you define the best lawyer.
Are you wanting the one who makes the most money? Are you wanting the one who is the smartest? Are you wanting the one most likely to win the most cases or the one who wins the most money given the facts of a case? Last, are you wanting the one who does the best for his client, even if it means fewer dollars? Are you wanting the flashy rainmaker guy or the guy who will actually review the paralegal's work?
Richest attorney I know was a DWI guy who got involved in a bunch of O&G deals and now owns a MLB team. I know another who did PI cases, switched to drug cases, and now owns a compound in the virgin islands that would make Cuban bow and kiss the ring. Still another I know was a gov't attorney, went out on his own and now owns a massive hedge fund. I don't know that any is a "best lawyer", but they sure are great businessmen.
Smartest attorney I know struggles. He wins all of his cases, but he doesn't like hustling for business so he is never busy. He used to be with the best litigation firm in DFW and he hated it. Now he just gets enough work to pay his bills and doesn't care about more. Nobody would call him the "best lawyer", except those who know what he is capable of.
You never hear a word about those who truly represent their clients for the client's interest. They don't make headlines, they don't get credit, but they probably sleep at night.
Just like how "best attorney" doesn't mean much, Law isn't what most people think. TV law is litigation, not law. The "best lawyers" are really businessmen managing a system sold to them by IT guys so nothing gets missed. Litigation isn't "finding the smoking gun after months of investigation," litigation means motion practice. It means you know the rules well enough to play the game well enough to survive the motions and get past summary judgment. It means your top legal assistant won't forget to calendar the due date to your Daubert challenge response which you will have a first year guy draft so you can bill 4 hours "reviewing" while really working on something else or shopping for shoes.
Once you survive the motions real settlement talks will finally start but again negotiation doesn't really happen much. It is just another game to see if you can play long enough without making a mistake so they give you the money you should have received 3 years ago.
Litigation is how hedge funds get rich, its how rich guys become billionaires, and it is how small business men become suicide victims. Its a game and a system. Last litigation is why lawyers drink and kill themselves. It is a inside view into the real America and it is something few want to see.
