From Tech IPOs to Entertainment Blockbusters, Latham Stands Out in the 2026 California Legal Awards

Latham & Watkins has earned six recognitions across individual and firm categories in the 2026 California Legal Awards — continuing the firm's standout presence in Law.com's premier program honoring the lawyers and organizations driving California's dynamic legal landscape.

Bay Area Partner Sarah Axtell won the Women Leaders in Tech Law award in the Corporate category for her role as a strategic advisor to technology companies at every stage of the corporate lifecycle. A nationally recognized capital markets lawyer, Sarah has led some of the most high-profile tech IPOs in recent years, including Reddit, Rubrik, OneStream, and ServiceTitan.

Two additional partners are finalists for major individual awards:

• Dealmaker of the Year: Charles Ruck — Global Chair of Latham's Corporate Department and one of California’s foremost M&A practitioners, Charles led on Anglo American’s US$53 billion merger with Teck Resources and Silver Lake's US$55 billion take-private acquisition of Electronic Arts, among numerous additional multibillion-dollar transactions over the past year.
• Entertainment Lawyer of the Year: Rick Offsay — Global Co-Chair of the firm's Entertainment, Sports & Media Practice, Rick provides strategic transactional counsel across the entertainment, sports, and media industries. He regularly advises on the deals that define Hollywood, including Paramount Skydance Corporation’s pending US$110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

Latham is also a finalist in three firm categories:

• Innovation in Tech/AI, recognizing the firm's suite of AI initiatives, anchored by its pioneering AI Academy and AI First strategy. Launched in 2024, the AI Academy is a first-of-its-kind program providing immersive, skills-based training at the intersection of AI and the future of business.
• Tech Industry Litigation Department of the Year, marking the firm's fourth consecutive year as a finalist. The award, which Latham won in 2023, recognizes outstanding and precedent-setting courtroom victories for technology companies across geographies, practice areas, and specialties.
• Vanguard Award, recognizing the firm's US Crypto Policy Tracker — an online resource developed by partners Zach Fallon, Stephen Wink, and Yvette Valdez that provides up-to-date analysis on legislative and regulatory developments in the blockchain, cryptocurrency, and digital asset landscape.

The awards will be presented on June 24 at the Sheraton Grand Los Angeles.