A panel convened by Business Insider has named nine New York best-dressed lawyers after reviewing 46 nominations from readers and law firms, producing a list that cuts across practice areas, firm sizes, and aesthetic philosophies. The selection arrives at a moment when the legal profession is reckoning openly with what distinguishes a human lawyer from software that can already draft briefs, research case law, and sort through document piles. Personal style, several of those honoured argue, is part of the answer.
How the New York best-dressed lawyers were chosen
The judging panel comprised Joi-Marie McKenzie, Business Insider’s editor in chief of Life; Leah Faye Cooper, fashion editor and former digital style director for Vogue; and Roberto Concepción Jr., a former lawyer now in employee relations at Instacart. They reviewed all 46 nominations before settling on nine finalists, who were then invited into Business Insider’s newsroom for a photo shoot and interviews.
The premise behind the exercise is not purely aesthetic. As one strand of thinking among the honourees runs, law remains a people business, and in a market where artificial intelligence is compressing the billable value of routine work, the ability to earn a client’s trust (to read a room, persuade a judge, project authority on first sight) has only grown more consequential. Several of those selected frame their wardrobes in those terms.
Who made the list and what their choices say
Vanessa Ajagu of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP builds each office outfit around a single anchor piece, layers in printed scarves and statement earrings, then dials back to a plain black suit for court so her clothing does not become the story. Her Nigerian designers, including pieces from Ohlanna bu Zikora whose founder won the top prize on Nigeria’s version of ‘Project Runway’, travel home in an empty suitcase each holiday season. She also teaches legal writing at Columbia Law School, where students sometimes ask, incredulous, whether she really wears cornrows and beads to the office. ‘Hell yeah, I wear it to work,’ she says.
William A. Brewer III of Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors favours suits made by Oxxford Clothes and Zegna, and has relied on English tailor Bruce Cameron Clark for his shirts for fifteen years. Clark’s client list, the report notes, includes Ringo Starr and Elton John. Brewer also sourced more than a dozen vintage watches for his leadership team one Christmas, working with contacts at Ralph Lauren. ‘You give somebody a timepiece, you’re telling them their time is now,’ he says.
Shermin Lakha left a large firm to build Lvlup Legal for startups and content creators, and says being personable has been central to that growth. Her clients include influencer Serena Kerrigan and beauty tastemaker Violet Grey. A green sequined suit with a jacket that skims the ribcage, paired with an Hermès Birkin, is one representative look. ‘I want to change the perception that in order to be a professional woman or be considered serious, you have to look a certain way,’ she says.
Alec Soghomonian of Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, a fourth-year lawyer who represents plaintiffs in class actions, treats style as a language with learnable grammar. His favourite tie is a vintage Polo Ralph Lauren in silk found on eBay for $31. ‘You don’t need money to dress well,’ he says. ‘But you do need time.’
Elena Fast of The Fast Law Firm practises criminal defence and must satisfy two audiences each morning: the federal judge and the corrections officer. Jail rules prohibit green, orange, khaki, open-toed shoes, and high slits, so every outfit has to clear that bar before she leaves the house. Conspicuous luxury is also off the table: a vintage Dior jacket works if no one can identify it as Dior; a prominent designer bag does not.
Michael Kosowski of Amabile & Erman learned to sew in high school from his Italian American grandmother and still personalises pieces himself, restitching old jackets or swapping in family heirloom buttons. His custom suits are made by Ammar Belal. ‘If something off the rack doesn’t look like it’s me enough,’ he says, ‘those buttons are coming off.’
HY Kim of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP shops largely from her mother’s closet, raiding ’90s suits and a pristine Gucci bag that have migrated across generations. During the pandemic she continued dressing for work each morning and documented every look on Instagram, building an archive she still consults for inspiration.
Ankit Kapoor of Cohen Stine Kapoor LLP sends photographs of suits he spots on television, including ‘Suits’, to his tailor in New York or India with instructions to recreate the look down to the peak lapels and double vents. He has represented Tom Brady in a family matter and says a sharply cut suit does part of a divorce lawyer’s relationship-building work before a word is spoken. His custom wardrobe carries a roughly seven-pound margin of error; he trains for Hyrox races to stay within it.
Nancy Chemtob of Chemtob Moss Forman & Beyda LLP has handled divorces for clients including Mary-Kate Olsen and Tory Burch. She studied at Parsons and spent years working in a Long Island boutique before law became her career. Chanel features in her wardrobe but sparingly in court, where she steers away from conspicuous logos; a Pucci print beneath a blazer is more her register. ‘Chanel never goes out of style,’ she says. The panel’s final criterion, implicit across all nine selections, is longevity: clothes that earn their keep over years, not seasons.