Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP

Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough is a southern gem. It is one of the top 15 firms in Vault’s Best Law Firms in Atlanta and the top 10 in Vault’s Best Law Firms in the South Atlantic rankings. Notably, its reach extends much farther than the South Atlantic region. The firm’s attorneys, policy advisors, technical specialists, consultants, and other professionals work in 16 states and 35 offices across the United States in the Carolinas, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, New York, Tennessee, and West Virginia. 

A Family Firm Blossoms and Booms

Nelson Mullins was founded in 1897 by Patrick Henry Nelson II in his home state of South Carolina. Nelson was a major player in South Carolina, serving as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives and President of the South Carolina Bar Association. The firm stayed in the family for decades operated by Nelson’s son and then grandson until the 1960s. The firm’s growth, from 18 attorneys in 1978 to more than 200 by the early 2000s, has been impressive. Today, the firm is home to more than 750 lawyers and is one of The American Lawyer’s 100 largest law firms as determined by gross revenue. 

Practice Areas Abound

The firm has lawyers in more than 100 practice areas, including banking and financial services, corporate and securities, cybersecurity, employment, estate planning, healthcare, insurance, litigation, technology, and white collar. Nearly one-quarter of the firm’s attorneys focus on corporate work, serving all types of clients, ranging from startups and family businesses, private equity funds, and venture capital funds to large companies and institutional investors. The firm handles approximately 150 private equity, venture capital, and angel financing transactions each year, with total aggregate deal values reaching billions of dollars annually.

The firm’s attorneys have broad litigation-side experience in antitrust, appellate, asbestos, bankruptcy, class action, commercial, business torts, intellectual property, products and professional liability, toxic torts, and white-collar defense. Through its Encompass Division, the firm offers comprehensive e-discovery services to clients, maximizing the firm’s efficiency. The firm prides itself on the alternative dispute resolution experience of its attorneys, who have appeared before federal and state courts, administrative agencies, and arbitration panels.

Promoting Pro Bono

Pro bono effort is ingrained in the culture of Nelson Mullins. Since 1990, the firm’s lawyers have contributed more than 813,000 hours to pro bono clients. Attorneys have access to a firmwide pro bono administrator who tells them about a diverse range of opportunities, including work on domestic violence, estate planning, guardianship, legislative reform, nonprofit, prisoners’ rights, and special education topics. Lawyers can also participate in pro bono clinics, such as the Lawyers 4 Vets program, which offers counsel on various matters to low-income veterans.

• Leading FinTech Practice, 2025—Chambers
• Inspire Award, 2024—NetDocuments
• Anchor Award for the Boca Raton Office, 2024—Best Foot Forward
• U.S. Anti-Racism Program of the Year, 2024—Legal Media Group
• Beacon of Justice Award to Nelson Mullins Pro Bono Group, 2024— National Legal Aid & Defender Association