Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP
Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP is a national litigation defense law firm with 550+ trial-tested attorneys across 42+ U.S. offices, serving Fortune 100 corporations, insurance carriers, and self-insured businesses across 41+ practice areas.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP does
Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP (WSHB) is a national litigation defense law firm founded in 1997 and headquartered in Los Angeles, operating through 42+ office locations across the United States. The firm is organized as a limited liability partnership and employs 550+ trial-tested attorneys who have collectively taken more than 2,000 cases to verdict. WSHB provides defense representation across 41+ practice areas, including insurance coverage and defense, complex tort and casualty, product liability, intellectual property, cybersecurity and data privacy, blockchain and cryptocurrency, construction, transportation, professional liability, employment law, commercial and business litigation, medical malpractice, real estate, environmental law, and mass tort and class-action defense. The firm does not sell a proprietary software or technology platform; its core technology consists of standard legal-practice tools and litigation management infrastructure.
WSHB generates revenue through professional-service fees from litigation defense engagements, using billable hours, contingency arrangements, and creative fee structures tailored to client matters. The firm's primary customer segments are insurance carriers (coverage disputes, liability defense, professional and commercial general liability), corporate defendants including Fortune 100 corporations (employment, product, premises liability, and commercial disputes), and self-insured businesses facing high-exposure tort claims. The go-to-market is enterprise-field-sales style: client acquisition via professional reputation, trial results, industry relationships, and direct business development across the 42+ offices. Go-to-market activity is supported by an active newsroom, publications, social channels, conference participation, and podcast collaborations.
WSHB's competitive positioning rests on its coast-to-coast geographic reach, demonstrated trial record, and diversity rankings (top 10 nationally for diversity, female partners, female lawyers, and Hispanic lawyers; 11th on the National Law Journal 2025 Women in Law Scorecard). The firm holds leadership by Executive Chairman and co-founder Daniel Berman and a partnership of office-level Managing Partners (e.g., Richard Zelonka Jr. in Atlanta, Dhvanil Zaveri in Birmingham, Craig Derrig in Chicago, Christopher Seusing in Boston and Westport). Notable milestones include the 2026 Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Award for Law Firm Innovator of the Year and Vanguard Award finalist status at the 2026 California Legal Awards, with no acquisitions, public listings, or external investment disclosed.
Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP
- Legal name
- Wood Smith Henning & Berman LLP
- Website
- https://wshblaw.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP is a national litigation defense law firm with 550+ trial-tested attorneys across 42+ U.S. offices, serving Fortune 100 corporations, insurance carriers, and self-insured businesses across 41+ practice areas.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Legal Services
- NAICS
- Offices of Lawyers (541110)
- SIC
- Services-Legal Services (8111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Litigation & Dispute Resolution (BPAHAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Personal Injury & Insurance Defense (BPAHAAAM), Litigation Support & Expert Witness Services (BPAHALAG)
Keywords
Where Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices43 records
Markets served
Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Legal Services - Professional Fees: WSHB generates revenue through billable legal services including hourly fees, contingency arrangements, and creative fee structures. The firm handles complex litigation defense matters for corporate clients and insurance companies across all aspects of litigation including trials, appeals, and settlements.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP is a national litigation defense law firm representing corporate clients and insurance carriers across a broad range of practice areas. The firm delivers trial-tested legal representation in areas including insurance defense, corporate and commercial litigation, employment law, construction, and professional liability. It operates through a network of regional offices serving Fortune 100 and middle-market companies.
Product overview
Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP (WSHB) is a national litigation defense law firm offering comprehensive legal services across multiple practice areas rather than a unified software product. The firm's service portfolio includes Insurance Coverage & Defense, Complex Tort and Casualty, Product Liability, Intellectual Property, Cybersecurity and Data Privacy, Blockchain and Cryptocurrency, Construction, Transportation, Professional Liability, Employment Law, Commercial and Business Litigation, Medical Malpractice, Real Estate and Land Use, Environmental Law, and Mass Torts and Class-Action Defense. With 550+ trial-tested attorneys operating from 42 office locations across the United States, the firm provides coast-to-coast litigation defense services with a focus on trial-ready representation and strategic case resolution. The firm does not offer a software product or technology platform; it provides traditional legal counsel and litigation services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Insurance Defense
- Corporate and Commercial Litigation
- Employment Law
- Construction Law
Quantifiable outcome
- Law Firm Innovator of the Year award at 2026 Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Awards
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Farella, Braun, and Martel LLPminorWSHB collaborated with Farella, Braun, and Martel LLP as co-counsel in the Fetzer Vineyards trademark defense case. WSHB attorneys Steven R. Disharoon and Anoush C. Holada handled the case along with Robert C. Holtzapple of Farella, Braun, and Martel LLP.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP: National litigation defense firm of comparable scale with a similar insurance defense, tort, product liability, and complex trial practice, and a comparable coast-to-coast office footprint; one of the closest direct competitors to WSHB.
- Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP: Large U.S. litigation defense firm with broad practice coverage including insurance, employment, professional liability, and tort defense; directly competes with WSHB for carrier panel work and Fortune 100 litigation defense engagements.
- Jackson Lewis P.C. National employment law and litigation defense firm with 60+ U.S. offices; overlapping employment law defense, class action, and workplace litigation practice that directly intersects with WSHB's employment and commercial litigation offerings.
- Goldberg Segalla LLP: National litigation and insurance defense firm with comparable practice breadth across insurance coverage, product liability, professional liability, and commercial disputes; comparable mid-large platform competing for similar carrier and corporate clients.
- Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP: National litigation defense firm with deep insurance, product liability, professional liability, and tort practices; comparable multi-office U.S. footprint and direct overlap with WSHB's core defense offering.
- Clyde & Co LLP: Global insurance and commercial litigation firm with a significant U.S. footprint serving insurance carriers and corporate defendants; WSHB's 'London Market Head' role signals direct overlap in cross-border insurance coverage work.
- Akerman LLP: Major U.S. law firm with strong commercial litigation, insurance, real estate, and product liability defense practices; competes with WSHB in similar state and federal defense matters for corporate and insurance clients.
- Fisher Phillips LLP: National labor and employment defense firm with comparable employment litigation practice; competes directly with WSHB's employment law and workplace litigation defense offering for corporate defendants.
Emerging players
- Manning Gross + Massenburg LLP: Boston-based litigation and insurance defense firm with growing national footprint; partial overlap with WSHB in insurance coverage, professional liability, and complex tort defense work.
Broad incumbents
- Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP: AmLaw 200 firm with established insurance coverage and commercial litigation practices; broader full-service portfolio but directly competitive for insurance carrier coverage matters where WSHB's insurance team practices.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses2 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP social profiles
Digital presenceWood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP
What does Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP do?
Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP is a national litigation defense law firm representing corporate clients and insurance carriers across a broad range of practice areas. The firm delivers trial-tested legal representation in areas including insurance defense, corporate and commercial litigation, employment law, construction, and professional liability. It operates through a network of regional offices serving Fortune 100 and middle-market companies.
Is Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP a public or private company?
Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP founded?
Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP was founded in 1997. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP based?
Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP make money?
One revenue line is on record: legal Services - Professional Fees.
Who are Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP, Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP, Jackson Lewis P.C., Goldberg Segalla LLP, Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP, Clyde & Co LLP, Akerman LLP and Fisher Phillips LLP. Manning Gross + Massenburg LLP is listed as an emerging player. Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP have an API?
No public API is recorded for Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP.
What industry is Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP in?
Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP's product category is Legal Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAAAB, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, with a secondary code of BPAHAAAM, Personal Injury & Insurance Defense. Its NAICS code is 541110 and its SIC code is 8111.