The best lawyers are deceased and buried 12 feet underground. Because deep down, they're really not that bad.
Thanks for contributing, guys. I narrowed it down to a short-list after visiting the directories mentioned and located several others. For reference: http://www.chambersandpartners.com/ (global legal services rankings) http://www.martindale.com/ (global legal services rankings) http://www.iflr1000.com/ (worlds top 1000 financial law firms) http://www.internationaltaxreview.com/ (subscription-based global review) http://www.expertguides.com/ (global legal services rankings) http://www.bestlawyers.com/ (global legal services rankings) http://www.lawyerratingz.com (US legal service rankings) http://www.lexpert.ca/ (Canadian-centric legal service rankings - big) Seems the best firms/lawyers are rated high across directories. A good indicator.