Martindale-Hubell® Peer Review Ratings™
Jack A. Donenfeld and Law Offices of Jack A. Donenfeld, A Legal Professional Association, have been awarded the “AV” rating by Martindale-Hubbell® Lexis-Nexis®, the highest and most prestigious rating awarded to lawyers for professional expertise and adherence to legal ethics.
Martindale-Hubbell® PEER REVIEW RATINGS™ are an objective indicator of a lawyer's high ethical standards and professional ability, generated from evaluations of lawyers by other members of the bar and the judiciary in the United States and Canada.
The AV® Preeminent rating is the highest rating that can be conferred upon an individual attorney or law firm. It is a significant rating accomplishment - a testament to the fact that a lawyer's peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence. A lawyer who has been rated AV® Preeminent usually has practiced law for many years and is recognized for the highest levels of skill and integrity.
The AV® Preeminent rating is the highest rating that can be conferred upon an individual attorney or law firm. It is a significant rating accomplishment - a testament to the fact that a lawyer's peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence. A lawyer who has been rated AV® Preeminent usually has practiced law for many years and is recognized for the highest levels of skill and integrity.
The Ratings Process.
LexisNexis® facilitates secure online Martindale-Hubbell® PEER REVIEW RATINGS™ surveys of lawyers across multiple jurisdictions and geographic locations, in similar areas of practice as the lawyer being rated. Reviewers are asked to assess their colleagues' general ethical standards and legal ability in a specific area of practice. It is the policy of LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell® to conduct regular random periodic reviews of all Martindale-Hubbell® PEER REVIEW RATINGS™ to insure they accurately reflect the reviewing peers' input. Where supporting opinions dictate, appropriate action (such as deleting, raising or lowering a rating) is taken, within the sole discretion of LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell®.
All PEER REVIEW RATINGS™ review materials are strictly confidential, enabling participants to provide completely candid assessments of their colleagues. Under no circumstances are any Peer Review Ratings review materials released.
No subscription or listing on martindale.com or Lawyers.com℠ is ever solicited or accepted on the promise of publication of a particular Peer Review Rating. No preferential consideration is ever given to any lawyer or law firm. There is never any payment made to lawyers and judges who participate in rating reviews. The process is a cooperative service with the bar and the judiciary.
Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ Explanation.
Martindale-Hubbell® PEER REVIEW RATINGS™ reflect a combination of achieving a Very High General Ethical Standards rating and a Legal Ability numerical rating. A threshold number of responses is required to achieve a rating.
General Ethical Standards Rating.
The General Ethical Standards rating denotes adherence to professional standards of conduct and ethics, reliability, diligence and other criteria relevant to the discharge of professional responsibilities. Those lawyers who meet the "Very High" criteria of General Ethical Standards can proceed to the next step in the ratings process - Legal Ability. Jack A. Donenfeld and Law Offices of Jack A. Donenfeld, A Legal Professional Association, have achieved this rating.
Legal Ability Ratings.
Legal Ability ratings are based on performance in five key areas, rated on a scale of 1 to 5 (with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest). These areas are:
- Legal Knowledge - Lawyer's familiarity with the laws governing his/her specific area of practice(s)
- Analytical Capabilities - Lawyer's creativity in analyzing legal issues and applying technical knowledge
- Judgment - Lawyer's demonstration of the salient factors that drive the outcome of a given case or issue.
- Communication Ability - Lawyer's capability to communicate persuasively and credibly
- Legal Experience - Lawyer's degree of experience in his/her specific area of practice(s)
The numeric ratings range may coincide with the appropriate Certification Mark:
- AV® Preeminent (4.5-5.0) - AV Preeminent is a significant rating accomplishment - a testament to the fact that a lawyer's peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence. Jack A. Donenfeld and Law Offices of Jack A. Donenfeld, A Legal Professional Association, have been awarded the AV® Preeminent rating.
- BV® Distinguished (3.0-4.4) - BV Distinguished is an excellent rating for a lawyer with some experience. A widely respected mark of achievement, it differentiates a lawyer from his or her competition.
- Rated (1.0-2.9) - The Peer Review Rated designation demonstrates that the lawyer has met the very high criteria of General Ethical Standing, but has not attained a legal ability rating.