The Best Law Firms in Oklahoma: A Guide for Legal Excellence

A View of Oklahoma’s Legal Landscape

Oklahoma has a diverse legal landscape with law firms practicing in a wide range of areas, from personal injury and family law, to criminal defense and corporate counsel. The state is home to a number of small cities and rural communities, where local law firms often serve as trusted advisors to clients. The larger urban areas of Oklahoma, namely the capital city of Oklahoma City and the state’s second-largest city, Tulsa, are home to both smaller boutique firms and larger full-service law firms.
In Oklahoma, legal practice is regulated by the Oklahoma Bar Association, which governs attorneys licensed to practice in the state. The Bar also provides resources for both the legal community and the public, including a lawyer referral service and informational materials on various areas of law. Furthermore, the Bar has an extensive continuing legal education (CLE) program that helps ensure lawyers in Oklahoma keep abreast of the latest legal developments .
Recent years have seen a continued push for legal innovation throughout the United States, and Oklahoma is no exception. The state has demonstrated a willingness to adopt new technologies and practices that facilitate more efficient legal operations. For example, several law firms in Oklahoma have adopted cloud-based practice management solutions that allow them to store their data securely, access it from anywhere, and share it easily with clients.
There is a strong culture of collegiality among lawyers in Oklahoma, and many firms have developed a reputation for being approachable and accessible to their clients, which is a characteristic that sets Oklahomans apart and engenders a sense of trust. That solid reputation bodes well for the future of the legal industry in Oklahoma as innovation continues to change the legal profession.

Finding the Right Law Firm for You

When considering which firm might suit you best, think about the area of specialization you require, the size of firm where you might feel most comfortable, the reputation of the lawyers in that firm and the consideration of those that have used the lawyer’s services through client reviews. There are a number of publications that also provide rankings of law firms and individual lawyers. The information may be completely or partially generated by surveying the lawyers themselves rather than by actual interviews with clients of the firm and individual attorney. Those results are generally only useful to compare one lawyer with another, not to compare the law firm to another, but do at least provide an indication of the level of respect from competitors of a particular lawyer.
It is generally not a good idea to select a law firm or lawyer based totally on a casual reference. Many times friends or family members will refer a lawyer or law firm because they know that he or she is a lawyer, that lawyer is not necessarily the one you need. Ask the person making the referral why they recommend that lawyer and how they are specifically qualified for your particular issue. Beware of finding a law firm on the Internet or other media sources. Be careful of referral services such as "State Bar Approved Referral Services."
Many times, the firms that pay these services to refer them are not the ones that are best suited for you. They do not have to be qualified for you. They are only listing their lawyers in a broad area of the State. The information on those referral sites may or may not be accurate. They may not even have offices in your area. Some of these services are legitimate and you can find good lawyers on these lists by doing some research from there, but I would not recommend solely relying on those sites to find a lawyer. I think the best bet is to develop a list of firms and add additional firms that fit that general profile. Then follow up with some research on each firm and each attorney.

Oklahoma Law Firm Practice Areas

According to recent trends and surveys, the most prevalent practice areas for law throughout Oklahoma are family law, criminal, personal injury and corporate law. Family law encompasses all legal, family-related activities, while criminal law refers to the practices surrounding criminal charges, arrests, punishments and other criminal-related activities. Personal injury is a broad label that can mean injury to a person, business or property; it is a commonly practiced type of law throughout the U.S. Finally, corporate law is a relatively new but increasingly popular form of practice that focuses on managing corporations from a legal perspective.

Oklahoma’s Leading Law Firms

Among the premier law firms in Oklahoma is Crowe & Dunlevy, whose dedication to excellence has enabled them to serve the Sooner State since they opened their doors in 1902. www.crowedunlevy.com Founded by former University of Oklahoma President William Crowe in 1902, the firm today has nearly 100 lawyers who practice in over 45 different areas including anti-kickback, antitrust, bankruptcy, commercial transactions, criminal defense, environmental, healthcare, intellectual property, labor & employment, real estate, and tax law.
The GableGotwals law firm brings a variety of legal services to Oklahoma. www.gablelaw.com Established in 1921 in Tulsa, GableGotwals employs more than 100 attorneys who practice business, civil, court, environmental, IP, L&E, tribal, litigation, and regulatory law. They represent companies, individuals, and tribes to accomplish practical results. McAfee & Taft offers full-service legal counsel to private and public companies of all sizes on a national and global level. www.mcafeetaft.com Founded in 1952, McAfee & Taft’s business-oriented lawyers are prepared to tackle almost any challenge, with special expertise in antitrust and trade regulation, employee benefits and executive compensation, environmental, oil and gas, real estate, tax, and trusts and estates. Established in 1948 in Oklahoma city, the Phillips Murrah firm offers a full range of services to clients across the United States and around the world. www.phillipsmurrah.com Phillips Murrah employs more than 120 attorneys with expertise in a range of areas such as antitrust, banking, corporate, employment, environmental, family, fraud, government, healthcare, international, IP, labor, L&E, litigation, M&A, oil and gas, private clients, real estate, and water law. Peele, Capps, Bhot & Cleland combines decades of experience in trial and appellate practice with successful representation throughout the United States to protect the rights of those in need. www.pccclaw.com This full-service business litigation firm in Tulsa was founded in 1966 by trial attorney Henry J. Peele and his partner William Capps. Additional members of the firm include Curtis Bhot, Dan Cleland, and William R. Cleland. Durbin, Larimore & Bialick, PC Law firm is one of the largest law firms in the state of Oklahoma, focusing on business law, real estate law, insurance law, and many other specialties. www.dlbcpa.com Founded in 1986 in Oklahoma City, Durbin, Larimore & Bialick has become a "full-service" law firm with over 30 lawyers. Divisions of the firm focus on two areas – one handles business and commercial disputes while the other concentrates on personal injury lawsuits.

Understanding Legal Costs

When it comes to how much lawyers charge for their work, there is not a single answer. Nevertheless, there are several common fee arrangements that you should know about. Hourly fees are the most common. With an hourly rate arrangement, you will pay for the lawyer’s time and services based upon the amount of time that he works on your matter and a flat dollar rate per hour. Sometimes, lawyers bill by a smaller increment of time – e.g., 15 minutes or 1/10th of an hour. However the time is measured, you will receive an invoice for the lawyer’s time and other costs. By carefully reviewing these invoices , you can make sure that time is only billed for the work actually performed.
Flat fees are another common fee arrangement used by law firms in Oklahoma. This is exactly what it sounds like – one flat fee for a specific service and matter. Work is done under the terms of the proposed agreement rather than on an hourly basis. Contingency fees are another commonly used option. With a contingency fee arrangement, you do not pay upfront. Instead, the lawyer agrees to place a lien on your recovery (obtained through pursuit of a lawsuit) for payment of the fee. Common monetary awards in personal injury lawsuits are sufficient to pay both legal fees and costs in conjunction with the lawsuit and often times are more than sufficient. In these instances, a contingency fee arrangement makes sense.

Oklahoma Legal Resource and Support Services

Shelley and Associates, Law Firm provides its clients with a wide array of legal support from skilled professionals and associates. Adding to this tremendous support is the presence of several valuable legal resources in the state of Oklahoma: The Oklahoma Bar Association, based in Oklahoma City, is a voluntary organization of more than 17,000 licensed attorneys in the state. The Oklahoma Bar Association sets ethical standards for all lawyers who practice in the state of Oklahoma, providing a statewide referral service that helps clients find local attorneys and offering many courses to help lawyers improve their craft and ethical standards. Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma Inc. is a non-profit organization committed to helping individuals and families low income or facing financial hardships. Legal Aid of Oklahoma Inc. aids those north of Highway 64-Exeter in Oklahoma. Oklahoma Legal Aid Services, a non-profit, is a provider of civil legal assistance to the economically disadvantaged in both Tulsa and Oklahoma counties. The Oklahoma Supreme Court offers a variety of services via its website, including self-help legal advice and answers to frequently asked questions regarding courts in Oklahoma.

Future Directions in Oklahoma Legal Practices

The legal landscape in Oklahoma is primed for transformation in the coming years, owing to the convergence of several impactful trends that will shape how law firms and their clients interact. Technology will continue to lead the wave of change within Oklahoma law firms, with newer tools advancing such areas as cybersecurity, data privacy compliance, and litigation management. Technology is currently paving the way for Oklahoma’s top law firms to address regulatory compliance issues in an evolving global business environment. An array of new laws and regulations calling for stronger compliance will demand an increasingly proactive approach from clients. In order to avoid regulatory pitfalls, Oklahoma law firms must be aware of how legislation in the U.S. and abroad will affect their clients’ industries. The current focus on data privacy compliance—stemming from the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation—is expected to spill over into the Oklahoma market, thanks to the growth of the state’s key sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing, and energy and natural resources. There is no doubt that technology will become more prevalent in the future legal market, but it will not act as a replacement for human interactions. The Oklahoma legal sector is adopting a hybrid model that augments human efforts, rather than replacing them . The future belongs to Oklahoma law firms that invest in the right technologies and leverage them strategically. As technology marches on into the future, lawmakers will continue reacting to new developments as they arise. In 2019, Oklahoma became one of the first states to examine the usage of autonomous delivery devices, also known as delivery robots, with the goal of regulating them. Another growing area of regulation in Oklahoma is marijuana. Oklahoma has some of the most lenient marijuana laws in the country, with legalized medical marijuana due to rolling out within the state in 2019. Lawmakers in the state are aware that they must provide additional regulatory oversight on the marijuana market, and the Oklahoma Bar Association expects more legislation on medical marijuana in the state to emerge in the coming years. Oklahoma law firms will face the challenge of managing the influx of legal marijuana clients and their novel needs. Top law firms practicing in Oklahoma have an opportunity to cater to firms specializing in legal marijuana by offering business services such as tax compliance and intellectual property rights management. One thing seems certain: the convergence of technology and evolving regulations will create new pathways to opportunities for clients and law firms alike.