Four Latham & Watkins partners have been named 2017 MVPs by Law360 in the legal news service’s annual recognition of leading lawyers across a range of practice and industry areas. The honorees “have distinguished themselves from their peers by securing hard-earned successes in high-stakes litigation, complex global matters and record-breaking deals,” according to Law360. The Latham MVP honorees include: Matthew Brill, a Washington, D.C. partner and global Chair of the Communications Law Practice, in the Telecommunications category. His published profile cited recent and ongoing work on behalf of the cable industry, including “fighting off Telephone Consumer Protection Act lawsuits in court and working to shape federal policy in areas like net neutrality.” George Mihlsten, a Los Angeles partner and member of the Project Siting & Approvals Practice, in the Environmental category. He was recognized by Law360 for advancing notable land use projects, ranging from “a massive new residential and commercial development in Los Angeles County that had been bound up in the courts for years, to assisting in improvements at Universal Studios theme park.” Richard Owens, a New York partner and member of the White Collar Defense & Investigations Practice, in the Banking category. His published profile highlighted Owens’ work on behalf of Deutsche Bank to “negotiate down a huge government settlement… following a probe into the company’s pre-crisis mortgage securitization practices.” Al Pfeiffer, a San Francisco partner, a global Vice-Chair of the Litigation & Trial Department and a member of the Antitrust & Competition Practice, in the Competition category. Pfeiffer was particularly cited by Law360 for a case win that “helped Cox Communications Inc. defeat a tying antitrust suit over set-top box sales that threatened an industrywide business model.”~~