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CGS3 Earns National Tier 2 Ranking, Five Regional Tier 1 Honors in 2027 Best Law Firms Guide

November 6, 2026 CGS3 CGS3 Team

2027 Best Law Firms Edition

SAN DIEGO (November 5, 2026) – For the first time, Crosbie Gliner Schiffman Southard & Swanson LLP (CGS3) has earned a National Tier 2 ranking for Real Estate Law in the 2027 edition of Best Law Firms, marking a significant milestone for the commercial real estate law firm. The annual rankings, published by Best Lawyers, also recognize CGS3 across multiple practice areas in Los Angeles and San Diego, including five Regional Tier 1 rankings.

In addition to its national recognition, CGS3 received a Regional Tier 2 ranking for Real Estate Litigation and a Regional Tier 3 ranking for Corporate Law. The firm also earned Regional Tier 1 rankings in Los Angeles for Real Estate Law and in San Diego for Commercial Litigation, Construction Litigation, Tax Law and Real Estate Law.

“This national recognition reflects the caliber of our team and the stellar work we do for our clients,” said founding partner Sean Southard. “We’re proud to be recognized among the nation’s leading law firms. These rankings underscore our commitment to delivering exceptional legal counsel while continually embracing innovative approaches to serving the commercial real estate industry.”

Now in its 17th edition, Best Law Firms is an independently produced guide to legal excellence, based on a rigorous evaluation of client feedback, peer assessments and law firm leadership insights.

Eligibility for Best Law Firms requires a firm to have at least one attorney r in the current edition of The Best Lawyers in America – which recognizes the top 5% of private practicing lawyers in the United States. Fifteen CGS3 attorneys were recognized in this most recent edition –  Thomas Crosbie, David L. Dick, Sean Gaffney, Ray B. Gliner, Priya Huggett, Phillip L. Jelsma, Brian Kintz, Gregory Markow, Steven Otto, Alison Pappas, Amelia Sanchez, Sean Southard, Dana I. Schiffman, Craig D. Swanson and David Swartz. Two  CGS3 associate attorneys, Ulrick Matsunaga and Salvatore Padula, were listed in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.

Because of the exacting methodology involved, the annual Best Lawyers ranking is regarded as the industry’s definitive guide to legal excellence.  For more than four decades, the guide has served as a respected resource for identifying leading legal talent. The annual Best Law Firms rankings provide clients and businesses with an independent reference point for evaluating law firms across practice areas and markets.

About Best Law Firms

Debuted in 2010, Best Law Firms® is the most credible rankings of exceptional law firms, rooted in a rigorous, peer-to-peer, industry-driven evaluation. Achieving a tiered ranking in Best Law Firms signals a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise. Ranked firms, presented in three tiers, are recognized on a national and metro-based scale. Best Law Firm’s time-tested reputation and a future-focused commitment to innovation provides legal professionals with an elevated stature, validation and confidence that comes from being part of, and working with, a Best Law Firms honored practice. For more information visit https://www.bestlawyers.com.

About Best Lawyers

Since 1983, Best Lawyers has compiled lists of outstanding attorneys by conducting extensive peer-review surveys in which thousands of top lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. Because attorneys do not pay a fee for the listing, Best Lawyers has gained respect as the country’s most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals. In addition to the print version, Best Lawyers in America is posted online at www.BestLawyers.com.

About Crosbie Gliner Schiffman Southard & Swanson LLP (CGS3)

CGS3 is a recognized leader among a new generation of commercial real estate law firms with practice areas covering the entire commercial real estate life cycle, including finance, acquisition/disposition, entity formation, tax, construction and development, land use, leasing, distressed asset workouts and dispute resolution.  Earning a reputation as one of California’s leading commercial real estate law firms, CGS3 recruits some of the state’s top real estate attorneys from both large corporate firms and senior in-house positions.  For more information, visit http://www.cgs3.com.