An Explanation of the Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings
The recipient of a bachelor’s and a law degree from UCLA, lawyer Michael Lin Baum leverages his skills and training to represent individuals who have been harmed by pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers. He also represents whistleblowers and consumers in class action lawsuits. As evidence of the quality of his representation, Michael Lin Baum has earned a perfect peer-review score of 5.0 from attorney-rating service Martindale-Hubbell.
Considered the foremost standard in attorney ratings, the Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings recognize law practitioners who have demonstrated a high level of excellence in their field. Used by clients as well as attorneys, the ratings help individuals to identify the lawyer most qualified to handle a particular legal issue.
To earn recognition from Martindale-Hubbell, an attorney must first receive a threshold number of peer evaluations that confirm he or she maintains a very high ethical standard in his or her practice. Lawyers who meet this standard move on to the next step, which evaluates overall legal ability. In this step, practitioners receive scores of one to five from their peers in each of the following five categories: legal knowledge, legal experience, analytical capabilities, communication ability, and judgment.
At the end of this process, Martindale-Hubbell awards the Rated designation to attorneys who have achieved a score of 1.0–2.9, which indicates a very high ethical standard; the BV Distinguished designation to attorneys who have achieved a score of 3.0–4.4, which is considered an excellent rating that allows a lawyer to stand out from his or her peers; and the AV Preeminent designation to attorneys who have achieved a score of 4.5–5.0, which places a lawyer at the top of his or her field.
AV, AV Preeminent, Distinguished, and Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards, and policies. For more information, visit https://www.martindale.com/ratings-and-reviews/.
