Kathleen Sullivan

As one of the nation's preeminent appellate lawyers, Sullivan argued major cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and federal circuits, including those that led to significant rulings in the areas of free speech, antitrust and securities law.

This year, she persuaded the 9th Circuit to allow the historic Kamehameha School in Hawaii to continue its policy of granting preferential treatment to native students who want to attend.

Sullivan's sterling career has made her nearly iconic in some legal circles. Three years after graduating from Harvard Law School, she returned as a professor there. When she became dean of Stanford Law School eight years ago, she was the first woman to lead one of the university's schools. She was a prodigious fundraiser and continued a frenetic appellate practice on the side. She frequently appears on short lists for a nomination to the Supreme Court.

Her move to Quinn Emanuel two years ago has helped the California firm's appellate practice match its fierce trial practice. She recently announced that she'll relocate to Quinn Emanuel's New York office for a year to help the firm bolster its East Coast appellate work.

Sullivan says a lot has changed in her practice in the past 10 years. Now, it's more important than ever that appellate lawyers are familiar with their clients' businesses, not just with the members of the court.

"You can't just parachute in," she said. "You have to know what their concerns are and cater to them."