October 2026 — The Daily Journal, which calls itself “California’s largest legal newspaper,” has named Kendall Brill & Kelly LLP (KBK) Founding Partner Richard B. Kendall a 2026 Law Firm Leader in its annual Top Boutique Law Firms report. The annual honor recognizes “the visionary leadership that drives California’s boutique legal landscape forward.”
Mr. Kendall co-founded KBK during the 2008-09 financial crisis, as clients were pushing back on escalating large-firm rates. He set out to build a powerhouse litigation boutique with partners who were already recognized in the legal community as superb lawyers of the utmost integrity. That philosophy still guides the firm today. “One important management technique is to let talented lawyers in whom you have confidence, build their practices without interference,” Mr. Kendall told the Daily Journal.
A former federal prosecutor who has argued matters before the Supreme Court, Mr. Kendall is a perennial and current Band 1 Chambers-ranked attorney (since 2004); a Tier 1-ranked lawyer in Legal 500’s 2025 and 2026 U.S. Elite guide as well as a Leading Litigator in Media and Entertainment (2022–present); a current Benchmark Litigation “Litigation Star” (2021–present), and he was previously named “California Entertainment Litigator of the Year” by the same publication. The Hollywood Reporter has recognized him as a Power Lawyer in multiple years (2012, 2016, and again in 2022), and Variety again named him one of the industry’s leading lawyers in 2025 and 2026 (also received from 2018–2022). Lawdragon has recognized him among its 500 Leading Lawyers (2017–present), 500 Leading Litigators (2024–present), and 500 Leading Global Entertainment, Sports, & Media Lawyers (2025–present).
Read Mr. Kendall’s full Daily Journal profile in full here (subscription required).