Seattle attorney Steve Berman was named yesterday as one of the nation's 100 most influential lawyers in America by The National Law Journal, and one of only two Washington state attorneys to make the prestigious list.

The NLJ list, compiled once every six years, is considered one of the most coveted awards in the legal community. This is Berman's second time to achieve the honor.

As managing partner of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, Berman has led some of the country's most important cases and helped enhance the lives of countless individuals.

The National Law Journal cited Berman's work as a lead attorney for a class of Hungarian holocaust survivors and their heirs, where Berman helped secure a $25.5 million dollar settlement fund with the United States government after it failed to return personal artifacts seized just prior to the end of WWII.

The publication also cited Berman's work to end price-gouging by hospitals of the uninsured in a case involving Tenet Healthcare. In that case, Berman reached an agreement with healthcare giant Tenet to refund money to patients nationwide, and to adopt an equitable billing model which is now the model plan for many healthcare providers across the country.

In addition to his legal work, Berman and his wife Kathy endowed the Steve and Kathy Berman Environmental Law Clinic at the University of Washington. The clinic prepares students to become knowledgeable legal advocates for the Pacific Northwest's unique environmental concerns.

According to the publication, attorneys included in the list have "clout to make big things happen." The description goes on to say the publication was "looking for lawyers who had a national impact in their fields and beyond, especially over the past five years-lawyers who have the power to shape public affairs, launch industries, shake things up and get things done."