When a federal judge last week signed off on the gentlest of hand slaps for Tesla CEO Elon Musk for intemperate tweeting, it was a clear win for Musk’s lawyer, John Hueston, in a faceoff against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The high-profile save also underscores how Hueston’s namesake firm, Hueston Hennigan—an Irell & Manella spin-off now entering its fifth year—has assumed a spot in the ranks of the litigation elite.