"The Guardian" called Garbus "one of the world’s finest trial lawyers" and the "founding partner of one of America’s most prestigious law firms". In 2007, "Business Week" called him "legendary", "a ferocious lawyer who has received numerous media citations as one of America’s leading trial lawyers" and a "ferocious litigator". "Time" magazine named him "legendary, one of the best trial lawyers in the country." "Fortune" magazine called him, "One of the nation's premier First Amendment attorneys", and "legendary". Reuters called him a "famed lawyer" while other media have called him "America's most prominent First Amendment lawyer" with an "extraordinarily diverse practice" and "one of the country's top ten litigators." "Super Lawyers Magazine" designated him as a Superlawyer. "New York" magazine and "Los Angeles" magazine have named him both as one of America's best trial lawyers, and one of America's best intellectual property lawyers.