I would pick whatever floats your boat. Outside of the absolute basement priced pistols, most made today are reliable, accurate, and can be found in a variety of sizes, calibers, weights, etc to tailor carry to your desires, wants, and needs. I've become a big fan of the M&P line, though its inherently no better or worse than the group. I like S&W's customer service as well.
Today's handguns are built well. Firearms in general made currently are for the most part all made well. Some have more issues than others or little quirks but there isn't much that gets a unanimous vote as junk.
I would head to a range that rents handguns, try as many as possible in different sizes and calibers, even if its an expensive trip that requires a bit of travel. Learning you hate a given sized handgun, a given caliber, or a combo of the two will add a bit of clarity to which direction you want to head and which direction you want to avoid.
Most people off the bat want the smallest pistol possible. This is quite possibly the worst choice to make as a new shooter. Small pistols, especially those made for concealed carry, tend to have heavy triggers as well as pack as much firepower as possible while being ultra light. This makes it very hard to aim, hard to hold on target while pulling the trigger, and then hard to control recoil after the shot. None of this benefits a new shooter.
A full sized handgun, or even just a compact (not the subcompact size) handgun will typically get you a better grip, more heft, and a longer sight radius with better sights. These features all benefit a new shooter. You also tend to get more magazine capacity as well. I think the glock 19 is a perfect size for a new shooter to get a firm grip, plenty of ammo, a decent sight radius, and enough heft to make recoil and follow up shots manageable while being more compact than many full sized pistols, though this is just one example.
So really, I'd stick to a common, non-bottom of the barrel brand name first and pick one of their full size or compact models, but skip the subcompact and ultra small handguns. From there, grab a couple holsters that interest you and get good reviews for your model, as much ammo as you can afford, and go shoot the thing to become familiar and proficient with it.
People suggest what they like. My needs for concealed carry are going to be different than yours. To some, caliber is a main concern while others want strictly capacity. To others, pistol thickness is primary, others yet are interested in overall height or length. Some want a different trigger pull type, or an external safety (or lack there of), and on and on and on. A quality pistol that fits your defined needs, wants, and desires is a much better fit than simply stating what I like for my uses.
