32 Bradley Attorneys Named "Lawyer of the Year" in 2023 The Best Lawyers in America®

Firm News, Accolade

Bradley is pleased to announce that 32 of the firm’s attorneys are named “Lawyer of the Year” in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. In each metropolitan area, only a single attorney in each legal practice area is designated as the “Lawyer of the Year.”

In all, 320 attorneys are listed in this year’s The Best Lawyers in America, including 60 attorneys listed in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.

“We are proud of this outstanding group of attorneys included in this impressive list and congratulate them on this recognition which demonstrates the importance of high standards in the legal profession and exceptional client service,” said Bradley Chairman of the Board and Managing Partner Jonathan M. Skeeters.

The Best Lawyers in America, which is now in its 29th year, is one of the most highly regarded attorney referral publications in the country. The Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America list recognizes attorneys who have been in practice for less than 10 years and exhibit outstanding professional excellence in private practice in the United States.

Attorneys are selected forBest Lawyers through extensive surveys of leading lawyers who assess the legal abilities of their peers. Lawyers are not permitted to pay a fee to participate or be recognized. The 2023 edition is based on 12.2 million evaluations recognizing more than 71,000 attorneys.

Following are the Bradley attorneys selected as Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year” for their area of practice in the following metro areas:

Birmingham

The following 17 Birmingham attorneys are named Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year” in 19 practice areas:

  • F. Wendell Allen was named the Litigation – Real Estate “Lawyer of the Year.” He also is listed in Financial Services Regulation Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, and Litigation – Banking and Finance.
  • James F. Archibald was named the Litigation – Construction “Lawyer of the Year.” He also is listed for Arbitration and Construction Law.
  • Julia Gruenewald Bernstein was named the Real Estate Law “Lawyer of the Year.” She also is listed for Banking and Finance Law, Commercial Finance Law, and Corporate Law.
  • T. Michael Brown was named the Land Use and Zoning “Lawyer of the Year.” He also is listed for Environmental Law, Litigation – Environmental, Litigation – Land Use and Zoning, Litigation – Real Estate, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants.
  • Kane Burnette was named the Municipal Law “Lawyer of the Year.” He also is listed for Corporate Law and Public Finance Law.
  • Michael S. Denniston was named the Franchise Law “Lawyer of the Year.” He also is listed for Advertising Law, Antitrust Law, Copyright Law, and Trademark Law.
  • Jeffrey D. Dyess was named both the Antitrust Law and the Litigation – Patent “Lawyer of the Year.” He also is listed for Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Intellectual Property, and Trade Secrets Law.
  • K. Wood Herren was named the Nonprofit/Charities Law “Lawyer of the Year.” He also is listed for Economic Development Law and Tax Law.
  • Charles B. Hill III was named the Economic Development Law “Lawyer of the Year.” He also is listed for Tax Law.
  • Andy Johnson was named the Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants “Lawyer of the Year.” He also is listed for Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants.
  • Charles Moore was named the Banking and Finance Law “Lawyer of the Year.” He also is listed for Financial Services Regulation Law and Real Estate Law.
  • Daniel F. Murphy was named the Health Care Law “Lawyer of the Year.” He also is listed for Privacy and Data Security Law.
  • Charles A. Roberts Jr. was named the Securities / Capital Markets Law “Lawyer of the Year.” He also is listed for Corporate Law, Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law, Securities Regulation, and Corporate Governance Law.
  • David E. Roth was named the Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law “Lawyer of the Year.” He also is listed for Environmental Law and Litigation – Environmental.
  • Frederic L. Smith Jr. was named the Mergers and Acquisitions Law “Lawyer of the Year.” He also is listed for Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) and Corporate Law.
  • J. David Stewart III was named the Government Relations Practice “Lawyer of the Year.”
  • Paul M. Sykes was named both the Copyright Law and the Information Technology Law “Lawyer of the Year.” He also is listed for Litigation – Intellectual Property, Litigation – Patent, Patent Law, and Trade Secrets Law.

Charlotte, N.C.

The following two Charlotte attorneys are named Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year”:

  • Brian A. Hayles was named the Health Care Law “Lawyer of the Year.”
  • Robert R. Marcus was named the Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants “Lawyer of the Year.” He is also listed for Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Banking and Finance, Litigation – Real Estate, and Litigation – Securities.

Dallas

The following Dallas attorney is named Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year”:

  • Shawn C. Long was named the Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants “Lawyer of the Year. She also is listed for Commercial Litigation and Litigation – Healthcare.

Huntsville, Ala.

The following two Huntsville attorneys are named Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year” in three practice areas:

  • L. Justin Burney was named both the Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law and the Mergers and Acquisitions Law “Lawyer of the Year.” He also is listed for Corporate Law.
  • Stephen H. Hall was named the Litigation – Intellectual Property “Lawyer of the Year.” He also is listed for Litigation – Patent, Patent Law, and Trademark Law.

Jackson, Miss.

The following two Jackson attorneys are named Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year” in three practice areas:

  • Michael J. Bentley was named both the Appellate Practice and the Litigation – Construction “Lawyer of the Year.” He also is listed for Commercial Litigation and Litigation – Land Use and Zoning
  • Ralph B. Germany Jr. was named the Construction Law “Lawyer of the Year.”

Montgomery, Ala.

The following Montgomery attorney is named Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year”:

Nashville, Tenn.

The following six Nashville attorneys are named Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year”:

  • Emily Hatch Bowman was named the Banking and Finance Law “Lawyer of the Year.” She is also listed for Real Estate Law.
  • Doug Franck was named the Corporate Governance Law “Lawyer of the Year.” He is also listed for Corporate Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law.
  • Lela M. Hollabaugh was named the Energy Law “Lawyer of the Year.” She also is listed for Commercial Litigation, Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants.
  • Jonathan M. Skeeters was named the Corporate Law “Lawyer of the Year.”
  • D. Bryan Thomas was named the Construction Law “Lawyer of the Year.”
  • Phillip E. Walker was named the Patent Law “Lawyer of the Year.” He also is listed for Litigation – Intellectual Property, Litigation – Patent Law, and Trademark Law.

Tampa, Fla.

The following Tampa attorney is named Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year”:

Meet the Team