176 Womble Attorneys Recognized in 2026 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America

Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP is proud to announce that 176 attorneys are recognized in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America. An additional 314 attorneys are included in The Best Lawyers in America® , with 22 attorneys being named “Lawyers of the Year” in their respective practices and locations. 

Established in 1983, Best Lawyers® publishes annual rankings of attorneys across a wide range of legal practice areas. Its recognitions are based on a peer review process, in which eligible lawyers evaluate the professional abilities of their colleagues.  

Attorneys recognized in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America include (*indicates new ranking):

Alabama

Huntsville

• Virginia Gibson* – Corporate Law

Arizona

Phoenix

• T. Emiliano Aguirre* – Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency & Reorganization Law; Corporate Law
• Yalda Godusi Arellano* – Commercial Litigation
• Samit A. Bhalala* – Corporate Law; Real Estate Law
• Jon Brinkman – Commercial Litigation; Litigation: Antitrust; Litigation: Labor & Employment; Product Liability Litigation: Defendants
• Tyler J. Carrell – Real Estate Law
• Kendra Cobb – Commercial Litigation
• Daniel P. Crane – Litigation: Intellectual Property
• Michael J. Curry – Patent Law
• Justin K. Gowan – Corporate Law; Real Estate Law
• Brandon M. Hellewell – Corporate Law; Real Estate Law
• Lucas Hickman – Commercial Litigation
• Ari B. Hoffman – Commercial Litigation
• David A. Jackson* – Intellectual Property Law
• Karen Jurichko Lowell – Tax Law
• Molly A. Magestro – Real Estate Law
• Nicolas T. Martino – Commercial Litigation; Product Liability Litigation: Plaintiffs; Transportation Law
• Benjamin M. Moffitt – Business Organizations; Closely Held Companies & Family Businesses Law; Corporate Law; Mergers & Acquisitions Law; Real Estate Law
• Rachel A. Nicholas* – Patent Law
• Shivani Patel – Real Estate Law
• Ryan D. Pont – Commercial Litigation
• Talley Timms Ransil – Real Estate Law
• Katie M. Rios – Commercial Litigation; Insurance Law; Litigation: Labor & Employment
• Daniel A. Salgado* – Intellectual Property Law
• Douglas R. Schorr – Real Estate Law
• Nabeal Sunna* – Construction Law
• Wyatt Williams* – Real Estate Law

Tucson

• Joshua G. Crandell – Real Estate Law
• Brooke Lee Routt – Real Estate Law
• Kory J. Koerperich – Appellate Practice; Commercial Litigation
• Kimberly Soto Larriva* – Corporate Law; Real Estate Law
• Patrick Emerson McCormick – Commercial Litigation; Litigation: Intellectual Property

California

Irvine

• Jack F. Altura* – Commercial Litigation
• Stephanie Chau* – Commercial Litigation; Litigation: Securities
• Tri C. Dang – Intellectual Property Law; Patent Law; Technology Law
• Blake L. Holt* – Intellectual Property Law; Technology Law
• Berenika Palys* – Government Relations Practice
• Nathan Searles* – Corporate Law
• William S. Wang* – Commercial Litigation

Los Angeles

• Jimmy Y. Kwun – Intellectual Property Law; Litigation: Patent
• Sybil Leung – Product Liability Litigation: Defendants
• Vincent Look* – Patent Law; Technology Law
• Abazar Mireshghi* – Intellectual Property Law; Litigation: Patent
• Drew Wilson – Intellectual Property Law
• Julia Wood – Commercial Litigation; Product Liability Litigation: Defendants

San Francisco

• Ben Bourke* – Patent Law
• Michelle F. Catapang* – Commercial Litigation
• Miles F. Maurino* – Litigation: Labor & Employment
• Adrian Sacharski* – Real Estate Law
• Leanne Yu* – Litigation: Patent

Silicon Valley

• Abhijit P. Adisesh* – Litigation: Intellectual Property; Technology Law
• Jason Chu* – Technology Law
• Ted Prekop* – Patent Law
• Yi S. Wilkinson* – Technology Law

Colorado

Denver

• Emily Bain* – Health Care Law; Personal Injury Litigation: Plaintiffs; Product Liability Litigation: Plaintiffs
• Nicholas Day* – Public Finance Law
• Emma Donachie – Commercial Litigation
• Michelle Gaeng* – Commercial Litigation
• Ryan Hebert – Commercial Litigation; Litigation: Intellectual Property
• Taylor S. Hite* – Commercial Litigation; Litigation: Construction; Product Liability Litigation: Plaintiffs
• Joe Hykan – Commercial Litigation
• Megan E. Larson – Commercial Litigation
• A.J. Martinez – Land Use & Zoning Law; Real Estate Law
• Caitlin McHugh – Appellate Practice; Commercial Litigation
• Elizabeth Michaels – Appellate Practice; Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency & Reorganization Law; Intellectual Property Law
• Michael D. Miller – Commercial Litigation; Environmental Law
• Tyler J. Owen – Commercial Litigation; Insurance Law; Litigation: Labor & Employment
• Frances Scioscia Staadt – Commercial Litigation; Litigation: Antitrust; Litigation: Real Estate
• Ashley Stephens* – Corporate Law
• Sara E. Yates – Commercial Litigation; Litigation: Intellectual Property; Litigation: Real Estate
• Noah Zedek* – Energy Law; Natural Resources Law; Patent Law

Georgia

Atlanta

• Tyler Connor – Construction Law; Litigation: Construction; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions: Defendants; Privacy & Data Security Law
• Kate Johnson – Litigation: Patent; Patent Law
• Forrest Lind* – Banking & Finance Law
• Danielle A. Mull* – Patent Law; Public Finance Law
• Robert Thrasher* – Corporate Law
• Lauren Van Tress* – Real Estate Law
• Brendan H. White – Commercial Litigation; Insurance Law; Real Estate Law
• Chiharu Yuki* – Corporate Law

Delaware

Wilmington

• Marcy J. McLaughlin Smith – Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency & Reorganization Law; Corporate Law
• Alexandria P. Murphy – Corporate Law
• Zachary Murphy – Litigation: Intellectual Property; Litigation: Patent
• Alexander P. Wharton* – Litigation: Intellectual Property; Litigation: Patent; Patent Law

Maryland

Baltimore

• Hillary V. Colonna – Commercial Litigation
• Julie Giardina – Litigation: Intellectual Property; Litigation: Patent
• Devin Harvin* – Commercial Litigation; Litigation: Labor & Employment
• Chukwukpee Nzegwu – Commercial Litigation

Nevada

Las Vegas

• Dibora L. Berhanu – Litigation: Bankruptcy; Litigation: Labor & Employment
• Trent Earl – Commercial Litigation

Reno

• Lucy C. Crow – Commercial Litigation
• Christine Fox – Appellate Practice; Commercial Litigation
• Nicole Scott – Commercial Litigation

New York

New York

• Julia De la Parra* – Banking & Finance Law
• Nicholas B. Hawkins – Corporate Law; Intellectual Property Law; Mergers & Acquisitions Law; Venture Capital Law

North Carolina

Charlotte

• William Carter* – Patent Law
• Brandy L. Harris – Banking & Finance Law
• Michael Ingersoll – Commercial Litigation; Entertainment & Sports Law
• Afzal Karim – Corporate Governance & Compliance Law; Corporate Law; Mergers & Acquisitions Law
• Sylvester Kisluk – Banking & Finance Law
• Kirsten Peterson* – Real Estate Law
• Peyton Poston – Commercial Litigation; Criminal Defense: White-Collar
• Jake G. Rifkin – Corporate Law
•  J. R. Schultz – Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions: Defendants; Product Liability Litigation: Defendants
• Patrick G. Spaugh – Alternative Dispute Resolution; Commercial Litigation; Labor & Employment Law: Management
• Kristen Tieman* – Corporate Law
• Emmett Whelan* – Corporate Law; Government Relations Practice

Greensboro

• Alexander Hill* – Patent Law
• JD Wooten – Litigation: Intellectual Property

Raleigh

• Scott D. Anderson – Alternative Dispute Resolution; Commercial Litigation; Litigation: Labor & Employment
• Anne L. Bailey – Banking & Finance Law
• Zachary N. Bernstein* – Commercial Litigation
• Zachary S. Buckheit* – Commercial Litigation
• Brian Castro – Commercial Litigation; Insurance Law; Litigation: Construction; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions: Defendants
• Sarah A. Core – Public Finance Law
• Victoria E. Grieshammer* – Commercial Litigation
• Samuel B. Hartzell – Alternative Dispute Resolution; Commercial Litigation; Litigation: Banking & Finance
• Grace Hearn – Corporate Law; Environmental Law; Litigation: Environmental
• J. Zachary Lloyd* – Litigation: Patent; Patent Law
• Andreas Mosby – Commercial Litigation; Labor & Employment Law: Management
• Seiko Okada – Life Sciences Practice; Patent Law
• Miriam D. Sheppard* – Commercial Litigation
• Trevor Tomlinson* – Commercial Litigation
• Sarah R. Warren – Trusts & Estates
• John Wright* – Patent Law
• Christine Xiao – Privacy & Data Security Law; Technology Law

Research Triangle Park

• Taylor Ey – Privacy & Data Security Law; Technology Law
• Kimberly B. Richmond – Corporate Law; Leveraged Buyouts & Private Equity Law; Real Estate Law

Winston-Salem

• Nicholas Acevedo* – Product Liability Litigation: Defendants
• Caitlin Augerson* – Product Liability Litigation: Defendants
• Louisa C. Clark – Product Liability Litigation: Defendants
• Charles Frye* – Product Liability Litigation: Defendants
• Emily E. Harrison – Commercial Litigation
• Jonathan Hilliard – Trusts & Estates
• Hayden Holliman – Corporate Law; Mergers & Acquisitions Law; Securities / Capital Markets Law
• Haley Hurst* – Commercial Litigation
• Mallory Miller* – Corporate Law
• Elizabeth Napps* – Litigation: Patent; Patent Law
• Ethan Siler – Commercial Litigation; Public Finance Law; Real Estate Law
• Mark J. Vaders* – Product Liability Litigation: Defendants
• Chloe Williams* – Real Estate Law
• Brittany Teague Yarbrough – Real Estate Law

South Carolina

Charleston

• Abigail Courville* – Corporate Law
• Ryan D. Ellard – Commercial Litigation; Litigation: Construction
• Molly McDermid – Commercial Litigation
• Andi McDonald – Commercial Litigation; Litigation: Construction
• J. Whitney McGreevy – Corporate Law; Tax Law
• Harriet C. O'Malley* – Commercial Litigation
• Thomas J. Zamadics, Jr.* – Corporate Law; Trusts & Estates

Columbia

• Andew Dubin* – Commercial Litigation

Greenville

• James E. Dority – Litigation: Patent; Patent Law

Tennessee

Nashville

• Benjamin C. Aaron – Criminal Defense: General Practice; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions: Plaintiffs; Personal Injury Litigation: Plaintiffs

Texas

Houston

• Anthony K. Amert – Intellectual Property Law; Litigation: Patent; Patent Law; Technology Law
• Vincent Bryan – Commercial Litigation; Litigation: Construction; Personal Injury Litigation: Defendants
• Ana Gomez – Commercial Litigation; Litigation: Labor & Employment
• Yen-Kai Hseu* – Patent Law
• Jorge Lozano – Intellectual Property Law
• Ragan J. Robichaux* – Commercial Litigation; Construction Law; Insurance Law
• Samuel A. Savanich – Patent Law; Technology Law
• Ran Wang* – Patent Law
• Pin Wu* – Patent Law; Technology Law

Virginia

Tysons

• Ian F. Beckelman – Corporate Law; Mergers & Acquisitions Law
• Hailey R. Bureau* – Patent Law
• Thomas Burnham* – Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions: Defendants; Product Liability Litigation: Defendants
• Maan R. Sangid – Communications Law; Corporate Law; Technology Law

Washington, DC

• Julius Bodie – Corporate Law; Government Relations Practice
• Jasmine Chalashtori – Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency & Reorganization Law; Commercial Litigation
• Christos Christodoulou* – Corporate Law
• Gary DePalo* – Corporate Law
• Jason M. Drake* – Patent Law
• Kathleen O. Gallagher – Litigation: Construction; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions: Defendants
• Ryan Gillcrist* – Corporate Law
• Patrice Howard* – Corporate Law
• Yuechu Li* – Corporate Law
• Shelby Martin* – Corporate Governance & Compliance Law; Corporate Law; Mergers & Acquisitions Law
• Hee Jae Park – Banking & Finance Law; Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency & Reorganization Law; Real Estate Law
• Stephen Sharbaugh – Communications Law; Technology Law