Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP is proud to announce that 314 attorneys are recognized in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, with 22 attorneys being named “Lawyers of the Year” in their respective practices and locations. An additional 176 attorneys are included in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America.
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.
The following Womble attorneys were named “Lawyers of the Year,” an honor awarded to one lawyer per practice area and metropolitan area annually:
Robert F. Roos – Construction Law; Litigation: Construction
Heidi K. Short – Land Use & Zoning Law; Real Estate Law
Mary Ellen Simonson – Education Law; Employment Law: Management; Labor Law: Management; Litigation: Labor & Employment
Jennifer A. Van Kirk – Copyright Law; Trademark Law
Kenneth Van Winkle, Jr. – Real Estate Law
Tucson
Rob Charles – Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency & Reorganization Law; Bet-the-Company Litigation; Health Care Law; Litigation: Bankruptcy
Sivan R. Korn – Commercial Litigation; Trade Secrets Law
Mark D. Patton – Mergers & Acquisitions Law; Real Estate Law
Andrew D. Schorr – Real Estate Law
Lewis D. Schorr – Real Estate Law
Matthew C. Sweger – Banking & Finance Law; Corporate Law
California
Irvine
David Berkley – Commercial Litigation
Edward S. Kim – Commercial Litigation; Litigation: Securities
Stephanie L. Seidman – Biotechnology & Life Sciences Practice
Los Angeles
John Carson – Trademark Law
Macy M. Chan* – Product Liability Litigation: Defendants
Daniel C. Wennogle – Commercial Litigation; Construction Law; Litigation: Construction
Karen L. Witt – Business Organizations; Corporate Law
Georgia
Atlanta
Robert R. Ambler, Jr. – Commercial Litigation; Litigation: Banking & Finance; Litigation: Securities
Theodore F. Claypoole – Technology Law
James E. Connelly – Commercial Litigation; Litigation: Insurance; Litigation: Securities
Jonathon A. Fligg – Product Liability Litigation: Defendants
Eric K. Glidewell – Mergers & Acquisitions Law
Sharon McBrayer Johnson – Banking & Finance Law; Corporate Law; FinTech Practice; Leveraged Buyouts & Private Equity Law; Real Estate Law
Kimberly S. Justus – Real Estate Law
Laura A. Kees – Copyright Law
Jimmy F. Kirkland – Energy Regulatory Law; Environmental Law
Vanessa Morris – Real Estate Law
Joel G. Pieper – Product Liability Litigation: Defendants
William M. Ragland, Jr. – Advertising Law; Arbitration; Commercial Litigation; Copyright Law; Litigation: Banking & Finance; Litigation: Intellectual Property; Litigation: Mergers & Acquisitions; Litigation: Patent; Patent Law; Privacy & Data Security Law; Technology Law; Trade Secrets Law; Trademark Law
G. Leighton Stradtman – Banking & Finance Law; Real Estate Law
D. Scott Sudderth – Litigation: Patent; Technology Law
Michael J. Sullivan – Commercial Litigation; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions: Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation: Defendants; Product Liability Litigation: Defendants
James F. Vaughan – Litigation: Intellectual Property; Litigation: Patent; Trademark Law
Joe D. Whitley – Administrative / Regulatory Law; Corporate Compliance Law; Criminal Defense: White-Collar; Government Relations Practice; Litigation: Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy); Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions: Defendants
Delaware
Wilmington
Daniel Attaway – Biotechnology & Life Sciences Practice
Mary W. Bourke* – Litigation: Patent
Donald J. Detweiler – Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency & Reorganization Law
Kevin J. Mangan – Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency & Reorganization Law
Morgan L. Patterson* – Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency & Reorganization Law
Dana Severance – Litigation: Intellectual Property
Matthew P. Ward – Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency & Reorganization Law; Commercial Litigation; Litigation: Bankruptcy
Maryland
Baltimore
Michael F. Dow – Public Finance Law
Newton B. Fowler III – Copyright Law; Corporate Law; Technology Law; Trademark Law
Barry J. Herman – Litigation: Intellectual Property; Litigation: Patent; Patent Law
Gregory T. Lawrence – Corporate Law; Litigation: Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy)
Joel L. Perrell, Jr. – Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency & Reorganization Law; Litigation: Bankruptcy
Theodore F. Roberts – Commercial Litigation; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions: Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation: Defendants; Product Liability Litigation: Defendants
Lisa Tancredi – Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency & Reorganization Law; Litigation: Bankruptcy
Brian Zemil – Product Liability Litigation: Defendants
Massachusetts
Boston
Paul G. Afonso – Energy Law
Cristin H. Cowles* – Patent Law
Sarah Anne Keefe – Trademark Law
Jed M. Nosal – Energy Law; Energy Regulatory Law
Gordon R. Penman – Corporate Law
Deborah M. Vernon – Patent Law
John F. Welsh III – Employment Law: Management; Labor Law: Management
Martha J. Zackin – Litigation: Labor & Employment
Nevada
Las Vegas
John E. Bragonje – Arbitration; Commercial Litigation
Ogonna M. Brown – Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency & Reorganization Law
J. Christopher Jorgensen – Commercial Litigation
Glenn J. Light – Gaming Law
Scott Y. MacTaggart – Corporate Law
Michael J. McCue – Copyright Law; Litigation: Intellectual Property; Litigation: Patent; Trademark Law
Daniel F. Polsenberg – Appellate Practice; Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation
Karl F. Rutledge – Gaming Law
Dan R. Waite – Litigation: Banking & Finance
Meng Zhong – Litigation: Intellectual Property
Reno
Garrett D. Gordon – Corporate Law; Government Relations Practice
Kristen L. Martini – Appellate Practice; Commercial Litigation
Paul A. Matteoni – Commercial Litigation; Construction Law; Litigation: Banking & Finance
E. Leif Reid – Commercial Litigation; Litigation: Real Estate
New York
New York
Joseph A. Patella* – Art Law
Harry H. Rimm – Criminal Defense: White-Collar
North Carolina
Charlotte
D. Scott Anderson – Corporate Law
Robert G. Brinkley – Banking & Finance Law; Commercial Finance Law; Land Use & Zoning Law; Real Estate Law
Bruce A. Buckley – Real Estate Law
Brooks Taber Cathcart – Banking & Finance Law
James P. Cooney III – Appellate Practice; Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Criminal Defense: General Practice; Criminal Defense: White-Collar; Medical Malpractice Law: Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation: Defendants
Susan H. Cooper – Energy Law; Energy Regulatory Law; Environmental Law
Bradford A. De Vore – Environmental Law; Litigation: Environmental
Hunter S. Edwards – Land Use & Zoning Law; Real Estate Law
B. Chad Ewing – Commercial Litigation; Litigation: Banking & Finance; Litigation: Bankruptcy
Trent E. Jernigan – Land Use & Zoning Law; Real Estate Law
Rachel Keen – Construction Law; Insurance Law
Christopher A. Kreiner – Product Liability Litigation: Defendants
William E. Latham II – Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions: Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation: Defendants; Product Liability Litigation: Defendants
Jeffrey T. Lawyer – Health Care Law; Tax Law; Trusts & Estates
Michael Montecalvo – Commercial Litigation; Litigation: Real Estate
James R. Morgan, Jr. – Litigation: First Amendment; Litigation: Health Care; Litigation: Labor & Employment; Product Liability Litigation: Defendants
John F. Morrow, Jr. – Copyright Law; Litigation: Intellectual Property; Litigation: Patent; Trade Secrets Law
Christopher H. Oldham – Banking & Finance Law; Real Estate Law
John E. Pueschel – Employment Law: Management; Litigation: Labor & Employment
James E. Quander – Criminal Defense: White-Collar; Litigation: Municipal
Jonathan Reich – Insurance Law; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions: Defendants
Kimberly Richards – Real Estate Law
Scott A. Schaaf – Banking & Finance Law; Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law; Real Estate Law
Greg L. Smith – Corporate Law; Health Care Law; Tax Law
Randel S. Springer – Copyright Law; Litigation: Intellectual Property; Trade Secrets Law; Trademark Law
John R. Still – Product Liability Litigation: Defendants
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