Baker Donelson announced that 264 of its attorneys have been selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2016 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Twenty-five of the Firm's attorneys were also recognized by Best Lawyers as "Lawyers of the Year," a designation given to a select group of individuals in high-profile specialties in large legal communities.
Only a single attorney in each specialty in each community is honored.
In addition to the individual attorneys recognized, Baker Donelson is top-listed in the nation in ten practice areas: Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Litigation – Construction, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants, Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants, Non-Profit/Charities Law, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants, Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants and Transportation Law.
Baker Donelson's 21 Chattanooga attorneys named to the 2016 edition of Best Lawyers are:
- Kenneth C. Beckman: Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Public Finance Law, Real Estate Law, Securitization and Structured Finance Law
- Joe A. Conner: Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, Energy Law, Litigation – Construction, Litigation – Real Estate
- Robert C. Divine: Immigration Law
- Richard D. Faulkner Jr.: Real Estate Law
- Sheri A. Fox: Products Liability Litigation – Defendants
- Richard B. Gossett: Banking and Finance Law, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Litigation – Bankruptcy
- Russell W. Gray: Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Carl E. Hartley: Corporate Law, Litigation and Controversy – Tax, Non-Profit/Charities Law, Tax Law
- Thomas O. Helton: Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Intellectual Property, Litigation – Patent, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants, Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
- Cameron S. Hill: Construction Law, Litigation – Construction
- Micheline K. Johnson: Copyright Law, Trademark Law
- James H. Levine: Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
- Virginia C. Love: Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Trusts and Estates
- Joshua Powers: Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
- K. Stephen Powers: Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants, Transportation Law
- Susan Elliott Rich: Banking and Finance Law, Real Estate Law, Securitization and Structured Finance Law
- William E. Robinson: Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
- Ross I. Schram III: Real Estate Law
- Louann P. Smith: Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Public Finance Law, Securitization and Structured Finance Law
- Jerry Stauffer: Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law
- Philip B. Whitaker: Commercial Litigation, Real Estate Law, Trusts and Estates
Two of the Firm's Chattanooga attorneys were also named Best Lawyers' 2016 "Lawyers of the Year":
- Carl E. Hartley, Chattanooga Corporate Law "Lawyer of the Year"
- Louann P. Smith, Chattanooga Mergers and Acquisitions Law "Lawyer of the Year"
Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers lists are based on exhaustive peer-review surveys in which over 55,000 leading attorneys cast more than 6.5 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas. The publication now covers almost 70 countries and 140 practice areas, and Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers "the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice."