Baker Donelson announced that 284 of its attorneys have been selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2020 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
37 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 one attorney in each community for each specialty is honored.
In addition to the individual attorneys recognized, Baker Donelson is top-listed in the nation in four practice areas: Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Commercial Finance Law, Non-Profit/Charities Law and Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants.
Baker Donelson is also the top-listed firm in Tennessee, with 118 of its attorneys listed in the 2020 edition of Best Lawyers, including the following 19 Chattanooga attorneys:
- 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
- J. Wayne Cropp: Environmental Law
- Robert C. Divine: Immigration Law
- Richard D. Faulkner Jr.: Real Estate Law
- Richard B. Gossett: Banking and Finance Law, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Litigation – Bankruptcy, Litigation – Real Estate
- Russell W. Gray: Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Carl E. Hartley: Corporate Law, Economic Development 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
- Misty S. Kelley: Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law
- James H. Levine: Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Commercial Finance Law
- Virginia C. Love: Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Non-Profit/Charities Law, Trusts and Estates
- Joshua Powers: Litigation – Health Care, 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
- Philip B. Whitaker: Commercial Litigation, Real Estate Law, Trusts and Estates
Five of the Firm's Chattanooga attorneys were also named Best Lawyers' 2020 "Lawyers of the Year":
- Kenneth C. Beckman: Chattanooga Banking and Finance Law "Lawyer of the Year"
- Carl E. Hartley: Chattanooga Tax Law "Lawyer of the Year
- Virginia C. Love: Chattanooga Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) "Lawyer of the Year"
- K. Stephen Powers: Chattanooga Bet-the-Company Litigation "Lawyer of the Year"
- Ross I. Schram III: Chattanooga Real Estate 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. The 2020 Best Lawyers list is based on exhaustive peer-review surveys in which almost 94,000 eligible attorneys cast more than eleven million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas. The publication now covers over 75 countries and 146 practice areas, and Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers "the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice."