Scott Sherman of Branscomb PC was recognized by Best Lawyers as the 2016 Trusts & Estates “Lawyer of the Year” in Corpus Christi, Texas. He and 12 of his Branscomb colleagues won recognition in the Best Lawyers peer review guide.

Other lawyers from the firm include:

Jeff Dickerson: Corporate Law

Jim Clancy: Commercial Litigation

Omar Leal: Trusts and Estates

Kenton McDonald: Tax Law; Litigation and Controversy – Tax

Jim Robichaux: Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation;
Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants

Scott Sherman: Trusts and Estates; Litigation – Trusts and Estates

Mike Stukenberg: Trusts and Estates

Scott Taylor: Energy Law

Craig Williams: Real Estate Law

Pat Autry: Litigation – Bankruptcy

Rhonda Jolley: Banking and Finance Law; Real Estate Law

Grady Jolley: Real Estate Law

Sandra White: Litigation – Labor and Employment

Texas Super Lawyers has recognized 13 Beck Redden LLP attorneys in its 2015 annual award listing.  This list of top Texas attorneys, a Thomson Reuters publication, is based on peer recognition and professional achievements. Of those nominated, only five percent of the total lawyers in the state are selected for inclusion.

The following Beck Redden attorneys recognized as 2015 Texas Super Lawyers:

Austin

Eric J.R. Nichols – Business Litigation

Houston

Fields Alexander – General Litigation

David J. Beck – Business Litigation

Alistair B. Dawson – Business Litigation

Kathleen A. Gallagher – Civil Litigation: Defense

Geoffrey A. Gannaway – Business Litigation

Thomas E. Ganucheau:  Civil Litigation: Defense

David M. Gunn – Appellate

David W. Jones – Insurance Coverage

Connie Pfeiffer – Appellate

Russell S. Post – Appellate

Joe W. Redden, Jr. – Civil Litigation: Defense

Curt Webb – General Litigation

Five lawyers with the Austin-based business litigation firm George Brothers Kincaid & Horton LLP have earned selection to the 2016 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, the nation’s oldest and one of the most prestigious guides to the legal industry.

Name partners R. James George Jr., D. Douglas Brothers, Mark L. Kincaid and B. Russell Horton and Of Counsel Julie A. Ford are being honored based on nominations from other lawyers, votes from their peers in the same practice areas and a review by the publication’s editors.

Brothers earned individual distinction as Austin Lawyer of the Year for bet-the-company litigation. A Best Lawyers honoree since 2008, Brothers also was recognized for his work on behalf of plaintiffs in commercial litigation and legal malpractice cases. During more than 30 years as a practicing attorney, Brothers has compiled a track record of wins for both plaintiffs and defendants in trials, appeals and arbitration proceedings covering a variety of business disputes.

This is the 30th consecutive year that George, an acclaimed First Amendment lawyer, has been recognized among the country’s leading attorneys. During more than 40 years of legal work, he has argued cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and represented celebrities that include rap artist Tupac Shakur and TV personality Phil Donahue. He is recognized in Best Lawyers for his work in First Amendment cases, bet-the-company litigation and commercial litigation.

Kincaid is being honored in Best Lawyers for the second year for his extensive work in commercial and insurance litigation. The former head of a Texas state agency that advocated for insurance consumers, Kincaid has won landmark rulings before the Texas Supreme Court.

Horton is listed in the 2016 edition of Best Lawyers for his work in securities litigation, marking his third consecutive selection to the exclusive listing. He represents plaintiffs and defendants in complex commercial disputes and patent, trade secret, antitrust and securities litigation.

This is Ford’s 10th year to earn a spot in Best Lawyers based on her work in First Amendment law and litigation. She has successfully represented TV networks, publishers, record producers and newspapers for nearly three decades.

George Brothers Kincaid & Horton LLP is nationally recognized for exceptional representation in high-stakes commercial litigation including intellectual property, securities, insurance, professional liability, media and First Amendment disputes. The firm’s partners are seasoned trial lawyers who have earned the respect of clients, adversaries, and colleagues, the firm said in a release.

Four attorneys from Dallas’ Sayles Werbner are being honored among the state’s top attorneys in the 2015 Texas Super Lawyers listing, which recognizes legal leaders in various areas of the law.

Firm co-founder Richard A. “Dick” Sayles once again earned a spot on the Top 10 list based on the number of nominations he received from other Texas attorneys. This is the seventh time Sayles has been selected to the Top 10, and the sixth year in a row. He also was named among the Top 100 lawyers in Texas and the Dallas/Fort Worth area. He was chosen for his work in business litigation.

Fellow firm co-founder Mark S. Werbner also earned selection to the 2015 list of Texas’ best attorneys based on his business litigation expertise. Like Sayles, Werbner was named to the Top 100 lists for Texas and Dallas/Fort Worth, marking his 13^th consecutive appearance on each. In addition, attorney William S. Snyder marks the eighth consecutive year he’s been recognized in the prestigious annual listing for his representation of clients in business litigation matters.

Also honored is firm attorney Mark D. Strachan, earning a place on the Texas Super Lawyers listing for the fifth year. He was chosen for his work in intellectual property law. Earlier this year, Strachan worked with Sayles, Werbner and fellow firm attorney Darren P. Nicholson on behalf of client Commil USA to win a favorable ruling at the U.S. Supreme Court in one of the most closely watched patent cases to reach the nation’s highest court in years.

In August, the firm, led by Mark Werbner, helped a group of victims of overseas terrorism attacks secure a confidential settlement with Jordan-based Arab Bank in the first lawsuit in U.S. history where a foreign bank was held liable for providing material financial support to terrorists.

In a release, the firm said Sayles Werbner maintains an international reputation as a proven trial law firm in complex business litigation, intellectual property matters, life-altering personal injury cases, product safety claims and practically every type of case that requires courtroom expertise.

DLA Piper announces that Henry duPont Ridgely, senior counsel in the firm’s Wilmington office and former Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court, has been appointed an advisor to the American Bar Association’s Business Law Section.

Justice Ridgely will begin his two-year term in September at the end of the 2015 Business Law Section Annual Meeting in Chicago. The Business Law Advisors Committee works to enhance the section’s educational opportunities through shared wisdom and experience of prominent individuals with distinguished records as practitioners, teachers or government officials in areas in which the section’s Substantive Committees are active. Justice Ridgely will be appointed to two of those Substantive Committees.

Justice Ridgely joined DLA Piper in March 2015.

In a release, the firm said he has a distinguished record of more than 30 years as a jurist in Delaware and served on the state’s Supreme Court for more than a decade, where he participated in more than 700 published opinions. Earlier this year, Delaware Governor Jack Markell awarded Justice Ridgely the Order of the First State, the highest recognition the governor can give for outstanding efforts, knowledge, integrity, prudence and ability in serving the State of Delaware.

At DLA Piper, Justice Ridgely focuses his practice on advising corporations, boards, special committees and individual directors and officers on transaction structure, fiduciary duties and managing and defending litigation at the trial and appellate level. He also can act as a mediator, arbitrator or independent monitor. 

About DLA Piper (www.dlapiper.com)
DLA Piper is a global law firm located in more than 30 countries throughout the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East, positioning it to help companies with their legal needs around the world. In certain jurisdictions, this information may be considered attorney advertising.

The national law firm of Quarles & Brady LLP announces that Washington, D.C. partner Brenda Maloney Shafer has been appointed Vice Chair of the Military and Veterans Health Law Task Force for the American Bar Association (ABA) Health Law Section.

Shafer will serve a one-year term, beginning on Sept. 1, 2015. She has past military experience, serving as a United States Army nurse corps officer.

Shafer is a member of the firm’s Health Law Practice Group. She focuses her practice primarily in health law, and in particular, health care regulatory and transactional work. She received her law degree, cum laude, from the University of New Mexico, her master of laws in health law from Saint Louis University, and her bachelor of science in nursing degree from Creighton University.

Thompson Coburn announced that 125 of the firm’s attorneys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2016 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®.

The number of Thompson Coburn attorneys on the list is up from 112 last year and includes attorneys from 62 practice areas, the firm said in a release. With 101 attorneys listed, Thompson Coburn was also the top-listed firm in St. Louis and in Missouri. The firm is also top-listed in Belleville, Illinois with three lawyers listed. The Best Lawyers selection process is a rigorous and comprehensive one, involving detailed evaluations of attorneys by their peers.

The release continues:

The firm offers special congratulations to the twelve attorneys appearing on the list for the first time:

• Douglas Baron – Real Estate Law
• Christopher “Kit” Bond – Government Relations Practice
• Cathryn Conrad – Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
• John Farmer – Admiralty and Maritime Law
• Joyce Harris Hennessy – Health Care Law
• David Jinkins – Copyright Law
• Joan Lebow – Health Care Law
• Michael Parks – Litigation – Intellectual Property
• Teresa Polino – International Trade and Finance Law
• Steven Ritchey – Patent Law
• Todd Rowden – Commercial Litigation
• Gayle Smith – Real Estate Law

Also, congratulations to Fred Arnold and Stan Walch, who have been included on the Best Lawyers list for 30 years; and to Ed Buchholz, Tom Corbett, Steve Cupples, Pete Fanchi, Paul Griesemer, Larry Katzenstein, Mike Lause, Rick Lawton, Ray Massey, Michael O’Keefe, Mark Sableman, and David Warfield, who have made the list for 20 years or more.

Click here for the complete list of Thompson Coburn attorneys who are included in the 2016 Best Lawyers.

Eighty-three Jackson Walker attorneys were selected for inclusion in the 2016 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become widely regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Because Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer–review survey in which more than 52,000 leading attorneys cast almost 5.5 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas, and because lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”

Jackson Walker lawyers listed Best Lawyers in America:

AUSTIN
Michael Adams (Litigation – Intellectual Property; Litigation – Patent, Patent Law, Trademark Law)
Jim Alsup (Real Estate Law)
Chuck Campbell (Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law)
Wade Cooper [10 Years] (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights Law / Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Litigation – Bankruptcy)
JoAnn Dalrymple (Litigation – Health Care)
Raman Dewan (Patent Law)
Leonard Dougal [10 Years] (Environmental Law; Litigation – Environmental; Water Law)
Matt Dow (Commercial Litigation)
Sam Hildebrand [10 Years] (Litigation – Trusts and Estates; Trusts and Estates)
Brandon Janes (Corporate Law)
Steven Martens [10 Years] (Real Estate Law)
Dudley McCalla * [10 Years] (Administrative/Regulatory Law; Insurance Law)
Steven Moore (Insurance Law)
Christopher Mugica (Commercial Litigation)
Mike Nasi [10 Years] (Environmental Law)
Robert Neblett [10 Years] (Commercial Litigation; Construction Law; Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law; Litigation – Construction)
James Pledger [10 Years] (Banking and Finance Law; Financial Services Regulation Law)
Thomas Rogers [10 Years] (Bet–the–Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Insurance Law; Litigation – Regulatory Enforcement)
Edward Small [10 Years] (Energy Law; Government Relations Practice; Litigation – Environmental)
Tim Taylor [10 Years] (Real Estate Law)
Jerry Webberman(Real Estate Law)

DALLAS
Bryan Birkeland [10 Years] (Real Estate Law)
Robert Cohan [10 Years] (Antitrust Law; Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Antitrust)
Patrick Cowlishaw [10 Years] (Litigation – Environmental)
William Dahlstrom * [10 Years] (Land Use & Zoning Law; Litigation – Land Use & Zoning; Real Estate Law)
Brian Dethrow (Tax Law)
Byron Egan [20 Years] (Corporate Compliance Law; Corporate Governance Law; Corporate Law; Mergers & Acquisitions Law)
Gary Fowler [10 Years] (Employment Law – Management; Labor Law – Management)
James Griffin [10 Years] (Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law)
Michael Haggerty [10 Years] (Banking and Finance Law; Real Estate Law)
Colter Harris (Real Estate Law)
Michael Held (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Litigation – Bankruptcy)
John Holden [10 Years] (Energy Law; Oil and Gas Law)
William Hornberger [10 Years] (Tax Law)
John Jansonius [20 Years] (Employment Law – Management; Labor Law – Management)
Steve Jenkins [10 Years] (Real Estate Law)
Mark Josephs [10 Years] (Bet–the–Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants; Litigation – Mergers & Acquisitions; Litigation – Securities; Litigation – Trusts and Estates)
Michael Kaufman (Trusts and Estates)
Suzan Kedron (Real Estate Law)
Ronald Kerridge [10 Years] (Litigation & Controversy – Tax; Tax Law)
Michael Knapek (Litigation – Insurance)
Robert Latham [10 Years] (Commercial Litigation; First Amendment Law; Litigation – First Amendment; Litigation – Intellectual Property; Litigation – Patent; Sports Law)
Kathleen LaValle [10 Years] (Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Antitrust; Litigation – Regulatory Enforcement)
Frank McEachern (Energy Law)
Scott McElhaney (Commercial Litigation; Litigation – ERISA; Litigation – Labor & Employment)
Susan Mead [10 Years] (Land Use & Zoning Law; Litigation – Land Use & Zoning; Real Estate Law)
Retta Miller (Commercial Litigation)
David Moran (Aviation; Commercial Litigation)
Michael Moran (Construction Law)
Robert Ruckman * [10 Years] (Commercial Litigation; Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; Transportation Law)
James Ryan (Corporate Law; Mergers & Acquisitions Law)
Gordon Shapiro [10 Years] (Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Banking & Finance; Litigation – Environmental; Litigation – Securities)
Jeffrey Sone (Corporate Law)
Peter Wahl (Environmental Law)
Paul Watler [20 Years] (Bet–the–Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; First Amendment Law; Litigation – First Amendment)

FORT WORTH
Albon Head [10 Years] (Bet–the–Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Construction; Railroad Law)
Gary Ingram [10 Years] (Employment Law – Management; Labor Law – Management; Litigation – Labor & Employment)
Jay Rutherford (Employment Law – Management; Labor Law – Management)
Paul Vrana [10 Years] (Derivatives and Futures Law; Energy Law; Natural Resources Law)

HOUSTON
Chip Babcock [25 years] (Bet–the–Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; First Amendment Law; Litigation – First Amendment; Litigation – Intellectual Property)
Barron Bogatto [10 Years] (Health Care Law)
Glen Boudreaux (Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Banking & Finance)
David Dunlap [10 Years] (Natural Resources Law; Oil & Gas Law)
Richard Griffin [10 Years] (Commercial Litigation)
Nancy Hamilton [10 Years] (Litigation – First Amendment)
Jeffrey Harder [10 Years] (Corporate Governance Law; Private Funds/Hedge Funds Law; Venture Capital Law)
Daniel Hayes (Health Care Law)
Michael Kuhn (Real Estate Law)
Scott McLaughlin (Employment Law – Management; Labor Law – Management; Litigation – Labor & Employment)
Alfie Meyerson [10 Years] (Real Estate Law)
Kurt Nondorf [10 Years] (Real Estate Law)
Michael Pearson [10 Years] (Natural Resources Law; Oil & Gas Law)
Vytas Petrulis (Real Estate Law)
James Prappas (Immigration Law)
John Ransom [10 Years] (Tax Law)
David Robins (Real Estate Law)
Bruce Ruzinsky (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights Law / Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Litigation – Bankruptcy)
Lionel Schooler (Arbitration; Labor Law – Management)
Darrell Taylor (Corporate Law)

SAN ANGELO
Donald Griffis [10 Years] (Arbitration; Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Labor & Employment; Mediation)

SAN ANTONIO
Edgar Morrison [10 Years] (Health Care Law)
Scott Rose * (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights Law / Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Litigation – Bankruptcy)
Patrick Tobin [10 Years] (Corporate Law)

* 2016 Lawyer of the Year

Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP announces that 65 of the firm’s attorneys have been selected for inclusion in the 2016 edition of The Best Lawyers in America^©, including a Dallas partner who earned a “Lawyer of the Year” distinction. 

“The number of Gardere attorneys included on the Best Lawyers 2016 list is a prime example of the Firm’s dedication to providing the highest level of legal service to our clients,” says Gardere ChairHolland N. O’Neil. “We are extremely honored to have so many of our attorneys recognized in this year’s edition.”

For a second time, firm partner Scott D. Deatherage has earned recognition as the Best Lawyers^® Dallas Environmental Law “Lawyer of the Year.” Deatherage represents clients throughout Texas and other states before local, state and federal environmental agencies, as well as state and federal courts. For nearly 30 years, he has earned praise from clients and colleagues for handling environmental law matters affecting a variety of industry sectors.

Gardere attorneys named to the 2016 edition of The Best Lawyers in America list include: 

Austin:

Edward D. Burbach, Administrative/Regulatory Law

Mark Vane, Government Relations Practice

Catherine J. Webking, Energy Law

Kimberly A. Yelkin, Insurance Law

Dallas:

Val J. Albright, Tax Litigation and Controversy, Tax Law

David G. Cabrales, Commercial Litigation

Steven S. Camp, Banking and Finance Law

Chris Converse, Corporate Law

Scott L. Davis, Commercial Litigation

Scott D. Deatherage, Environmental Law

Marshall J. Doke, Jr., Commercial Litigation

Michael J. Donohue, Tax Litigation and Controversy, Tax Law

Michael W. Dubner, Intellectual Property Litigation

Robert Dyer, Jr., Real Estate Law

Mark Edwards, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

Craig B. Florence, Commercial Litigation

Dwight M. Francis, Commercial Litigation

Jeffrey M. Gaba, Environmental Law

Kenneth R. Glaser, Intellectual Property Litigation, Patent Law

Lawrence E. Glasgow, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law

Beverly B. Godbey, Commercial Litigation, Insurance Law

Lawrence B. Goldstein, Corporate Law

Stephen D. Good, Tax Law

Randy D. Gordon, Antitrust Law

Douglas D. Haloftis, Employment Law Management, Labor Law Management

Douglas A. Harrison, Family Law

Jack W. Hawkins, Trusts and Estates

Michael S. Haynes, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law

Marcus Helt, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law

Carrie B. Hoffman, Employment Law Management, Labor and Employment Litigation

Kevin L. Kelley, Leisure and Hospitality Law, Real Estate Law

Stephen A. McCartin, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Bankruptcy Litigation

Cynthia Nelson, Leisure and Hospitality Law, Real Estate Law

Keith V. Novick, Trusts and Estates

Holland N. O’Neil, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Bankruptcy Litigation

Alan J. Perkins, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law

Frances E. Phillips, Environmental Law, Environmental Litigation

Clifford J. Risman, Leisure and Hospitality Law, Real Estate Law

Deirdre B. Ruckman, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Bankruptcy Litigation

Robert Sarfatis, Corporate Law

Larry Schoenbrun, Corporate Compliance Law, Corporate Governance Law, Corporate Law, Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Securities/Capital Markets Law

Paul V. Storm, Intellectual Property Litigation

Andre M. Szuwalski, Intellectual Property Litigation

David H. Timmins, Insurance Law

Richard A. Tulli, Corporate Law

Peter S. Vogel, Information Technology Law, Technology Law

Richard L. Waggoner, Corporate Law

Houston:

Michael A. Abbott, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

Eric A. Blumrosen, Corporate Law

Geoffrey H. Bracken, Commercial Litigation, Oil and Gas Law

Robert W. Bramlette, Real Estate Law

Daniel L. Cohen, Mergers and Acquisitions Law

James Cooper, Insurance Law

Allen B. Craig III, Corporate Law, Tax Law

Jeffrey S. Davis, Product Liability Litigation Defense

Douglas K. Eyberg, Corporate Law, Energy Law

Thomas A. Hagemann, White-Collar Criminal Defense, Antitrust Litigation, Securities Litigation

James Howard, Tax Law

John P. Melko, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Bankruptcy Litigation

Chris P. Perque, Technology Law

Lawrence J. Pirtle, Trusts and Estates

Frank M. Putman, Corporate Law

L. Stevens III, Corporate Law

Hoang Quan Vu, Banking and Finance Law

Michael Wall, Commercial Litigation
Since its first publication in 1983, Best Lawyers has become known as the definitive guide to legal excellence. More than 79,000 leading attorneys globally are eligible to vote, and over 12 million votes have been received to date on the legal abilities of other lawyers based on their specific practice areas around the world. For the 2016 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America, 6.7 million votes were analyzed, which resulted in the inclusion of more than 55,000 leading lawyers in the new edition. Lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed so that inclusion in Best Lawyers continues to be considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”

Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP, an Am Law 200 firm founded in 1909 and one of the Southwest’s largest full-service law firms, has offices in Austin, Dallas, Houston and Mexico City. Gardere provides legal services to private and public companies and individuals in the areas of corporate, energy, environmental, financial restructuring and reorganization, financial services, government affairs, hospitality, insurance, intellectual property, international, labor and employment, litigation, private equity, real estate and tax.

The national law firm of Quarles & Brady LLP  announced that 13 of its attorneys have been selected by their peers as “Lawyers of the Year” in The Best Lawyers in America®.

Each year, Best Lawyers compiles its list of “Lawyers of the Year.” Only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is so honored. Lawyers with this designation are chosen based on peer-review assessments conducted with thousands of leading lawyers each year. Receiving this honor reflects the respect a lawyer has acquired among other leading lawyers in the same practice areas throughout the same communities.

The following Quarles & Brady attorneys were named in their respective practice areas designated by Best Lawyers:

Chicago, Ill.
• Janice E. Rodgers—Non-Profit/Charities Law

MILWAUKEE, Wis.
• David B. Bartel—Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants
• David R. Cross—Litigation – Patent
• James D. Friedman—Litigation – Banking and Finance
• Brian G. Lanser—Public Finance Law
• Thomas P. McElligott—Natural Resources Law
• Thomas J. Phillips—Tax Law
• Robert D. Rothacker—Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

PHOENIX, Ariz.
• Don P. Martin—Litigation – Real Estate
• Matthew Mehr—Banking and Finance Law

TAMPA, Fla.
• William F. Hamilton—Litigation – Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy)

TUCSON, Ariz.
• Susan G. Boswell—Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law
• James F. Morrow—Banking and Finance Law

About Best Lawyers
Since its inception in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Because Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which more than 36,000 leading attorneys cast almost 4.4 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas, and because lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”

About Quarles & Brady LLP
Quarles & Brady is a full-service AmLaw 200 law firm with more than 475 attorneys offering an array of legal services to corporate and individual clients that range from small entrepreneurial businesses to Fortune 100 companies, with practice focuses in health care and life sciences, business law, data privacy and security, and complex litigation. The firm has offices in Chicago; Indianapolis; Madison; Milwaukee; Naples, Florida; Phoenix; Scottsdale; Tampa; Tucson; and Washington, D.C. Additional information can be found online at quarles.com, as well as on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

Best Lawyers in America® has recognized 14 Beck Redden LLP attorneys in its 2016 ranking of the nation’s top legal talent.

Best Lawyers in America® is an annual referral guide that lists outstanding attorneys throughout the United States.  Lawyers are selected based on detailed peer-review evaluations of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.

The following Beck Redden attorneys were named 2016 Best Lawyers in America®:

Austin

• Eric J.R. Nichols:  Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Criminal Defense:  White Collar

Houston

• Fields Alexander:  Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
• David J. Beck:  Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants, Litigation – Antitrust, Litigation – Environmental, Litigation – Intellectual Property, Litigation – Patent, Natural Resources Law
• Alistair B. Dawson:  Commercial Litigation
• Kathleen A. Gallagher:  Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
• Thomas E. Ganucheau:  Litigation – Labor and Employment
• Jeffrey Golub:  Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
• David M. Gunn:  Appellate Practice, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation
• David W. Jones:  Insurance Law
• Connie Pfeiffer:  Appellate Practice
• Russell S. Post:  Appellate Practice
• Joe W. Redden, Jr.:  Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
• J. Todd Shields: Commercial Litigation
• W. Curt Webb: Product Liability Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs

Houston-based Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing, also known as AZA, has received recognition from three organizations, including being cited as one of the nation’s “most feared law firms.”

Legal research group BTI Consulting, which conducts a comprehensive survey of corporate counsel at major U.S. companies, included AZA on its “most feared” list on the basis of extensive interviews with 300 general counsel and in-house litigation counsel at top-spending companies and organizations.

And AZA was listed as one of only 10 boutique firms nationally recognized by the legal news publication Law360 for successfully challenging the nation’s biggest law firms. Law360 says the 2015 list includes firms that are on par with the biggest firms but less expensive and more accessible to clients.

The firm also earned selection as a Litigation Department of the Year for 2015 by the publishers of Texas Lawyer newspaper.

Read details on the honors.

The national law firm of Quarles & Brady LLP announced its recognition in “Raising the Bar” 2015 by Equality Illinois, a yearly recognition of top Illinois LGBT-friendly law firms.

Quarles & Brady was one of 42 firms recognized for protecting the rights of Illinois lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender employees, providing a safe, fair, and integrated work environment, and participating in related community outreach programs, the firm said in a release. These law firms are also featured in the 2015 Raising the Bar report.

“When you enter any office of Quarles & Brady, you are greeted with a sign that reads, ‘This Law Firm Serves Everyone’,” said George Marek, co-chair of the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee. “It serves as a visible reminder of our commitment to diversity and inclusion.”

As part of its diversity initiatives, Quarles & Brady provides domestic partner benefits, and an LGBT liaison attorney is assigned to each new LGBT attorney as part of its mentoring program. The firm also interviews and recruits LGBT law students and sponsors numerous events in the LGBT community.

About Equality Illinois
Equality Illinois was founded in 1991 to secure, protect and defend the basic civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Illinoisans, and is the state’s oldest and largest LGBT advocacy organization.

About Quarles & Brady LLP
Quarles & Brady is a full-service AmLaw 200 law firm with more than 475 attorneys offering an array of legal services to corporate and individual clients that range from small entrepreneurial businesses to Fortune 100 companies, with practice focuses in health care and life sciences, business law, data privacy and security, and complex litigation. The firm has offices in Chicago; Indianapolis; Madison; Milwaukee; Naples, Florida; Phoenix; Scottsdale; Tampa; Tucson; and Washington, D.C. Additional information can be found online at quarles.com, as well as on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

Kat Gallagher, partner in Beck Redden’s Houston office, has been invited to become a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL).

“With more than 25 years practicing law, Kat has distinguished herself as an elite trial lawyer with outstanding instincts for how to best tell her client’s story in the most persuasive and compelling manner,” the firm said in a release. “Her invitation to become an IATL Fellow is well deserved.”

The news release continues:

“I am truly honored and grateful to become an IATL Fellow” said Kat. “I am humbled to have received this recognition from the judges before whom I have appeared and from my peers.”

Kat will officially be inducted as an IATL Fellow during a ceremony to be held on July 25, 2015.

Membership in the Academy is limited to only 500 Fellows in the U.S. under the age of 70.  Standards for admission are high and the process is extremely thorough. Imperative qualities for every nominee include outstanding skills and extensive experience as a trial lawyer, unimpeachable personal and professional character, and integrity and honesty, among others.

The purposes of the IATL are to promote the rule of law, promote reforms in the law, facilitate the administration of justice, and elevate the standards of integrity, honor, and courtesy in the legal profession globally.

The Houston trial law firm Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing P.C., or AZA, is one of only 10 boutique firms nationally being recognized by the legal publication Law360 for successfully challenging the country’s biggest law firms.

Law360 says the 2015 list of leading trial boutiques includes firms “that have established brands on par with the biggest firms” and are “less expensive and easier for clients to get on the phone.”

The Law360 article, “10 Boutiques Giving BigLaw a Run for its Money” (subscription required), notes AZA’s focus on energy and intellectual property law, saying the firm has “built on an already strong reputation by securing a $16 million jury verdict in February against Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. on behalf of Rembrandt Wireless Technologies LP. The win increased its strong trial reputation, which also got a boost last year from an $11.4 million verdict for client Function One Consulting Group LLC.”

The article also points to the firm’s impressive roster of high-profile clients, which include Halliburton Co., Apache Corp., and Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., among others.

Jack Hopper of Texas-based Kinney Recruiting, one of the independent experts quoted, says AZA’s success has him believing the boutique trend will continue in Texas: “If you can get the same or better quality lawyering in a more nimble environment with less bill rate pressure, why wouldn’t it continue?”

Earlier this year, AZA was recommended among the top seven U.S. plaintiff patent firms by Intellectual Asset Management, which publishes a guide to the world’s leading patent lawyers. AZA has built an impressive record litigating patent infringement, trademark, copyright and trade secret cases.

Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing P.C., or AZA, is a Houston-based law firm.

Beck Redden LLP Partner Alistair Dawson and his wife Wendy are featured in the current issue of The Houston Lawyer magazine. The couple is recognized for their unwavering dedication and passion for helping others, especially children and adults with special needs.

In addition to their renowned efforts and success within the legal and commodities trading professions, both Alistair and Wendy are deeply committed to the Social Motion Skills, a non‐profit organization that Wendy founded in 2010, and to the H.E.A.R.T. program where Alistair serves as Chairman. Social Motion Skills is aimed at teaching life and social skills to autistic children and adults, and the H.E.A.R.T. program provides education, training, and jobs to developmentally challenged young adults.

Beck Redden is a litigation firm that handles a wide range of disputes including commercial, oil and gas, product liability, antitrust, securities, environmental, insurance coverage, legal and accounting malpractice, white collar crimes, patent and other intellectual property cases.

Scott & Scott, LLP, a boutique technology law firm in Southlake, Texas, has been named best Technology Law Firm in the United States by Finance Monthly.

The Finance Monthly Law Awards 2015 recognizes law firms and legal professionals who have outperformed their peers through dedication to client service and work undertaken within the past year.

“We are honored to be recognized again by the voters for this award. We have been focusing exclusively on technology law matters for over a decade and it is great to have our subspecialty recognized on a global level,” said Robert J. Scott, Managing Partner of the firm, in a release.

Scott & Scott, LLP is counsel to some of the world’s largest corporations, including PepsiCo, American Express, and Xerox. The firm has achieved “go-to” status for software licensing transactions and disputes involving the major software publishers including Microsoft, Adobe, Oracle and Autodesk. “We have handled more than 600 software disputes in the last 11 years for clients in the U.S.A. and Canada and we are not afraid to go to court against the software Goliaths like Microsoft and Adobe,” Scott said.

Scott & Scott, LLP is a leading intellectual property and technology law firm representing businesses in matters involving software licensing. Scott & Scott, LLP’s legal and technology professionals provide software audit defense and software compliance solutions, all protected by attorney-client and work-product privileges.

The Houston trial law firm Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing P.C., or AZA, again has earned recognition among the nation’s top commercial litigation firms in the 2015 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.

In its Chambers USA profile, AZA is described by one client as a “very results-driven law firm, and the results they’ve given us are outstanding.” AZA attorneys also were called “highly skilled trial lawyers and litigators who are prepared to go to trial.”

In addition to the firm’s Chambers USA ranking, AZA partners Demetrios Anaipakos, John Zavitsanos andTodd Mensing received individual honors among the leading commercial litigators in the country. All three are nationally recognized trial lawyers who handle bet-the-company litigation.

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The national law firm of Quarles & Brady LLP has achieved Gold Standard Re-Certification by the Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF) for the fifth consecutive year. Forty-four firms are included on this year’s list.

“Our five-peat certification reaffirms that women at Quarles & Brady are in the highest leadership roles and have achieved successful and respected careers at the firm,” said Janine M. Landow-Esser, chair of the firm’s Diversity Committee. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to receive the WILEF certification for the fifth year in a row.”

Gold Standard Certification emphasizes the leadership roles achieved by women partners, rather than the policies or practices of the firm or the overall number or percentage of women in the partnership. Law firms with 300 or more practicing lawyers in the United States were eligible if they successfully demonstrated that women represented a meaningful percentage of their equity partners, of their highest leadership positions, of their governance and compensation committees, and of their most highly compensated partners. To be certified, firms had to meet at least four of the six criteria:

• Women account for at least 20 percent of equity partners or, alternatively, 33 percent or more of the attorneys becoming equity partners during the past twelve months.
• Women represent at least 10 percent of firm chairs and office managing partners.
• Women make up at least 20 percent of the firm’s primary governance committee.
• Women represent 20 percent or more of the firm’s compensation committee.
• Women make up at least 25 percent of practice group leaders or department heads.
• Women represent at least 10 percent of the top half of the most highly compensated partners.

About WILEF
Founded in 1997 by Elizabeth Anne “Betiayn” Tursi, with the support of R.R. Donnelley and several successful senior women attorneys, and subsequently of law firm and corporate sponsors, WILEF is dedicated to assisting women in law to assume leadership roles within the NLJ 250 and Fortune 1000 legal departments and within their respective communities. WILEF presents cutting edge programming that provides an educational and networking forum for women in law.

About Quarles & Brady LLP
Quarles & Brady is a full-service AmLaw 200 law firm with more than 475 attorneys offering an array of legal services to corporate and individual clients that range from small entrepreneurial businesses to Fortune 100 companies, with practice focuses in health care and life sciences, business law, data privacy and security, and complex litigation. The firm has offices in Chicago; Indianapolis; Madison; Milwaukee; Naples, Florida; Phoenix; Scottsdale; Tampa; Tucson; and Washington, D.C. Additional information can be found online at quarles.com, as well as on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing P.C., or AZA, is recommended as one of the top seven U.S. plaintiff patent firms by the London-based intellectual property magazine Intellectual Asset Management (IAM).

The magazine’s guide to the world’s top patent lawyers in key jurisdictions also named AZA partner Amir Alavi a silver-level recommended Texas patent litigator. Alavi was hailed for his work in the record-breaking case Versata Software Inc. v. SAP America Inc.

“Amir Alavi, who played a lead role on the matter, is one of those guys who, without huge troops of people working for him, gets a lot done and carves out big wins. He is extremely smooth and capable in court,” says the IAM Patent 1000 2015 – The World’s Leading Patent Professionals.

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