Bradley Names New Litigation Practice Group Leaders
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP announced that Kim Bessiere Martin, a partner in the firm’s Huntsville office, has been named Litigation Practice group leader. Leigh Anne Hodge and Michael R. Pennington, both partners in Bradley’s Birmingham office, will serve as assistant practice group leaders.
“We are thrilled to introduce Kim as the new leader of our highly acclaimed Litigation Practice Group,” said Bradley Chairman of the Board and Managing Partner Jonathan M. Skeeters. “We are also pleased that Leigh Anne and Mike will be assisting in leading the expansive efforts of that team. They all bring years of experience as top litigators and are committed to continuing Bradley’s track record of success for our clients in courtrooms nationwide.”
In a release, the firm said the Litigation Practice Group is Bradley’s largest practice and includes nearly half of the firm’s more than 500 attorneys who represent clients in litigation and arbitration in every U.S. state and federal district court across the country, as well as internationally.
Martin previously served as co-chair of Bradley’s Life Sciences Litigation team and focuses her practice on general litigation with an emphasis on medical device and pharmaceutical products liability litigation, as well as white collar matters and False Claims Act litigation. She has experience representing media clients on First Amendment issues and defamation claims. Her trial experience includes defense of personal injury, products liability, commercial litigation, First Amendment, and labor and employment claims. She has tried cases in state and federal court.
Martin has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® and was named by Best Lawyers as the Commercial Litigation “Lawyer of the Year” in Huntsville for 2013. Also ranked as a Super Lawyer for Personal Injury – Products: Defense, Ms. Martin was named to Mid-South Super Lawyers’ list of “Top 50 Women” for 2018.
Hodge represents clients in the healthcare industry in regional and national engagements. She regularly represents and counsels clients in product liability litigation, medical malpractice litigation, peer review and staff privileges matters, ERISA litigation, Medicare Advantage plan litigation, managed care litigation, insurance disputes, and insurance fraud cases. She has tried cases in federal and state courts and has experience in arbitration venues.
Hodge has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for Product Liability Litigation Defense, Healthcare Law, ERISA Litigation, Employee Benefits, and Insurance Law. In addition, she has been included in Benchmark Litigation in its Alabama litigation section and is listed in Mid-South Super Lawyers for Personal Injury-Products: Defense.
In addition to his new role, Pennington also leads the firm’s Class Actions team, which he helped establish more than 25 years ago. His practice includes class actions of every type, defense of insurers in sales practice, high-stakes litigation, and complex commercial litigation. He has defended class actions in state and federal courts. His practice also includes a variety of other financial services, insurance, and general commercial litigation in Alabama and throughout the country.
Pennington has spoken on class action litigation and other litigation topics for the American Council of Life Insurers and ALFA Corporation, as well as at numerous seminars across the country. He chairs the DRI’s Class Action Task Force and serves on the steering committees for DRI’s annual Class Actions Seminar and the American Law Firm Association’s biannual Insurance Roundtable. Pennington has consistently been listed in The Best Lawyers in America for his work in defending commercial litigation, mass tort litigation, and bet-the-company litigation. He also has been recognized in the Chambers USA, Benchmark Litigation and Super Lawyers listings of top U.S. lawyers.
