72 Brooks Pierce Attorneys Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2025 Guide

The 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America^® recognized 72 Brooks Pierce attorneys. Included in that total are 11 attorneys recognized as “Lawyer of the Year” in their respective practice areas and another 11 attorneys included by The Best Lawyers in America^® in its annual edition of “Ones to Watch.”

The Best Lawyers in America^® list is divided by geographic region and practice areas. Attorneys are reviewed by their peers based on professional expertise and undergo an authentication process to make sure they are in current practice and in good standing.

The Best Lawyers in America^® employs a survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. More information on The Best Lawyers in America^® methodology can be found here.

The 11 Brooks Pierce attorneys recognized as “Lawyer of the Year” for their respective practice areas are:

• Marc Bishop for Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law and Commercial Transactions/ UCC Law in the Triad region
• Bill Cary for Labor Law – Management in the Triad region
• John Cross for Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) in the Triad region
• Eric David for Litigation – First Amendment in Raleigh
• Mark Davidson for Securities / Capital Markets Law in the Triad region
• Kearns Davis for Criminal Defense: White-Collar in the Triad region
• George House for Litigation – Environmental and Environmental Law in the Triad region
• Jim Phillips for Bet-the-Company Litigation in the Triad region
• Marcus Trathen for First Amendment Law in Raleigh
• Randy Underwood for Financial Services Regulation Law in the Triad region

• Jennifer Van Zant for Litigation – Securities in the Triad region

The 61 Brooks Pierce attorneys listed in The Best Lawyers in America^® 2024 are:

• Daniel Adams for Commercial Litigation
• Jimmy Adams for Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Labor and Employment, and Litigation – Securities
• Julia Ambrose for Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation, and Litigation – Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy)
• Charles Baldwin for International Trade and Finance Law
• Tony Barwick for Corporate Law, Leisure and Hospitality Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, and Real Estate Law
• Marc Bishop for Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Commercial Finance Law, Commercial Transactions / UCC Law, Corporate Law, and Mergers and Acquisitions Law
• Arty Bolick for Construction Law and Litigation - Construction
• Libby Brewington - Commercial Finance Law, Corporate Law, and Mergers and Acquisitions Law
• Forrest Campbell for Health Care Law
• Bill Cary for Employment Law - Management, Labor Law - Management, and Litigation - Labor and Employment
• Charles Coble for Appellate Practice and Commercial Litigation
• John Cross for Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Corporate Law, and Mergers and Acquisitions Law
• Eric David for Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation, Corporate Governance Law, Litigation - First Amendment, and Litigation - Intellectual Property
• Mark Davidson for Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Securities / Capital Markets Law, and Tax Law
• Ben Davis - Banking and Finance Law
• Kearns Davis - Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, and Criminal Defense: White-Collar
• Alex Elkan - Environmental Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, Litigation - Environmental, Mining Law, and Natural Resources Law
• Shana Fulton - Commercial Litigation
• Tricia Goodson - Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment
• David Green - Real Estate Law
• George House - Environmental Law, Litigation - Environmental, Mining Law, Natural Resources Law, and Water Law
• Jonathan Jenkins - Corporate Law
• Patrick Johnson - Corporate Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law
• Bob King - Commercial Litigation and Environmental Law
• David Kushner - Media Law
• Beth Langley - Commercial Litigation, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Employment Law - Management, and Litigation - Labor and Employment
• Iain MacSween - Banking and Finance Law
• Brian McMillan - Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law and Litigation – Land Use and Zoning
• Bill McNairy - Tax Law and Trusts and Estates
• Clint Morse - Litigation - Bankruptcy
• Ben Norman - Commercial Litigation
• D.J. O'Brien - Employment Law - Management
• Jeff Oleynik - Antitrust Law and Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
• Gary Parsons - Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants, and Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
• Jim Phillips - Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Intellectual Property, and Litigation - Securities
• Reid Phillips - Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Banking and Finance, and Litigation - Intellectual Property
• Clint Pinyan - Commercial Litigation
• Joey Ponzi - Commercial Litigation
• Mark Prak - First Amendment Law, Litigation - First Amendment, and Mergers and Acquisitions Law
• Will Quick - Commercial Litigation
• Coe Ramsey - Copyright Law, Entertainment Law - Music, Litigation - Intellectual Property, and Media Law
• Bo Rodenbough - Commercial Litigation and Real Estate Law
• David Sar - Advertising Law, Litigation - Intellectual Property, Litigation - Patent, Patent Law, Trade Secrets Law, and Trademark Law
• Bob Saunders - Litigation and Controversy - Tax, Nonprofit / Charities Law, and Tax Law
• Bob Singer - Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law, Financial Services Regulation Law, and Mergers and Acquisitions Law
• John Small - Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Bet-the-Company Litigation, and Litigation - Bankruptcy
• Dan Smith - Commercial Litigation, Environmental Law and Litigation - Environmental
• Elizabeth Spainhour - Administrative / Regulatory Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law
• Bryan Starrett - Commercial Litigation and Litigation – Labor and Employment
• Adam Tarleton - Tax Law and Trusts and Estates
• Jessi Thaller-Moran - Commercial Litigation, Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment
• Marcus Trathen - First Amendment Law, Media Law, and Utilities Law
• Ed Turlington - Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law, and Government Relations Practice
• Randy Underwood - Financial Services Regulation Law and Real Estate Law
• Jennifer Van Zant - Antitrust Law, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Antitrust, Litigation - Banking and Finance, and Litigation - Securities
• Thomas Varnum - Entertainment Law - Motion Pictures and Television and Litigation – Intellectual Property
• Melissa Weaver - Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
• Ed West - Commercial Litigation, Criminal Defense: White-Collar, and Litigation and Controversy - Tax
• Howard Williams - Litigation and Controversy - Tax and Tax Law
• Jill Wilson - Education Law and Employment Law - Management
• Ed Winslow - Banking and Finance Law, Financial Services Regulation Law, and Litigation - Banking and Finance

The 11 Brooks Pierce attorneys recognized as “Ones to Watch” for their respective practice areas are:

• Melissa Bailey for Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, and Real Estate Law
• Patrick Cross for Administrative / Regulatory Law, Appellate Practice, Communications Law, and Litigation - Intellectual Property
• Kim Marston for Commercial Litigation, Insurance Law, Legal Malpractice Law, and Municipal Law
• Haniya Mir for Corporate Governance and Compliance Law, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, and Securities / Capital Markets Law
• Collins Saint for Education Law and Labor and Employment Law – Management
• Sarah Nudelman Schiavone for Commercial Litigation
• Anna Tison for Real Estate Law
• Elizabeth Troutman for Commercial Litigation, Education Law, Labor and Employment Law - Management, and Litigation - Labor and Employment
• Matt Tynan for Environmental Law
• Katie Wong for Intellectual Property Law
• David Yontz for Real Estate Law