34 Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP Attorneys Named to 2026 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America

Press Release

August 22, 2025

2025 PR 34 Smith Gambrell Attorneys Named to 2026 Best Lawyers Ones to Watch® in America 8.22

ATLANTA (August 22, 2025) – Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP is pleased to announce that 34 of the Firm’s attorneys have been included in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch^® in America in the category’s sixth year.

Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch^® in America recognizes lawyers who are earlier in their careers for their outstanding professional excellence in private practice in the United States. Lawyers recognized in “Ones to Watch” are divided by geographic region and practice areas. For the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America^®, 26 million votes were analyzed, which resulted in more than 170,000 leading lawyers included in the 32^nd edition.

The following attorneys have been named to 2026 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch^® in America in their respective practice areas and cities:

Atlanta, GA

J. Alexander Brock, Administrative / Regulatory Law, Commercial Litigation, and Land Use and Zoning Law
Daniel Choyce, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships); Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law; Trusts and Estates
Tommy Duffy, Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Sasha Greenberg, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation; Labor and Employment Law – Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment
Heiko Gruenwald, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships); Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Austin Hemmer, Commercial Litigation; Criminal Defense: White Collar; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants
Tawny Mack, Construction Law; Litigation - Construction
Erin Peterson McCallum, Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Transportation Law
Jamey A. Medlin, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
Jacob Obande, Construction Law; Corporate Law; Energy Law
Sarah Plunkett, Corporate Law; Public Finance Law
Matthew Van Dyke, Real Estate Law
Monica P. Witte, Commercial Litigation
Stephen A. Youngblood, Antitrust Law; Commercial Litigation

Chicago, IL

Joel B. Bruckman, Insurance Law

Charlotte, NC

Mickey Jett, Transportation Law

Jacksonville, FL

Cassie R. Daum, Commercial Litigation; Labor and Employment Law - Employee
Ian M. Jones, Litigation - Labor and Employment
Richard Rivera, Commercial Litigation; Intellectual Property Law
Saya Thomas, Real Estate Law
Jackie A. Van Laningham, Commercial Litigation

Los Angeles, CA

Theodore H. Dokko, Commercial Litigation; Litigation - Labor and Employment

New York, NY

Amanda Attenasio, Real Estate Law
Danielle M. Comanducci, Corporate Law; Intellectual Property Law; Real Estate Law
Daniel S. Goldstein, Commercial Litigation; Litigation - Labor and Employment
Edward Heppt, Commercial Litigation
Daniel Q. Horner, Construction Law; Litigation – Construction
Morgan Manley, Commercial Litigation; Litigation - Intellectual Property
Melissa Salsano, Commercial Litigation; Construction Law; Litigation – Construction
Katie Schwartz, Commercial Litigation
Ryan Solfaro, Commercial Litigation

Tampa, FL

Ian J. Dankelman, Commercial Litigation; Insurance Law
Sarah A. Gottlieb, Commercial Litigation; Litigation - Intellectual Property

Washington, DC

John P. Pennington, Litigation - Intellectual Property

To view Smith Gambrell’s list of the attorneys named to 2026 The Best Lawyers in America^® list, click here.

About Best Lawyers^®Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers^® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers recognitions are compiled based on an exhaustive Purely Peer Review^® evaluation. More than 184,000 industry leading lawyers are eligible to vote (from around the world), and we have received more than 25.8 million evaluations on the legal abilities of other lawyers based on their specific practice areas around the world. Visit www.bestlawyers.com for more information.

About Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP
Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP is a full-service, international law firm that advises regional, national and global businesses on a wide range of legal matters. The Firm’s nearly 350 attorneys provide legal counsel in more than 50 specialized practice areas, including corporate transactions, litigation, intellectual property, aviation, banking, real estate, insurance/reinsurance, construction, employment law, international, and employee benefits and executive compensation. Founded in 1893, Smith Gambrell has 14 domestic and international offices, including Atlanta; Austin; Charlotte; Chicago; Jacksonville; London; Los Angeles; Miami; Milan; Munich; New York; Southampton; Tampa; and Washington, D.C.