The Best Lawyers in America® Recognizes 101 Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP Attorneys in 2027 Edition

Firm News

August 20, 2026

ATLANTA (August 20, 2026) – Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (“SGR”) is pleased to announce that 101 of its attorneys were selected for inclusion in the 2027 edition of The Best Lawyers in America^®, the leading peer review-based directory of legal practitioners.

Lawyers on The Best Lawyers in America^® list are divided by geographic region and practice areas. They 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. For the 2027 edition of The Best Lawyers in America^®, more than 13 million votes were analyzed. The process is highly selective, with only 5% of U.S. lawyers and 3% globally earning this honor in the 33^rd edition.

The following SGR attorneys were named to 2027 The Best Lawyers in America^® list in their respective practice areas, listed by city:

Atlanta, GA
Ronald E. Barab (Banking and Finance Law; Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law)
Jason S. Bell (Commercial Litigation; Franchise Law)
Thomas D. Bever (Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Criminal Defense: White-Collar)
Elizabeth G. Borland (Litigation - Intellectual Property; Trademark Law)
Benjamin J. Brooks (Banking and Finance Law; Public Finance Law)
Edward D. Burch, Jr. (Appellate Practice; Commercial Litigation; Insurance Law; Litigation - Insurance; Litigation - Real Estate)
Scott D. Cahalan (Construction Law; Litigation - Construction)
Matthew W. Clarke (Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment)
Alexander S. Clay V (Real Estate Law)
Anthony L. Cochran (Administrative / Regulatory Law; Commercial Litigation; Criminal Defense: White-Collar)
Randall A. Constantine (Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law; Employment Law - Management; Labor Law - Management; Litigation - ERISA; Litigation - Labor and Employment)
Peter M. Crofton (Construction Law; Energy Law; Litigation - Construction)
S. Gardner Culpepper III (Commercial Litigation)
Marcia M. Ernst (Commercial Litigation)
John C. Ethridge, Jr. (Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law)
Stephen M. Forte (Commercial Litigation; Litigation - Banking and Finance)
Emily E. Friedman (Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law)
Lori A. Gelchion (Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Securities / Capital Markets Law)
Sarah T. Gordon (Commercial Litigation)
Brian P. Hall (Banking and Finance Law; Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law)
Edward J. Hardin (Corporate Governance Law; Corporate Law)
Michael F. Holbein (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Commercial Litigation)
Thomas H. Hong (Antitrust Law *Lawyer of the Year)
Robert C. Hussle (Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Securities / Capital Markets Law)
William M. Joseph (Tax Law)
Alex Khoury (Technology Law)
Teri King (Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law)
Gregory J. Kirsch (Litigation - Patent; Patent Law)
Kiyoaki Kojima (Mergers and Acquisitions Law)
Jeffrey R. Kuester (Patent Law; Trademark Law)
Dale Lischer (Copyright Law; Litigation - Intellectual Property; Patent Law)
Brett Lockwood (Corporate Law; Information Technology Law; Privacy and Data Security Law; Technology Law)
William F. Long (Litigation - Intellectual Property; Litigation - Patent; Patent Law; Technology Law)
Don A. Mazursky (Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law)
James H. Morgan, Jr. (Trusts and Estates)
David C. Newman (Commercial Litigation)
Stephen E. O'Day (Energy Law; Environmental Law; Litigation - Environmental)
P. Andrew Patterson (Real Estate Law)
M. Everett Peaden (Tax Law)
Mark G. Pottorff (Real Estate Law)
Robert B. Remar (Administrative / Regulatory Law; Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; First Amendment Law; Litigation - Labor and Employment; Litigation - Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy)
Thomas W. Rhodes (Antitrust Law; Commercial Litigation)
Dana M. Richens (Commercial Litigation)
Michael J. Riesen (Litigation - Intellectual Property)
Anthony J. Rollins (Tax Law)
Darren G. Rowles (Construction Law)
Arthur Jay Schwartz (Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Private Funds / Hedge Funds Law)
Justice Leah Ward Sears (Appellate Practice; Commercial Litigation; Mediation)
Julie A. Sebastian (Corporate Law)
Laleh Sharifi (Immigration Law)
Gregory K. Smith (Arbitration; Commercial Litigation; Construction Law; Litigation - Construction)
John H. Spillman (Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Venture Capital Law)
Thomas A. Spillman (Real Estate Law)
Andrew M. Thompson (Environmental Law; Litigation - Environmental)
David G. Thunhorst (Corporate Governance Law; Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Securities / Capital Markets Law)
Matthew P. Warenzak (Litigation - Intellectual Property; Litigation - Patent; Patent Law; Trademark Law)
Laura L. Wartner (Tax Law; Trusts and Estates)
Edward H. Wasmuth, Jr. (Commercial Litigation; Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law)
Dennis J. Webb, Jr. (Land Use and Zoning Law)
Daniel D. Zegura (Litigation - Intellectual Property; Litigation - Labor and Employment)
Kathryn M. Zickert (Land Use and Zoning Law; Litigation - Land Use and Zoning)

Charlotte, NC
Jason P. Huff (Equipment Finance Law)

Chicago, IL
Mitchell A. Carrel (Land Use and Zoning Law; Real Estate Law)
Kenneth M. Crane (Venture Capital Law *Lawyer of the Year)
Jeffery M. Cross (Antitrust Law)
David J. Doyle (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Consumer Protection Law)
James R. Figliulo (Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants; Legal Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs; Litigation - Banking and Finance; Litigation - Securities)
David C. Gustman (Commercial Litigation)
Michael A. Moynihan (Real Estate Law)
Steven D. Pearson (Commercial Litigation; Insurance Law; Litigation - Insurance)
Peter A. Silverman (Commercial Litigation)
Richard J. Traub (Real Estate Law)
Michael D. Whitty (Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law; Trusts and Estates)

Jacksonville, FL
Daniel K. Bean (Commercial Litigation; Military Law)
Dana G. Bradford II (Commercial Litigation; Litigation - Insurance; Product Liability Litigation - Defendants)
Steven E. Brust (Commercial Litigation; Litigation - Insurance; Litigation - Securities; Litigation - Trusts and Estates)
Adam J. Buss (Corporate Governance Law *Lawyer of the Year; Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law)
Brandon C. Dodd (Corporate Law; Real Estate Law)
Andrew J. Fawbush (Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law)
Scott S. Gallagher (Commercial Litigation; Litigation - Real Estate *Lawyer of the Year)
James R. McCachren III (Commercial Litigation; Litigation - Intellectual Property; Litigation - Real Estate)
James B. Porter (Corporate Law; Real Estate Law)
William S. Rogers, Jr. (Real Estate Law)
Alan S. Wachs (Commercial Litigation; Insurance Law *Lawyer of the Year; Litigation - Insurance; Litigation - Intellectual Property)

Los Angeles, CA
Elizabeth B. Blakely (Corporate Law)
Patrick J. Cain (Trusts and Estates)

Miami, FL
Roberto Suárez (Patent Law)
Jeffrey S. Tenen (Corporate Law; Derivatives and Futures Law; Securitization and Structured Finance Law; Transportation Law)

New York, NY
Neal T. Dorman (Trusts and Estates)
Michael R. Glanzman (Litigation - Construction)
James Lotito (Construction Law; Litigation - Construction)
Roger Juan Maldonado (Litigation - Intellectual Property)
Dana L. Mark (Trusts and Estates)
Victor M. Metsch (Litigation - Real Estate)
Todd S. Pickard (Real Estate Law)
John T. Van Der Tuin (Litigation - Real Estate)
Svetlana Zagorina (Trusts and Estates)

Tampa, FL
Michael A. Kolcun (Commercial Litigation)
Jason P. Stearns (Commercial Litigation; Litigation - Insurance; Litigation - Intellectual Property; Litigation - Patent; Trade Secrets Law)

Washington, DC
James L. Bikoff (Copyright Law)
Thomas G. Wiseman (Biotechnology and Life Sciences Practice)

Five SGR attorneys, Thomas Hong, Kenneth Crane, Adam Buss, Scott Gallagher, and Alan Wachs were also recognized by Best Lawyers as 2027 “Lawyer of the Year” in their respective practice areas. Additionally, 33 attorneys were named to 2027 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch^® in America in their respective practice areas in the category’s seventh year.

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. It is respected by lawyers and firms worldwide, with more than 13 million confidential evaluations submitted annually. The process is highly selective, with only 5% of U.S. lawyers and 3% globally earning this honor. 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 more than 400 professionals 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 15 domestic and international offices, including Atlanta; Austin; Charlotte; Chicago; Houston; Jacksonville; London; Los Angeles; Miami; Milan; Munich; New York; Southampton; Tampa; and Washington, D.C.