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 32nd 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, Commercial Litigation
- 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, Commercial Litigation; Labor and Employment Law – Management; Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Heiko Gruenwald, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships); Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Austin Hemmer, Commercial Litigation; 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
- Sarah Plunkett, Corporate Law; Public Finance Law
- Matthew Van Dyke, Real Estate Law
- Monica P. Witte, Commercial Litigation
- Stephen A. Youngblood, 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
- 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, Real Estate Law
- Daniel S. Goldstein, Commercial Litigation
- Edward Heppt, Commercial Litigation
- Daniel Q. Horner, Construction Law; Litigation – Construction
- Ian M. Jones, Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Morgan Manley, Commercial Litigation
- Melissa Salsano, 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; Insurance Law; Litigation – Intellectual Property; Litigation – Patent
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.