National labor and employment law firm Constangy, Brooks & Smith and Prophete, LLP congratulates 50 of its attorneys who have been named to the 2021 edition of Best Lawyers in America©, one of the oldest and most respected peer-review publications in the legal profession. In addition nine associates were named to Best Lawyers first-ever rankings of “ones to watch,” recognizing attorneys with less than eight years in practice.

Seven Constangy partners were named as “Lawyer of the Year.” Only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area received this honor," making this accolade particularly significant. These lawyers are selected based on particularly impressive voting averages received during the peer review assessments.

Constangy also received several “top listed” awards, as the firm with the most lawyers named to Best Lawyers in employment or labor law in markets including North Carolina (statewide, labor law), Winston-Salem (employment and labor law, employment litigation) and Jacksonville (employment and labor law, employment litigation).

Since it was first published in 1981, Best Lawyers® has become regarded as one of the definitive guides to legal excellence. Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation. Lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers "the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice."

Lawyers of the Year:

  • Penni Bradshaw of the Winston-Salem office for Employment Law - Management
  • Kenneth Carlson of the Winston-Salem office for Trade Secrets Law
  • Mary Dohner-Smith of the Nashville office for Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants
  • Jill Stricklin of the Winston-Salem office for Employment Law -- Management

Best Lawyers:

Asheville, NC

  • Jonathan W. Yarbrough, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment

Atlanta, GA

  • Carl Cannon, recognized for Employment Law - Management
  • Daniel P. Murphy, recognized for Employment Law - Management
  • Timothy R. Newton, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • William K. Principe, recognized for Employment Law - Management
  • Frank B. Shuster, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Labor Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Leigh Tyson, recognized for Employment Law - Management (first year recognized)
  • Patrick R. Tyson, recognized for Employment Law - Management
  • Neil H. Wasser, recognized for Employment Law - Management

Birmingham, AL

  • Richard O. Brown, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Labor Law - Management
  • Brooke M. Nixon, recognized for Litigation - Labor and Employment (first year recognized)
  • James N. Nolan, recognized for Workers' Compensation Law - Employers
  • Thomas W. Scroggins, recognized for Litigation - Labor and Employment (first year recognized)
  • Dana Latham Thrasher, recognized for Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

Boston, MA

  • Andrew L. Eisenberg, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Ellen C. Kearns, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Labor Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment

Columbia, SC

  • Cara Yates Crotty, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Labor Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment

Dallas, TX

  • Hunter Johnson, recognized for Litigation - Labor and Employment (first year recognized)

Denver, CO

  • Jim Goh, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment

Fairfax, VA

  • James M. Coleman, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Labor Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Maureen R. Knight, recognized for Litigation - Labor and Employment

Jacksonville, FL

  • Jesse D. Bannon, recognized for Employment Law - Management (first year recognized)
  • John F. Dickinson, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Labor Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Damon Kitchen, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Labor Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Gary R. Wheeler, recognized for Labor Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Margaret P. Zabijaka, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Labor Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment

Kansas City, MO

  • Timothy A. Davis, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Nancy M. Leonard, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Donald S. Prophete, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Kimberly F. Seten, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment 
  • David C. Vogel, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment

Los Angeles, CA

  • Kenneth D. Sulzer, recognized for Litigation - Labor and Employment; Litigation - Labor and Employment

Macon, GA

  • Melvin Haas, III, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Labor Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Jonathan Martin, recognized for Employment Law - Management (first year recognized)
  • Jeffery L. Thompson, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Labor Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment

Nashville, TN

  • William A. Blue, Jr., recognized for Employment Law - Management; Labor Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Katherine Boyte, recognized for Workers’ Compensation Law Employers
  • Teresa Rider Bult, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Mary Dohner-Smith, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants

Tampa, FL

  • Michael D. Malfitano, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Labor Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Cherie L. Silberman, recognized for Employment Law - Management (first year recognized)
  • David P. Steffen, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Employment Law - Individuals; Litigation - Labor and Employment

Winston-Salem, NC

  • Penni P. Bradshaw, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Immigration Law; Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Kenneth P. Carlson, Jr., recognized for Arbitration; Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment; Mediation; Trade Secrets Law
  • Terry A. Clark, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Labor Law - Management
  • John J. Doyle, Jr., recognized for Employment Law - Management; Labor Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Randy Loftis, Jr., recognized for Employment Law - Management; Labor Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Charles P. Roberts III, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Labor Law - Management
  • Robin E. Shea, recognized for Employment Law - Management
  • Jill Stricklin, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment

Ones to Watch:

Atlanta, GA

  • Sarah Phaff, recognized in Labor and Employment Law – Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Jarrett M. Spence, recognized in Litigation - Labor and Employment

Boston, MA

  • Matthew Steinberg, recognized in Labor and Employment Law – Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment

Denver, CO

  • Rayner Mangum; recognized in Litigation - Labor and Employment

Los Angeles, CA

  • Matthew D. Gurnick, recognized in Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Aaron Rutschman, recognized in Labor and Employment Law – Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment

Nashville, TN

  • Mallory Schneider Ricci, recognized in Labor and Employment Law – Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Stephanie Chavez, recognized in Litigation - Labor and Employment

Rochester, NY

  • Taren Greenidge, recognized in Labor and Employment Law – Management, Litigation - Labor and Employment

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About Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP:

Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete offers a wider lens on workplace law. We have counseled employers exclusively since 1946. With offices in 15 states, we are one of the largest labor and employment law practices in the U.S. Constangy has been named as a top firm for women and minorities by organizations including Law360, the National Law Journal and Vault.com. Many of our more than 170 attorneys have been recognized by leading authorities such as Chambers & Partners®, Best Lawyers in America® and Martindale Hubbell. Find out more about us online at www.constangy.com or follow us on Twitter @ConstangyLaw.

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