ATLANTA - National labor and employment law firm Constangy, Brooks & Smith and Prophete, LLP congratulates 60 of its attorneys who have been named to the 2023 edition of Best Lawyers in America®, one of the oldest and most respected peer-review publications in the legal profession. In addition, 15 attorneys were named as “ones to watch,” recognizing attorneys with less than eight years in practice.

Five 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 Jacksonville (for employment law – management, labor law – management, and litigation – labor & employment) and Winston-Salem for (employment law – management and litigation- labor & employment).

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, Winston-Salem for Employment Law - Management
  • Kenneth Carlson, Winston-Salem for Mediation
  • Michael Malfitano, Tampa for Labor Law - Management
  • Kimberly Seten, Kansas City for Employment Law - Management
  • Kristine Sims, Winston-Salem for Litigation – Labor & Employment

Best Lawyers:

Asheville, NC

  • Michelle Rippon*, recognized for Litigation - Labor & Employment
  • Jonathan W. Yarbrough, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor & Employment

Atlanta, GA

  • Carl McCalla*, recognized for Workers' Compensation Law - Employers
  • Daniel P. Murphy, recognized for Employment Law – Management: Labor Law - Management
  • Timothy R. Newton, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor & Employment
  • William K. Principe, recognized for Employment Law - Management
  • Frank B. Shuster, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Labor Law - Management; Litigation Labor & Employment
  • Leigh Tyson, recognized for Employment Law - Management
  • 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 & Employment
  • James N. Nolan, recognized for Workers' Compensation Law - Employers
  • Thomas W. Scroggins, recognized for Employment Law Management; Litigation - Labor & Employment
  • Dana Latham Thrasher, recognized for Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
  • Tammy Woolley*, recognized for Employment Law Management; Litigation - Labor & Employment

Boston, MA

  • Andrew L. Eisenberg, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Labor Law – Management; Litigation - Labor & Employment
  • Ellen C. Kearns, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Labor Law - Management; Litigation - Labor & Employment
  • David Kurtz, recognized for Litigation – Labor & Employment
  • Punam Rogers*, recognized for Immigration Law

Columbia, SC

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

Dallas, TX

  • Hunter Johnson, recognized for Litigation - Labor & Employment
  • Jacqueline Johnson, recognized for Employment Law - Management

Denver, CO

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

Fairfax, VA

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

Jacksonville, FL

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

Kansas City, MO

  • Timothy A. Davis, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor & Employment
  • Donald S. Prophete, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor & Employment
  • Kimberly F. Seten, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor & Employment

Los Angeles, CA

  • Steven Katz*, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor & Employment
  • Kenneth D. Sulzer, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor & Employment

Macon, GA

  • Melvin Haas, III, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Labor Law - Management; Litigation - Labor & Employment
  • Jonathan Martin, recognized for Employment Law - Management
  • Jeffery L. Thompson, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Labor Law - Management; Litigation - Labor & Employment

Minneapolis, MN

  • Piyumi Samaratunga*, recognized for Employment Law - Management

Nashville, TN

  • William A. Blue, Jr., recognized for Employment Law - Management; Labor Law - Management; Litigation - Labor & Employment
  • Teresa Rider Bult, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor & Employment
  • Mary Dohner-Smith, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor & Employment; Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants

Northern New Jersey

  • Salvador Simao, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor & Employment

San Francisco, CA

  • Barbara Antonucci*, recognized for Employment Law - Management
  • Sarah Hamilton, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor & Employment
  • Sarah Robertson*, recognized for Employment Law - Management

St. Louis, MO

  • Geoffrey Gilbert*, recognized for Litigation – Labor & Employment

Tampa, FL

  • Kelly Holbrook*, recognized for Commercial Litigation; Employment Law - Management; Labor Law - Management; Litigation - Labor & Employment
  • Michael D. Malfitano, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Labor Law - Management; Litigation - Labor & Employment
  • David P. Steffen, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Employment Law - Individuals; Litigation - Labor & Employment

Winston-Salem, NC

  • Penni P. Bradshaw, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Immigration Law; Litigation - Labor & Employment
  • Kenneth P. Carlson, Jr., recognized for Arbitration; Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor & 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 & Employment
  • William McMahon, recognized for Litigation – Labor & Employment
  • Barbara Ruark, recognized for Workers’ Compensation Law
  • Robin E. Shea, recognized for Employment Law – Management
  • Kristine Sims, recognized for Employment Law – Management; Litigation – Labor & Employment
  • Jill Stricklin, recognized for Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor & Employment

Ones to Watch:

Atlanta, GA

  • Sarah Phaff, recognized in Labor & Employment Law – Management; Litigation - Labor & Employment

Denver, CO

  • Rayner Mangum, recognized in Litigation - Labor & Employment; Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions - Defendants
  • Ginny Woodfork, recognized in Litigation - Labor & Employment

Jacksonville, FL

  • Elizabeth Joiner*, recognized in Litigation - Labor & Employment

Kansas City, MO

  • Evan Jarrold, recognized in Labor & Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor & Employment
  • John F. Doyle, recognized in Litigation – Labor & Employment

Los Angeles, CA

  • Jeffrey E. Fields, recognized in Labor & Employment Law – Management
  • Matthew D. Gurnick, recognized in Litigation - Labor & Employment
  • Joanna MacMillan, recognized in Litigation – Labor & Employment
  • Natalie Meinhardt*, recognized in Litigation – Labor & Employment
  • Aaron Rutschman, recognized in Labor & Employment Law – Management; Litigation - Labor & Employment

New York, NY

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

Princeton, NJ

  • Danielle Acocella, recognized in Labor & Employment Law – Management; Litigation - Labor & Employment

Raleigh, NC

  • Jennifer Yeaw*, recognized in Immigration Law

Tampa, FL

  • Christopher Hanson*, recognized in Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers

*Denotes attorneys who are being recognized by Best Lawyers for the first time.

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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 17 states, we are one of the largest labor & 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 180 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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