2021 Best Lawyers® and The Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch Recognize Largest Group of Smith Anderson Lawyers in Firm’s History

The 2021 Best Lawyers® rankings recognized 75 Smith Anderson lawyers as “Best Lawyers,” including 11 “Lawyers of the Year” for Raleigh, and named 15 lawyers “Ones to Watch.”  

The 2021 rankings marked the inaugural year for the new Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch category that recognizes extraordinary lawyers who have been in practice for fewer than 10 years. Best Lawyers® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch rankings are based on a peer-review survey in which leading attorneys cast more than 5.5 million detailed evaluations of the legal abilities of other lawyers.

Smith Anderson’s 2021 “Lawyers of the Year” for Raleigh are:

• Armand A. Perry - Banking and Finance Law
• Darrell A. Fruth - Trademark Law
• David W. Berry - Environmental Law
• Deanna Davis Anderson - Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants
• Donald H. Tucker, Jr. - Litigation - Securities
• Kimberly J. Korando - Employment Law - Management
• Kimberly Quarles Swintosky - Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law
• Martin H. Brinkley - Business Organization (including LLCs and Partnerships)
• Peter J. Marino - Litigation - Construction
• R. Donavon Munford, Jr. - Litigation - Trusts and Estates
• Sarah W. Fox - Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

2021 Best Lawyers

The full list of Smith Anderson’s 2021 Best Lawyers® and their areas of recognition is as follows:

1. Geoffrey W. Adams (Banking & Finance Law)
2. Deanna Davis Anderson (Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants, Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants)
3. Zebulon D. Anderson (Employment Law - Management, Litigation - Labor and Employment)
4. J. Mitch Armbruster (Commercial Litigation)
5. William T. Barnett (Insurance Law)
6. Amy Meyers Batten (Corporate Law, Securities/Capital Markets Law)
7. David W. Berry (Environmental Law)
8. Julian D. Bobbitt, Jr. (Health Care Law)
9. Curtis C. Brewer IV (Corporate Law, Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Private Funds/Hedge Funds Law, Venture Capital Law)
10. Martin H. Brinkley (Business Organizations, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law)
11. Clifton L. Brinson (Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Mergers & Acquisitions, Litigation - Securities)
12. Joshua D. Bryant (Tax Law)
13. Christopher B. Capel (Biotechnology and Life Sciences Practice, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Securities/Capital Markets Law, Securities Regulation, Venture Capital Law)
14. David B. Clement (Corporate Law)
15. Toby R. Coleman (Land Use and Zoning Law)
16. Robert Desmond (Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants)
17. James K. Dorsett III (Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation)
18. Robert E. Duggins (Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law)
19. Sarah W. Fox (Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Litigation Labor & Employment)
20. Darrell Fruth (Litigation - Intellectual Property, Trademark Law, Trade Secrets Law)
21. Timothy S. Goettel (Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law)
22. Susan H. Hargrove (Commercial Litigation)
23. Jamison H. Hinkle (Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law)
24. Travis Hockaday (Litigation - Labor and Employment)
25. B. Davis Horne, Jr. (Administrative/Regulatory Law, Government Relations Practice)
26. John L. Jernigan (Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law, Financial Services Regulation Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Securities/Capital Markets Law)
27. Gerald “Jeb” Jeutter (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law)
28. John H. Jo (Commercial Litigation)
29. Rosemary G. Kenyon (Employment Law - Management)
30. Christopher R. Kiger (Product Liability Litigation - Defendants)
31. Lee M. Kirby, Jr. (Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law)
32. Byron B. Kirkland (Corporate Law, Leverages Buy Outs & Private Equity Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Securities/Capital Markets Law, Venture Capital Law)
33. Kimberly J. Korando (Employment Law - Management, Labor Law - Management)
34. Geoffrey R. Krouse (Mergers and Acquisitions Law)
35. Timothy P. Lehan (Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants)
36. John D. Madden (Litigation - Insurance, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants)
37. Wayne K. Maiorano (Construction Law, Litigation - Construction)
38. Peter J. Marino (Construction Law, Litigation - Construction)
39. Jason Martinez (Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Securities/Capital Markets Law)
40. C. Steven Mason (Real Estate Law)
41. Merrill M. Mason (Biotechnology and Life Sciences Practice, Securities/Capital Markets Law, Venture Capital Law)
42. Caryn Coppedge McNeill (Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law)
43. Miranda Miller (Venture Capital Law)
44. Scott A. Miskimon (Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Real Estate)
45. Henry A. Mitchell, Jr. (Corporate Law)
46. Michael W. Mitchell (Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Litigation - Intellectual Property, Real Estate Law)
47. Jackson Moore (Commercial Litigation)
48. R. Joseph Morris (Litigation - Intellectual Property, Litigation - Patent)
49. William H. Moss (Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants)
50. R. Donavon Munford, Jr. (Litigation - Trusts and Estates, Litigation and Controversy - Tax, Tax Law, Trusts and Estates)
51. William W. Nelson (Tax Law)
52. Anna B. Osterhout (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law)
53. Stephen T. Parascandola (Environmental Law)
54. Carl N. Patterson, Jr. (Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Mergers and Acquisitions, Litigation - Securities)
55. Armand A. Perry (Banking and Finance Law)
56. Amos U. Priester IV (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation - Bankruptcy)
57. Lacy H. Reaves (Land Use and Zoning Law, Real Estate Law)
58. Matthew D. Rhoad (Land Use and Zoning, Real Estate Law)
59. Addie S. Ries (Commercial Litigation)
60. Gerald F. Roach (Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Securities/Capital Markets Law, Securities Regulation, Venture Capital Law)
61. Walter R. Rogers, Jr. (Non-Profit/Charities Law, Tax Law, Trusts and Estates)
62. Michael P. Saber (Biotechnology and Life Sciences Practice, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Securities/Capital Markets Law, Venture Capital Law)
63. Steven M. Sartorio (Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, Litigation - Insurance)
64. Kerry A. Shad (Employment Law - Management, Litigation - Labor and Employment)
65. C. Ernest Simons Jr (Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants)
66. Dana E. Simpson (Government Relations Practice)
67. Christopher G. Smith (Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Environmental)
68. Richard Stevens (Government Relations Practice)
69. Kimberly Quarles Swintosky (Closely Held Companies and Family Business Law, Tax Law, Trusts and Estates)
70. John Therien (Biotechnology and Life Sciences Practice)
71. Michael R. Thornton (Real Estate Law)
72. Donald H. Tucker, Jr. (Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Mergers and Acquisitions, Litigation - Securities)
73. Kirk G. Warner (Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants)
74. Craig B. Wheaton (Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law)
75. C. Allen York (Real Estate Law)

Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch

The full list of Smith Anderson’s 2021 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch and their areas of recognition is as follows:

1. Cerretta G. Amos (Real Estate Law)
2. Andrew P. Atkins (Litigation - Real Estate)
3. Alexander M. Bowling (Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Securities / Capital Markets Law)
4. Kara Brunk (Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law)
5. Eva Gullick Frongello (Litigation - Intellectual Property)
6. Michael R. Frongello (Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Real Estate Law)
7. James R. Jolley (Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Securities / Capital Markets Law)
8. Charles R. Kabugo-Musoke (Banking and Finance Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law)
9. Megan C. Lambert (Technology Law)
10. Shawn P. Parker (Health Care Law)
11. Davis F. Roach (Construction Law)
12. Edward F. Roche (Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Intellectual Property)
13. Mary Pat K. Sullivan (Technology Law)
14. Heath Tripp (Mergers and Acquisitions Law)
15. Jessica B. West (Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law)

Since it was first published in 1983, The Best Lawyers in America is based on a peer-review survey in which leading attorneys cast more than 5.5 million detailed evaluations of the legal abilities of other lawyers. For more information about The Best Lawyers in America, please visit www.bestlawyers.com.