Smith Anderson Receives Recognition for the Sixth Consecutive Year in Chambers USA 2008, Including the Highest Ranking in Corporate/M&A

For the sixth consecutive year since publication of its United States client guides began in 2003, Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business has recognized Smith, Anderson, Blount, Dorsett, Mitchell & Jernigan, L.L.P. 

Reflecting client, peer and business community evaluation, Smith Anderson’s recognition in Chambers USA 2008 includes the following:

• The firm’s Corporate/M&A practice received Chambers highest recognition, a Band 1 ranking, and is one of only two firms in North Carolina to receive this honor.  In the Corporate/M&A category, Smith Anderson has more lawyers ranked in the Research Triangle area than any other North Carolina law firm. Further, of the top 8 ranked Corporate/M&A lawyers in the State, 3 are from Smith Anderson.
• The number of lawyers recognized in the firm’s Labor & Employment, Litigation (General Commercial), and Real Estate practices all increased this year.  
• Smith Anderson partners John L. Jernigan (Corporate/M&A) and Lacy H. Reaves (Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use) received the highest ranking (Band 1) in their respective practice areas.

The following Smith Anderson lawyers received individual recognition with Mark A. Ash (Litigation: General Commercial) and Rosemary G. Kenyon (Labor & Employment) receiving recognition for the first time this year:

Corporate/M&A
Christopher B. Capel
John L. Jernigan
Byron B. Kirkland
Gerald F. Roach

Labor & Employment
Rosemary G. Kenyon
Kimberly J. Korando

Litigation (General Commercial)
Mark A. Ash
Carl N. Patterson, Jr.

Real Estate:
C. Steven Mason
Lacy H. Reaves (Zoning/Land Use)

Comments about Smith Anderson provided to Chambers from clients and the business community and published in Chambers USA 2008 include:

Corporate/M&A: “. . .The firm’s clientele features a burgeoning collection of national and international enterprises with bases in the [Research Triangle] area, and the firm has become renowned for its ‘exceptional expertise’ in dealing with such companies.”
Labor & Employment: “Recommended in particular for its ‘shrewd business sense’ and ‘problem-solving skills’ . . . .”
Litigation: General Commercial: “. . .Smith Anderson continues to impress clients and peers.  The commercial litigation practice [can] offer great diversity in its range of cases due to its substantial group of 45 attorneys . . . .”
Real Estate:  “The attorneys come recommended as ‘highly skilled, well prepared and responsive.’ ”

About Chambers USA   
Compiling the sixth edition of Chambers USA involved a multi-step research process.  This process included more than 40 full-time researchers who conducted 14,000 interviews with clients and lawyers.  www.chambersandpartners.com