Three Partners Named to Benchmark Litigation's 2026 40 & Under List

Benchmark Litigation has named Andrew Atkins, Hunter Bruton, and John Harris to its 2026 40 & Under List, recognizing the most promising young litigators across the United States. Andrew earns the distinction for the third year in a row, while John and Hunter join the list for the first time.

Benchmark Litigation compiles its list through peer and client reviews, gathering feedback from attorneys at peer law firms and clients who assess the attorneys' performance. To be eligible, nominees must be partners at their law firms and demonstrate exceptional legal skills, a track record of successful courtroom outcomes, and a strong propensity for leadership. Andrew is recognized in Dispute Resolution, and Hunter and John are recognized in Commercial.

Andrew is a recognized leader in litigation with significant experience in alternative dispute resolution and contracting. He co-chairs the firm's Construction & Infrastructure practice and regularly represents owners, contractors, and developers in multi-party disputes involving public and private commercial projects. Andrew has represented clients in some of the largest construction disputes in North Carolina, including multi-million-dollar claims related to the construction of state-owned psychiatric hospitals, a light rail system, and public highways. His experience spans mediation, litigation, and arbitration, with projects located across North Carolina, throughout the Southeast, in Puerto Rico, and in Eastern Europe. Andrew's work has earned recognition from Chambers USA, Legal 500, The Best Lawyers in America®, and Business North Carolina's Legal Elite for Construction Law.

Hunter is a problem solver first and litigator second, helping clients minimize legal exposure, resolve business disputes, and protect long-term business and reputational interests. A former law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and valedictorian of his class at Duke University School of Law, he handles complex commercial and public litigation matters from pre-litigation counseling through Supreme Court appeals and has litigated in state and federal courts across the country, including the North Carolina Business Court, North Carolina Supreme Court, and multiple U.S. Courts of Appeals. His practice includes high-stakes business disputes, class actions, investigations, employment matters, compliance, and administrative law, and he often serves as outside counsel to corporations navigating legal risk and contracting best practices. A Certified Artificial Intelligence Governance Professional (AIGP), Hunter also advises clients on legal, regulatory, and risk considerations involving artificial intelligence, data privacy, and other emerging technologies. He represents clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to emerging growth businesses and has been recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America.

John, a former federal prosecutor and D.C. Circuit law clerk, helps clients navigate high-stakes disputes, government scrutiny, and complex internal crises. As a leader of the firm's Investigations practice, John regularly assists clients with government investigations, including False Claims Act litigation, where he leverages his experience investigating and prosecuting qui tam matters to guide healthcare providers and government contractors through one of the most complex and consequential areas of government enforcement. His litigation practice regularly includes complex contract disputes, restrictive covenant enforcement, trust and estate litigation, business tort claims, corporate fiduciary litigation, and many others, and he has tried multiple cases to verdict before both judges and juries. John has also been recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch^® in America and as a North Carolina Super Lawyers Rising Star.

To view the entire 40 & Under list, click here.

Benchmark Litigation is the definitive guide to the world's leading litigation firms and lawyers. Their law firm and lawyer rankings are based on extensive interviews with litigators, dispute resolution specialists, and their clients, as well as analysis of the market's most important cases and firm developments.