Best Lawyers® - Purely Peer Review™
"Lawyer of the Year" Honorees in the United States
Dennis Johnson practices in the areas of real estate finance and development, serving as counsel on large, multistate transactions. He represents lenders in syndicated construction and term loans, counseling them in their capacities as administrative agent and co-lender. Dennis also works with lenders in the negotiation of participation agreements. For more than three decades, Dennis has represented construction and permanent real estate lenders, commercial real estate developers, developers ...
A firm member since 1977, Bruce has extensive experience in planning for the sale and purchases of businesses. He also developed a special expertise in complex estate planning, purchases and sales of businesses and tax controversy matters. His clientele includes successful businesspersons, professionals, closely–held businesses, charitable organizations and individuals with special tax planning or estate planning needs. Bruce is a former chairman of The Florida Bar Tax Section and a for...
Bill has extensive legal experience in oil and gas law, commercial litigation, general business and corporation law, and all aspects of real estate. Bill represents landowners, oil and gas companies, and other businesses and industries, in both general corporate and commercial litigation (federal and state court) matters. He had represented for 10 years a NYSE oil and gas corporation whosold its Ohio assets. He has also represented Ohio producers having 50 to 1600 wells for over 30 years.
Rich Keshian has extensive experience in civil litigation, concentrating in product liability and business litigation. He is a certified mediator and arbitrator. Mr. Keshian has represented numerous clients in the automotive and furniture industries and other manufacturing industries regarding product liability issues. Mr. Keshian is also an adjunct professor at Wake Forest School of Law. During law school, Mr. Keshian was an Editor of the Vanderbilt Law Review . Mr. Keshian has regularly bee...
Mr. Smoak is a founding partner of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart.During more than 44 years of representing companies in labor and employment matters, he has personally handled approximately 300 union organizing and decertification campaigns. He has extensive experience in the development and implementation of preventive labor relations programs for clients in all regions of the country. He is among the one percent of U.S. lawyers listed in The Best Lawyers in America, and has a...
James C. Brockmann is a board-certified water law specialist whose practice focuses on water law and related areas of water quality, water rights and utility law.Mr. Brockmann has worked in the Midwest and greater Southwest, with clients ranging from individual states and municipalities, to oil, gas and renewable-energy companies. His experience includes suits involving the apportionment of water from the North Platte River and upstream diversions of the Arkansas River, as well as Alamogordo&...
Jennifer Van Zant focuses her practice on complex business litigation — the more complicated, the better. She represents businesses on a wide array of disputes before federal courts and the North Carolina Business Court, and works closely with clients to make paths toward resolution. Jennifer has been widely recognized by clients and peers for her success in antitrust litigation, and has been included in The Best Lawyers in America© and Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers...
Lawyers in the United States
Vincent J. Foley is a partner in the Holland & Knight Maritime Practice Group. He practices primarily in the area of international shipping litigation and arbitration. He has advised clients in connection with vessel casualties, including property damage, charter party disputes and limitation of liability actions. Mr. Foley has represented marine terminal operators in connection with licensing issues, drafting of terminal service contracts and related agreements. He has also advised clien...
David W. Leefe is a shareholder in the New Orleans office of Liskow & Lewis and Chair of the firm’s Maritime, Oilfield and Insurance practice group. His practice includes a wide variety of litigation, including personal injury, property damage, insurance coverage, and contractual disputes, with a primary emphasis on maritime and oilfield matters. He obtained his undergraduate degree from Louisiana State University in 1978 and his Juris Doctorate degree, cum laude, from Loyola Univer...
Clients facing complex business disputes and companies at inflection points call on Michael Lasky for his astute judgment and experienced counsel. Michael is co-chair of the firm’s Litigation + Dispute Resolution Group and founder and chair of the firm’s Public Relations Law Practice. He is best known for advising fast growing companies whose key assets are people and ideas. These include social media, digital, public relations and integrated marketing communication firms. He also...
Mari Perczak is the co-practice group leader of the Construction Defects department at Burg Simpson. She and her department have achieved Tier 1 status by US News and World Report, which is the highest-ranking available. Ms. Perczak has more than thirty years of experience as a Colorado trial lawyer and has successfully handled many large construction defect cases for Colorado homeowners and homeowner associations. In 2020, Ms. Perczak was lead trial counsel in a lengthy arbitration where she...
Deborah Cazan is an experienced construction attorney and dedicated business counselor. One hundred percent of her practice over the past 16 years has focused on representing clients in litigation, arbitration and mediation of construction, development and real estate related disputes, including claims for delay, acceleration, interference, defective construction, defective design, scope changes and other issues. She has prosecuted and defended high-profile and high-dollar claims all over the...
Zan is one of the firm’s generalists, as well as a lead trial lawyer. He has tried many cases before juries, judges and administrative agencies in employment discrimination, union-management and employee benefits cases. Zan has presented arguments to several federal and state appellate courts. He advises companies concerning structuring the relationships with workers and clients, whether as employment, leased employee or independent contractor arrangements to minimize legal risks and pr...
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