Best Lawyers® - Purely Peer Review™
by Their Peers
"Lawyer of the Year" Honorees {{Geolocation}}
Scott Friedman is an OSBA Board Certified Specialist in Family Relations Law. Mr. Friedman is also licensed to practice law in the State of Florida. Mr. Friedman was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio and attended The Columbus Academy. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Miami University and his Juris Doctorate from Capital University Law School, where he was honored with the Order of the Curia. Scott served as President Chair of the American Bar Association Family Law Section for 2013-2014 ...
David P. Meyer is the founder and managing principal of the Meyer Wilson Werning law firm. David is a financial fraud attorney with more than twenty-five years’ of experience in federal and state trial courts and arbitration cases, representing clients from all over the world. David has the honor of winning a record-breaking $261 million class action jury verdict against Prudential Securities on behalf of 200 retirees. David filed the class action lawsuit back in 1999 when he was 29 yea...
Joseph R. Durham is a member of Eastman & Smith and has represented cities, counties, local health districts, solid waste management districts, townships and villages in environmental law and litigation and public health law. Mr. Durham has represented clients before the Ohio Department of Health, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Review Appeals Commission, Ohio Department of Commerce, Ohio Board of Pharmacy, Ohio Real Estate Commission, county boards of revision (real e...
Marc J. Kessler is an experienced trial lawyer who is widely regarded as one of the nation’s preeminent business litigators. He has extensive experience with large scale, “bet-the-company” matters and is widely recognized for his ability to handle the most complex and critical litigation issues . Marc’s expertise includes complex commercial transactions, procurement, healthcare, trade secrets and non-competition, product liability, business torts, real estate, intellec...
Matthew R. Wilson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs. Matthew R., who practices law in Columbus, Ohio, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Matthew R. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Peter W. Hahn is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Construction Law and Litigation - Construction. Peter W., who practices law in Columbus, Ohio, has been recognized since 2017. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Peter W. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Jane Higgins Marx joined Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP in August 2000 and practices estate and business planning, probate, probate litigation, business succession planning and elder law. Jane counsels individuals, business owners, executives and caregivers on matters of estate planning, estate and gift taxation, income taxation of trusts and estates, charitable giving, business succession and probate. She provides comprehensive planning for disability, including counseling on special needs...
James E. Arnold is recognized as one of Ohio's top trial lawyers. He was recognized by Best Lawyers as Central Ohio's "Securities Litigation Lawyer of the Year" in 2012, as the "Bet-The-Company Litigation Lawyer of the Year" in 2013, 2016, 2021, 2024 and 2026, and as the "Intellectual Property Litigation Lawyer of the Year" in 2014. Since 2001 he has consistently been recognized by Best Lawyers in multiple fields, including bet-the-company, personal injury (plaintiffs and defense), commercial...
Joseph J. Golian is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Insurance Law and Transportation Law. Joseph J., who practices law in Columbus, Ohio, has been recognized since 2013. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Joseph J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Bill Nolan serves as managing partner of the firm’s Ohio office, which he opened in 2009. Bill works to bring attentiveness and clarity to bear on employment, contract and other disputes, but is most passionate about helping clients build teams, policies and processes to minimize the frequency, cost and severity of disputes. Bill's litigation and trial work includes covenant not to compete and trade secret cases in many states. He regularly represents employers in discrimination and dis...
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Paul Garinger is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Insurance Law. Paul, who practices law in Columbus, Ohio, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Paul is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Jeffrey R. Wahl is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law. Jeffrey R., who practices law in Columbus, Ohio, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jeffrey R. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Brandon Borgmann joined Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP in September of 2008 and practices in the areas of estate planning, business succession planning, probate, special needs law and tax. Brandon represents individuals, business owners and families concerning estate planning, tax planning and business succession planning. He also represents executors and trustees with respect to administration of estates and trusts, probate litigation and taxation.
Gage has represented clients in a variety of matters in state and federal trial courts throughout Ohio, the Ohio courts of appeals, the Ohio Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. Gage has a practice focused on complex commercial and tort litigation, with an emphasis in appellate advocacy. Gage is a Best Lawyers® for appellate Advocacy, an Ohio Super Lawyer® and AV Preeminent® rated lawyer from Martindale Hubble. In 201...
Mary Barley-McBride is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants. Mary, who practices law in Columbus, Ohio, has been recognized since 2007. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Mary is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Joel has broad experience, starting with his education at Ohio University, where he majored in accounting and was a member of campus honorary organizations Blue Key and Omicron Delta Kappa. Joel obtained his Juris Doctor from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. He was a partner in two regional law firms, served as General Counsel for a large franchising company, and for the last several years has been the owner of The Mirman Law Firm. For over 30 years, Joel has earned Martindale...
Dave Thomas is a partner in Taft’s Compliance, Investigations, and White Collar Defense practice. He advises and represents companies, executives, public officials, health care providers, and other professionals who are the subject of state and federal investigations and prosecutions involving the United States Department of Justice and the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, as well as county prosecutors throughout the state. He has defended clients in complex matters involving feder...
Dave Swift is an of-counsel at Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP and a Family Wealth & Estate Planning Group member. He practices estate planning, estate and trust administration and also engages in the representation of tax-exempt organizations. Dave represents individuals, business owners and families concerning estate planning, tax planning and business succession planning.
Alex Brown is a member of Dickinson Wright in Columbus, Ohio. He practices business transactional law, with an emphasis on advising privately-held and venture-capital backed companies in capital raising, mergers & acquisitions, and transactions involving technology, software, outsourcing, electronic commerce and intellectual property. He serves as outside counsel to a number of companies, from startup software businesses to national healthcare technology companies. Other areas of his prac...
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