Scott is a member of the firm’s Trusts and Estates and Tax Practice Groups. Part of Scott’s practice focuses on estate planning strategies designed to minimize estate and other taxes, as well as ensure that assets left under a decedent’s will or trust for family members can be effectively and efficiently managed. In addition, Scott has significant experience in advising clients with respect to the administration of trusts and estates, and handling trust and estate litigation...

Hal has a general litigation practice and has defended civil cases in state and federal court for over 20 years. He has tried well over 50 jury trials to verdict in practically every courthouse in Alabama. Hal handles a broad list of matters including product liability actions, fraud, breach of contract and bad faith claims against insurance companies, insurance agents and other companies, wrongful death claims, medical and legal malpractice cases, hospital and nursing home liability and work...

Wendell's practice focuses on representing financial institutions in government enforcement actions, regulatory compliance matters, internal audits, and real property controversies. Wendell’s litigation experience is broad, having represented clients in a wide variety of matters but with a particular focus in financial services, consumer finance, real property and construction litigation. In addition to litigation, his practice includes performing internal risk assessments and regulator...

Russell Q. Allison is a founding shareholder of Carr Allison and serves as the firm’s president. Resident in the Birmingham (AL) office, Russ advises and represents clients in a broad range of businesses with an emphasis on clients in the insurance industry. Russ is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in Alabama and before the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Russ sits on the board of the EC Defense Network, which he co-founded in 2016, and is se...

Tom Ansley is a shareholder in Dentons’ Birmingham, Alabama office, where he is a member of the Real Estate and Corporate practice groups. He serves as corporate counsel to a diverse range of clients, including real estate developers and investors, commercial and project lenders, and healthcare providers, advising them on the intricacies of state and local laws and regulations, financial matters, industry concerns, and risk allocation. Ansley is involved in the financing, negotiation, e...

Jim Archibald is a partner in the firm's Construction and Procurement Practice Group. Jim has represented general contractors, owners, developers, engineering firms, subcontractors and vendors at every stage of a construction project, including the initiation of the project, the preparation of contract documents, bid preparation, bid mistakes, bid protests, change order negotiations, project correspondence, claim preparation, terminations, and final dispute resolution through negotiation, med...

Leon Ashford has been a trial lawyer for 42 years. Throughout the course of his career, Mr. Ashford has a proven record of consistently obtaining multimillion dollar jury verdicts and settlements for his clients, their families and their small businesses. Though he has always focused his practice on complex litigation involving catastrophic personal injuries and wrongful death, he has recently been called upon to represent family-owned and closely held businesses in litigation which threatene...

Bill Athanas represents companies and individuals in government enforcement matters, focusing on federal grand jury investigations. He has almost 30 years of white-collar experience, roughly a third of which was spent as a federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C. and Birmingham. Bill has handled hundreds of complex criminal cases and represented clients in all facets of those matters – whether as subjects, targets or witnesses, or those who simply receive subpoenas for documents. In repre...

Bill Averett is a member of Dentons Sirote's Landlord's Rights practice in the Birmingham, Alabama office. Bill's extensive trial experience includes representing national banks and lenders in all matters of creditor rights and collection, including appellate and bankruptcy proceedings. His high rate of success consists of obtaining settlements through both formal and informal channels. Bill graduated from the University of Alabama with a BA and from Samford University's Cumberland School of ...

Anne Knox Averitt has extensive experience in labor and employment matters and commercial litigation. She works in the Birmingham office and represents clients of all sizes, from Fortune 500 companies to family-owned businesses in a number of industries, including retail, automotive, natural resources, manufacturing, healthcare, non-profit, communications, construction, and financial services. She also handles cases before arbitrators, administrative law judges, and federal and state court ju...

Jason Avery is a member of the Firm’s Real Estate Practice Group and the Natural Resources and Banking and Financial Services Practice Teams. Unlike many other lawyers who concentrate in either a transactional practice or litigation, Jason represents clients in both areas, splitting his time between real estate transactional matters and real estate and mortgage litigation. This hybrid practice allows Jason to think progressively on transactional matters by understanding potential areas ...

Marc James Ayers is a member of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP's Appellate Litigation Group. He represents individual, corporate and governmental clients before state and federal appellate and trial courts. Marc is listed in Best Lawyers in Americain the field of Appellate Law, and has handled numerous appeals in the U.S. Courts of Appeals, the Alabama Supreme Court, the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals, and other state appellate courts. He has also represented clients on petitions for certio...

James has experience with both debtor and creditor representation in bankruptcy, out-of-court workouts and restructurings, and bankruptcy-related litigation. He also regularly represents commercial lenders and mortgage servicers in federal court commercial litigation. James has represented debtors in Chapter 11 bankruptcy in matters involving numerous complex issues under the bankruptcy code, including termination of employee and retiree benefits and going concern sales free and clear of clai...

Jennifer Baker is a shareholder in Carr Allison’s Jacksonville (FL) office. Her practice focuses on defending matters involving commercial motor vehicle liability and governmental liability, as well as Medicare Secondary Payer issues. Jennifer is admitted to practice in Alabama and Florida and before the US District Court for the Northern and Middle Districts of Florida. Jennifer graduated from the University of Georgia, earning her Bachelor of Science degree in psychology. She earned h...

Tammy L. Baker is office managing principal of the Birmingham, Alabama, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. She has experience in all aspects of workplace law, including multi-plaintiff and class action litigation. Tammy regularly advises employers on complex issues, including compliance with the FMLA and other employment laws. She lectures frequently on employment-related topics, including at national conferences sponsored by the Society for Human Resource Management. While attending law school, Ta...

Steve Ball is a shareholder with Carr Allison residing in the firm’s Birmingham, Alabama office. Steve represents local and national clients in their business litigation and corporate matters arising both in Alabama and other states. His diversified practice includes the representation of his clients, both as plaintiffs or defendants, in their litigation and transactional needs. Steve has litigated numerous contractually based claims for his clients and also has extensive experience in ...

Nancy Ball practices in the areas of trusts and estates, including estate planning and estate administration, taxation, real estate and corporate law. Nancy is a member of the Estate Planning Council of Birmingham, Inc. and the Alabama Planned Giving Council, and serves as the secretary of the Probate Section of the Birmingham Bar Association. She is also a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). Nancy is the author of Navigating Estate Planning Before, During and ...

Bryan Balogh focuses his practice on complex business litigation involving disputes with significant risk and damages, with a particular emphasis on class action litigation involving corporations and financial institutions. Industry sources praise Mr. Balogh on his practice, saying: "He is extremely knowledgeable and an expert on class actions. He also has a good demeanor with judges and other lawyers, he will take the higher ground and get the best result because of it." – Chambers USA...

Katherine N. Barr is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office. She is a member of the Trusts, Estates & Wealth Preservation practice group and leads the Dentons Sirote Special Needs Planning team. As a lawyer in the Trusts, Estates & Wealth Preservation practice group, Katherine advises clients in planning their estates to accomplish their goals for asset distribution to beneficiaries while minimizing their estate and income tax liabilities. Katherine handles...

Taylor Bartlett represents clients in complex litigation involving significant damages claims at both the trial and appellate levels. He has extensive experience in consumer class actions and pharmaceutical mass tort litigation. Since joining the firm in 2011, Taylor has successfully represented over 5,000 individuals and businesses throughout the United States. Taylor has also been appointed class counsel on multiple consumer class action lawsuits that resulted in settlements to the classes ...

Robert Baugh is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office, where he serves as chair of the Dentons Sirote Litigation practice group. Robert has been engaged in the practice of law continuously since 1982. Robert represents clients in insurance, business, and product liability cases in both state and federal courts throughout the Southeast. He has obtained favorable results for Fortune 500 companies as well as privately held companies. In addition to his litigation pra...

Julia Bernstein’s practice focuses on all aspects of the representation of lenders and borrowers in secured and unsecured transactions, finance transactions involving commercial real estate, corporate finance transactions and multi-state transactions. Julia frequently issues legal opinions in connection with multi-state projects and as local counsel for transactions originated outside of Alabama secured by real property located within the state.

Lee Birchall’s practice focuses on public finance in Alabama, where he serves as bond counsel to cities, counties, utilities, school boards, and various other types of governmental entities that issue tax-exempt and taxable securities. He also represents cities and counties in negotiations with private developers for economic development transactions. In addition to representing public bodies, Lee has experience serving as counsel to underwriters, trustee banks and commercial banks in t...

M. STANFORD BLANTON serves on the Firm’s Executive Committee and is a member of the Energy Practice Group. His practice is focused on the representation of the owners, operators and purchasers of electric generating facilities, with special emphasis on nuclear development, regulation and policy. Blanton represents the owner and operator of the first new nuclear reactors ordered in the United States in thirty years on matters ranging from the formation and implementation of contracts for...

Joseph Bluestein is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office. He is a member of the Trusts, Estates & Wealth Preservation practice group. Joseph’s practice focuses on business, tax, and succession planning issues, particularly for closely held, family-owned businesses and professional medical and legal practices, providing counsel to all in connection with corporate, legal, and financial problems—and solutions. Joe negotiates and structures sales and ...

Axel Bolvig focuses his practice on construction law and government contracts. He joined Bradley after earning engineering and law degrees from Duke University. He has represented some of the nation’s largest and most successful federal contractors on projects throughout the country. For example, he has handled claims and counseled clients on federal hospital projects in Atlanta, Baltimore, Bay Pines (FL), Birmingham, Cape Coral (FL), Dallas, Detroit, Fort Bragg (NC), Fort Hood (TX), Ne...

Kane is particularly active in the public education sector, where he has represented both public universities and boards of education on tax and finance matters, and he currently serves on the faculty of the University of Alabama's academy for finance training for new school superintendents and chief school financial officers. In addition to bond counsel engagements, he has served as company counsel and bank counsel in letter-of-credit backed transactions, as lender’s counsel in direct ...

Ellis Brazeal is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group. Ellis has more than 30 years of experience in commercial litigation, including all levels of state, federal, and bankruptcy courts. He represents and advises financial institutions and other entities regarding corporate restructuring, and handles construction, surety, and government contract litigation. He is recognized for his work by legal publications, and he regularly lectures on bankruptcy, contract litigation, and ethics. Elli...

Steven Brickman is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office. He is a member of the Real Estate practice group. Steven is a trusted advisor, helping clients navigate all aspects of the commercial real estate development process, from land acquisition and financing to leasing and planning. His additional areas of experience include the acquisition and sale of businesses and representing clients in general business matters, as well as health law corporate compliance.

Rick Brown provides a full range of services related to the traditional labor and employment law practice. His services related to the avoidance of unionization range from advice concerning all aspects of employee relations and the formulation of policies and practices to legal advice during and after union organizational efforts, union decertification drives and union deauthorization proceedings. Rick's involvement with union organizing includes clients located throughout the country in manu...

Mike Brown is the head of the Real Estate Litigation Team at the firm. Mike is a member of the firm’s Environmental and Toxic Tort Practice Group and the General Litigation Practice Group. Mike’s emphasis in both practice groups is on real property and land use matters. Because of this emphasis in his practice, Mike also works very closely with the Real Estate Group. For the past several years, Mike has served as an adjunct Professor at the University of Alabama School of Law wher...

Bill's law practice focuses on a wide variety of tax, corporate and business matters, including deferred compensation, equity based incentive plans and the purchase and sale of owner-managed businesses - with an emphasis on developing exit strategies for the family or closely-held business owner. He also counsels clients on various federal, state and local tax issues. Thriving on creative solutions to complex issues, and believing that “if you are through changing, you are through&rdquo...

Kane Burnette’s primary practice involves serving as bond counsel to municipalities, counties, boards of education and public corporations throughout Alabama on both publicly underwritten and privately placed tax-exempt financings. Kane is particularly active in the public education sector, where he has represented both public universities and boards of education on tax and finance matters, and he currently serves on the faculty of the University of Alabama's academy for finance trainin...

Gerald Burnett practices on a multi-regional basis in all areas of commercial real estate, tax-free exchanges, tax law and disputes, commercial transactions, timber law and wealth transfer planning. He has had substantial experience in the litigation of tax controversies, having tried jury and non-jury tax cases in eight states. He has served as lead counsel in, negotiated and closed commercial real estate transactions in eighteen states. Some of his out-of-state work includes commercial proj...

J. Winston Busby is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office, where he is a member of the Trusts, Estates and Wealth Preservation practice. Winston provides counsel to individuals, families, and business owners on estate planning, trust planning, wealth preservation, probate, and tax planning, emphasizing strategies to minimize both estate and income taxes. He also works with closely held business owners on a variety of issues, including generational transfers and su...

Jason Bushby provides regulatory compliance, enforcement, and litigation assistance to a range of financial services clients across the country. On the compliance and enforcement side, Jason assists numerous clients as they bring their operations into compliance with various obligations imposed on them by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), including the Mortgage Servicing Final Rules in Regulations X and Z and the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure Rule. He also advises clients on...

Beau Byrd has extensive experience representing developers, owners, and financial institutions in a wide variety of commercial real estate transactions, including NMTC, Senior Housing, Retail, Office, and Multi-Family. The experience Beau obtained being a law clerk to a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge and practicing as a bankruptcy attorney in the early years of his career gives him a unique advantage in dealing with commercial real estate during these challenging times. Beau is immediate past Presiden...

Todd Carlisle is a shareholder and former president (2015–2022) of Dentons Sirote in Alabama. He is a member of the Corporate practice group and leads the Dentons Sirote Mergers and Acquisitions team. His practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions and general corporate representation with an emphasis in the financial services and forest products industries. Todd represents national property/casualty and life insurance distribution platforms, broker-dealers, regional and national banks...