Find Lawyers in America for Appellate Practice
Practice Area Overview
Appellate practice involves different skills and strategic considerations than trial practice. On appeal, the focus shifts from developing and proving facts (through discovery, examining witnesses, and trial) to the legal issues that decide the case. Effective appellate advocacy thus demands a formulation of the issues that is focused on what is important to a panel of appellate judges deciding the case.
In formulating the issues on appeal, an appellate lawyer conducts thorough legal research; analyzes the legal issues in light of the rule-making and policy considerations that shape the development of law; and then presents the facts and those issues and arguments selected for appeal concisely in a persuasive appellate brief.
The importance of a well-crafted appellate brief cannot be exaggerated. Appellate briefs receive greater judicial scrutiny than written materials prepared at trial because they are reviewed by a panel of judges, rather than a single judge, along with those judges’ larger legal staff, under comparatively less time pressure than exists in the trial court. As one appellate court has explained, appellate work is “most assuredly not the recycling of trial level points and authorities” but instead “entails rigorous original work in its own right” and “offers counsel probably their best opportunity to craft work of original, professional, and, on occasion, literary value.” In re Marriage of Shaban, 88 Cal. App. 4th 398, 408-10 (2001).
After the appellate briefing, oral argument is an opportunity to engage in a dialogue with the appellate judges regarding the issues in the case. To be effective, appellate oral advocacy must be keyed to the unique concerns of the appellate forum – avoiding emotional or fact-based pleas that may play well before a jury, but instead focusing on the dispositive legal issues, being sure to answer the judges’ questions.
In addition to the practice in the appellate courts, appellate lawyers play important roles in the trial courts. Appellate lawyers collaborate with trial counsel on strategic and tactical matters to raise all applicable arguments and make the appropriate trial record, identifying and preserving legal issues as they arise and crafting effective motions on substantive legal issues – before, during, and after trial.
Therefore, involving an appellate lawyer in a case as early as possible is important to ensure the best chance of success both at trial and on appeal.
Select a location from the list below to find the best legal talent for your needs.
State
Civil procedure expert Alexandra Wilson Albright joined the firm full-time as a partner in 2017, after many years of dual service to The University of Texas School of Law and to the firm as of-counsel. Professor Albright’s career as a member of the faculty focused on federal and Texas civil procedure, and her service included many years’ as the school’s Associate Dean. Professor Albright is highly regarded as an expert in the rules of trial and appellate procedure and is Boa...
Doug Alexander is widely regarded as one of the premier advocates specializing in practice before the Supreme Court of Texas and is listed by Texas Super Lawyers as one of the Top 10 lawyers in Texas. Doug is the 2013 recipient of the Texas Bar Foundation's Gregory S. Coleman Outstanding Appellate Lawyer Award; was selected as the 2017 Austin Appellate Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers in America; and is listed in the Texas Lawyer Go-To Guide as one of five "Top-Notch Lawyers" in Texas for A...
Mr. Alford represents public utilities and other clients in a variety of matters, including commercial and tort litigation, regulatory proceedings, and contract and property issues. Representative cases include construction disputes, securities actions, antitrust and unfair trade practice claims, medical licensing, and consumer litigation. Mr. Alford also counsels clients concerning regulatory compliance, employment, and general business issues. Mr. Alford graduated from Louisiana State Unive...
Ben is the consummate trial attorney: A masterful storyteller who distills even the most complex set of facts and legal principles into highly persuasive written and oral advocacy. And he does it all in the singular service of his clients. Benjamin Allee represents clients in criminal investigations and prosecutions and in civil litigation. He joined Yankwitt LLP after serving more than a decade as an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in the Criminal Division of the United States Attorn...
Marisa Allen is board-certified in civil appellate law. As part of the strong team of trial attorneys at Martin Walker Law, her focus is getting justice and achieving exceptional results. Marisa is a diligent advocate for your rights. As a board-certified, trial-ready attorney, she will prepare your case with her eye on winning in the courtroom, not finding the speediest way to settle. When you have a tough legal problem, you want a tough attorney who will listen to you and get the job done. ...
Julia Ambrose provides transactional and regulatory counsel to media companies navigating the rapidly-changing video programming industry. She is also an experienced litigator, well-versed in commercial and constitutional litigation in all levels of state and federal trial and appellate courts. Technology is evolving rapidly, but the laws and regulations governing broadcast television have not always kept pace. Julia has significant experience helping media companies and broadcast trade assoc...
Chris Anulewicz is a deeply experienced trial and appellate lawyer. Among the many cases he has tried and handled, he has a particular love of representing clients whose businesses and freedom are imperiled by overly aggressive plaintiffs or prosecutors. For more than 20 years, Chris has represented clients in complex civil and white-collar criminal business cases and intellectual property disputes, including cases involving theft of trade secrets, confidential computer information and other ...
Natalie Armour offers experience in trial and appellate matters involving mass torts, pharmaceutical and medical device litigation, and other types of products liability claims, personal injury matters and business litigation. A key member of the Issues and Appeals Section of The Lanier Law Firm in Houston, Ms. Armour has briefed appellate matters before the Texas Supreme Court, Texas Courts of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, Eighth Circuit, and Court of Appeals for the Eastern District of Missouri. ...
Marianne M. Auld is the managing partner of Kelly Hart and the chair of the firm’s Appellate section. She has briefed and argued dozens of appeals in both state and federal courts of appeals. Ms. Auld began her career as a law clerk on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Following her clerkship, she joined Kelly Hart as an associate in the firm’s litigation section, where she worked on a wide range of civil matters for clients including governmental entities ...
Joseph has achieved notable success for his commercial litigation, bankruptcy/creditors’ rights, health care and technology clients—and recognition by his peers and legal organizations for top performance—by working to understand clients’ underlying business issues and goals, and then tailoring innovative solutions to their complex problems. His client-focused approach also extends to numerous Asian clients, helping guide them through the American legal system. Having ...
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...
In the last five years, Clayton Bailey has saved his clients approximately $500 million in potential exposure. His practice focuses on the litigation and trial of complex tort and commercial litigation matters. His experience includes handling contract disputes, business torts, RICO, ERISA, employment law, trade secrets, deceptive trade practices, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, antitrust, Packers and Stockyards Act, and wrongful death. Mr. Bailey’s litigation experience also includes ...
Fred Banks, a former Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court, trial judge and legislator, practices in the areas of appellate litigation, commercial litigation, and alternate dispute resolution in the state and federal courts of Mississippi. He has represented corporate clients in a wide variety of matters including consumer lending, trade secret infringement, property taxation, first amendment issues and contract disputes. After serving on the state supreme court for eleven years and before...
Ms. Barger has experience in both trial and appellate matters. In private practice, she has assisted in or handled all phases of litigation for a wide variety of clients involved in insurance defense and coverage, products liability, premises liability, personal injury, and commercial lawsuits in state and federal court. While at the Fourteenth Court of Appeals, she researched legal and factual issues, made recommendations to the judges, and assisted the judges in drafting and editing opinion...
Judy Y. Barrasso is a founding member of the law firm of Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver, L.L.C., a New Orleans litigation firm ranked among the top litigation firms in Louisiana. Her practice focuses on commercial litigation, and includes complex commercial litigation matters and class actions involving insurance coverage and bad faith, director and officer liability, securities fraud, and commercial contracts. Judy has handled matters in at least twelve states. Judy has been r...
Campbell D. Barrett chairs the Family Law practice and focuses primarily on matrimonial and appellate matters. He has been named a Top 50 Connecticut Super Lawyer multiple times and in 2016 was named a Top 100 New England Super Lawyer. He has also been recognized by Best Lawyers in the area of family law. Campbell has participated in scores of bench and jury trials on a wide variety of complicated family, civil, administrative and criminal matters in Connecticut's state and federal courts. In...
Stephen Barrick began his career more than 20 years ago as a law clerk in Houston, Texas, where he worked at the federal district court. He later joined international firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, where he practiced trial and appellate law. Since 2008, Mr. Barrick has made his home at Hick Thomas LLP, where he focuses on business litigation and appeals. Mr. Barrick is Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He has earned selection to Texas...
H.S. Bartlett III ("Tad") heads up Fishman Haygood's Appellate Practice Section, as well as practicing more broadly in the firm's Litigation Section. Tad joined Fishman Haygood as special counsel after practicing in a diverse range of legal areas for more than twenty years. He first practiced under the Louisiana student practice rule in 1999 as a member of the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, before graduating magna cum laude and Order of the Coif from Tulane Law School in 2000. While at Tula...
Nothing defines an appellate lawyer more than writing ability. Chad Baruch wrote one of the most acclaimed appellate briefs in American history while representing what the New York Times called “a glittering array of hip hop stars.” The “Hip Hop Brief” went viral and received national media coverage including articles in New Yorker and Rolling Stone. One newspaper called it “the greatest amicus brief in Supreme Court history.” Chad’s work focuses on h...
Armando is a commercial and real estate litigator and is leader of the Distressed Commercial Debt Litigation team. He represents businesses and owners in a wide variety of contractual, shareholder and commercial realty disputes. He devotes a large portion of his practice to representing holders of commercial debt in all aspects of work-outs, foreclosures, receiverships and guaranty enforcement actions. I focus my practice on the following areas: Distressed Commercial Debt I represent special ...
Sharon Baumgold is an expert in the arcane science of California appellate writs. She spent nearly four decades as a writs attorney on the California Court of Appeal’s Second District. There, she reviewed, analyzed, and advised appellate justices on more than 10,000 appellate writ petitions in all areas of state law, including arbitration, business and commercial litigation, employment, entertainment, government, insurance, real estate, and probate law. Frequent topics included jurisdic...
Chris focuses his practice in representing clients in complex commercial disputes, serving as trial counsel in federal court, state court, arbitration tribunals, and administrative proceedings. His experience in business litigation spans a wide range of claims, including breach of contract, construction, corporate fraud, tortious interference, and unfair competition. Chris has significant appellate experience, including a federal appellate clerkship and cases before state and federal appellat...
Christopher N. Bellows is an appellate attorney who has handled complex civil appeals in the Supreme Court of Florida, all Florida District Courts of Appeal and the federal appellate courts. Mr. Bellows also has significant experience in complex commercial litigation, including areas of contract law, Uniform Commercial Code, business torts, foreclosures, receiverships, replevins, construction disputes, landlord-tenant litigation, product liability, personal injury, first amendment, employment...
Education : University of California, San Diego (B.A., History Honors 1977); McGill University, Montreal, Canada (M.A., 1980; LL.B., 1983). Comments Editor, McGill Law Journal. Admitted to : California State Bar; U.S. Supreme Court; U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and Tenth Circuit; U.S. District Courts in California. Professional Experience : Associate, Horvitz & Levy (1987-1993); Associate, Lewitt, Hackman, Hoefflin, Shapiro & Marshall (1985-1987); Associate, Elmer Low P...
Michael Bentley is a partner in the Jackson, Mississippi office, where he concentrates his practice on appellate and commercial litigation. In addition to his responsibilities at the firm, Michael was elected Chair of the Mississippi Bar Association’s Appellate Practice Section (2013-2014) and currently serves on the Board of Governors for the Bar Association of the Federal Fifth Circuit. Prior to joining the firm, Michael clerked for Judge Leslie H. Southwick at the Fifth Circuit Court...
Michael Berger is one of California’s preeminent appellate lawyers and is a partner in Manatt Real Estate and the appellate practice. One of the top land use and condemnation lawyers in the United States, his appellate cases have involved planning, zoning, eminent domain, various kinds of business litigation, landslides, contract, due process, equal protection, defective construction, nuisance, insurance and environmental law. Michael has argued four cases before the United States Supre...
A highly skilled civil, criminal, and appellate litigator, Joel Bertocchi handles appeals in state and federal courts and represents clients in connection with criminal and regulatory investigations and proceedings, providing counsel on compliance policies and related issues. He has argued cases in the U.S. Supreme Court and multiple federal Circuits and state appellate courts, and served as Illinois’ Solicitor General, the chief appellate lawyer for the State. A former federal prosecut...
Lo Bielby is an experienced trial and appellate lawyer who appears throughout Florida in all Courts, representing business as well as state and municipal entities with complex commercial and civil litigation, smoking and health cases, medical product disputes, regulatory administrative matters, employment, medical cannabis regulatory items, and select criminal matters. Lo is regularly listed in The Best Lawyers in America and has completed more than 100 jury trials, as well as bench and admin...
Thomas “Tom” H. Bienert, Jr. is a highly experienced trial attorney who handles the spectrum of litigation matters. After spending ten years as a federal prosecutor and two years at a national law firm, Tom founded Bienert Katzman Littrell Williams LLP (BKLW) in 2000 and steadily grew the firm to its current size through the addition of other trial attorneys. Since starting the firm, he has obtained many multi-million dollar verdicts for plaintiffs in civil cases, multiple zero-su...
Wes Black’s practice combines the determination of a high-stakes trial lawyer with the exacting focus of a veteran appellate attorney. Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Wes represents clients involved in catastrophic injury cases and high-stakes business disputes. He has briefed and argued cases before both state and federal appellate courts, including numerous Texas Courts of Appeals, the Texas Supreme Court, and the Fifth Circuit Court ...
A former justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia, Keith Blackwell offers clients uncommon insight as they navigate high-stakes lawsuits and appeals. When clients are confronted in litigation with issues of first impression, unfavorable precedents, esoteric law, or an appeal from an adverse judgment, they turn to Justice Blackwell for strategic guidance informed by his judicial experience. Keith Blackwell served more than eight years as a justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia and served near...
Stacy D. Blank practices primarily in the area of appellate and general commercial litigation. She has litigated appeals in the Florida District Courts of Appeal, the Florida Supreme Court, and the United States Circuit Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and Eleventh Circuits. She has handled appeals and trial court litigation in numerous subject areas including trust and estates, antitrust, employment law, state and federal taxation, environmental law, family law, administrative law, intellectu...
Michael B. Bogdanow is a Principal and Director of Meehan, Boyle, Black & Bogdanow, P.C., and oversees all of its appellate litigation. He has handled numerous appeals on a wide range of issues. Attorney Bogdanow successfully handled the appeal of a $63 million verdict on behalf of his firm's clients, a young girl who was given over the counter Children’s Motrin® to treat a mild fever (and her parents, who were also plaintiffs in the case). She developed the side-effects Stevens...
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 ...
Bonnie Boryca is a member of Erickson | Sederstrom’s labor & employment, litigation, and appellate practice groups. Her practice focuses on advising and resolving employment matters, complex commercial and business litigation, technology litigation, and trust and estate disputes. Bonnie has the experience to assist clients in reaching resolutions and achieving results. Bonnie frequently advises employers and business owners regarding HR policies and procedures. She helps guide emplo...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.