Husch Blackwell is pleased to announce that three of its attorneys have been named to Nebraska’s 2013 Great Plains Super Lawyers and Rising Stars list, and 10 have been named to the 2013 Texas Super Lawyers and Rising Stars list. In addition, Austin Partner Thomas Watkins has been named a Top 50 Super Lawyer in Central and West Texas.
Michael S. Degan of Omaha, Neb., and Gene Summerlin of Lincoln, Neb., were named 2013 Great Plains Super Lawyers in the area of Business Litigation. In addition, Henry L. Wiedrich of Omaha, Neb., was named a 2013 Great Plains Rising Star in Employment & Labor law. This marks Wiedrich’s first year on the list.
The following Husch Blackwell attorneys working in Austin, Texas, were named 2013 Texas Super Lawyers: Heidi Bloch in Appellate law; David W. Hilgers in Health Care law; R. Keith Hopson in Environmental law; Hal Katz in Health Care law; Stephen W. Lemmon in Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights law; and Thomas H. Watkins, a Top 50 Central and West Texas Super Lawyer, in Business Litigation law. Two Austin attorneys were named 2013 Rising Stars: Rhonda B. Mates, in the area of Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights and Daniel R. Smith, in Business Litigation law. This is Mates’ first year on the list.
In the firm’s Dallas, Texas, office, Robert W. Dupuy was named a 2013 Texas Super Lawyer in the area of Real Estate law. Kevin Koronka made the list for the first time as a 2013 Texas Rising Star in the area of Employment & Labor law.
Only up to 5 percent of attorneys in a state are named Super Lawyers. Selecting the attorneys involves an in-depth, measurable process. Peer nominations by seasoned attorneys followed by detailed evaluations are matched against third-party research. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. Selections are made on a state-by-state basis annually.
No more than 2.5 percent of attorneys in a state are named Rising Stars. The lawyers who make this list must be under 40 years old or have less than 10 years of legal experience. They go through the same selection process as Super Lawyers, excluding the peer evaluations.