Super Lawyers 2014 recently revealed its honorees for Southwest Super Lawyers (covering Arizona and New Mexico) and Washington D.C. Super Lawyers. In Husch Blackwell’s Phoenix, Ariz., office, associate Benjamin J. Kelly was named a Rising Star in the area of Estate Planning & Probate law. In Washington D.C., partner Michael A. Gatje was named a Super Lawyer in the area of Construction Litigation and associate Matthew J. Gaziano was named a Rising Star in the area of Government Contracts. This is the first year Kelly and Gaziano have been honored.
Only up to 5 percent of attorneys per jurisdiction 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 two-and-a-half 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.