Husch Blackwell Boasts 106 BL Rankings' Best Lawyers on 2015 List, Seven "Lawyers of the Year"

A well-respected peer-review publication, Best Lawyers released its new rankings for 2015. This year, 106 Husch Blackwell attorneys were selected as leaders in their respective fields. Best Lawyers also named seven Husch Blackwell attorneys as “Lawyers of the Year.”

With a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area distinguished as the “Lawyer of the Year,” this honor is particularly significant. Husch Blackwell’s 2015 “Lawyers of the Year” are:

• James M. Ash: Kansas City, Mo. — Mergers and Acquisitions Law 
• Craig S. Biesterfeld: St. Louis, Mo. — Land Use and Zoning Law 
• *Steven F. Carman: Kansas City, Mo. — Corporate Law 
• Gary H. Feder: St. Louis, Mo., Litigation — Real Estate 
• Patricia L. Martin: Kansas City, Mo. — Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law 
• John R. Phillips: Kansas City, Mo. — Arbitration 
• Mary H. Stuart: Denver, Labor Law — Management

First published in 1983, Best Lawyers is based on a national survey involving more than 5.5 million detailed evaluations of lawyers by other lawyers.

Husch Blackwell’s 2015 Best Lawyers honorees are listed by location, followed by their practice area(s) and the first year of recognition. Five attorneys have been listed for the first time this year: Kevin Kelley of Denver, John Crossley of Kansas City, Mo., Carrie Hermeling and David Human of St. Louis, Mo., and Bill Demarest of Washington, D.C. Their names are bolded in the lists below.

ARIZONA

Phoenix

• Christopher E. Erblich — Trusts and Estates (2007)

COLORADO

Denver

• Jeffrey A. Chase — Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, First Amendment Law (1989)
• Winn W. Halverhout — Health Care Law, Tax Law (2011)
• Paul A. Jacobs — Real Estate Law (2006)
• Kevin H. Kelley — Real Estate Law (2015)
• Fred Miles — Health Care Law (1993)
• Jim Miles — Health Care Law (2013)
• Mary H. Stuart — Commercial Litigation, Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment (2011)
• Lawrence M. Zavadil — Commercial Litigation (2013)

ILLINOIS

Chicago

• Edward D. Manzo — Litigation – Intellectual Property, Litigation – Patent (2010)

MISSOURI

Jefferson City

• Harvey M. Tettlebaum — Health Care Law (1995)

Kansas City

• Stephen T. Adams — Health Care Law, Real Estate Law (1993)
• James M. Ash — Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law (1995)
• Gary D. Barnes — Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation – Bankruptcy (1995)
• Mark T. Benedict — Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation – Bankruptcy (2008)
• *Steven F. Carman — Corporate Law, Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law (2005)
• Curt J. Chase — Health Care Law (2007)
• John C. Crossley — Real Estate Law (2015)
• John J. Cruciani — Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law (2009)
• Donald A. Culp — Franchise Law (1995)
• David A. Fenley — Land Use and Zoning Law, Litigation – Land Use and Zoning, Real Estate Law (1995)
• Ernest M. Fleischer — Tax Law (1995)
• Gary D. Gilson — Securities/Capital Markets Law (2010)
• James G. Goettsch — Mergers and Acquisitions Law (2008)
• Allan V. Hallquist — Commercial Litigation (2005)
• Jeffrey D. Hanslick — Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment (2013)
• *Jeffrey T. Haughey — Securities/Capital Markets Law, Securities Regulation (2008)
• William B. Kircher — Copyright Law, Patent Law, Trademark Law (1991)
• Charles Christian Kirley — Real Estate Law (2011)
• Craig A. Kovarik — Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law (2009)
• Martin M. Loring — Energy Law (2009)
• William A. Lynch — Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Trusts and Estates, Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants (2008)
• Benjamin F. Mann — Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law (1995)
• Patricia L. Martin — Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law (2008)
• Larry L. McMullen — Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants (1983)
• Paul F. Pautler — Employment Law – Management (2013)
• John R. Phillips — Arbitration, Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment, Mediation (1993)
• David B. Raymond — Construction Law, Real Estate Law (2008)
• Christopher J. Redmond — Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization, Litigation – Bankruptcy (1987)
• Charles G. Renner — Land Use and Zoning Law (2014)
• Jason A. Reschly — Litigation and Controversy – Tax, Tax Law (2003)
• Christopher J. Rockers — Banking and Finance Law, Equipment Finance Law (2006)
• Jeffrey J. Simon — Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Antitrust, Litigation – Intellectual Property (2010)
• Mark D. Welker — Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law (1995)

Springfield

• David C. Agee — Corporate Law (2007)
• Virginia L. Fry — Commercial Litigation, Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment (2005)

St. Louis

• Craig A. Adoor — Corporate Law, Securities/Capital Markets Law (2007)
• Michelle W. Alvey — Copyright Law (2014)
• Michael R. Annis — Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Intellectual Property, Litigation – Patent (2010)
• Mark G. Arnold — Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation (2001)
• Craig S. Biesterfeld — Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, Litigation – Land Use and Zoning, Litigation – Real Estate, Real Estate Law (1995)
• Thomas M. Carney — Antitrust Law, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (2011)
• Joseph P. Conran — Commercial Litigation (2008)
• Samuel Digirolamo — Litigation – Intellectual Property, Patent Law, Trademark Law (2007)
• Robert P. Edler — Trusts and Estates (1995)
• Gary H. Feder — Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, Litigation – Land Use and Zoning, Litigation – Real Estate, Real Estate Law (2007)
• Richard E. Feldman — Real Estate Law (2013)
• Ruth Hays — Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law (1995)
• Kenneth R. Heineman — Litigation – Intellectual Property, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (2005)
• Caroline L. Hermeling — Real Estate Law (2015)
• Bradley S. Hiles — Litigation – Environmental (1995)
• David R. Human – Real Estate Law (2015)
• Alan H. Kandel — Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law (2010)
• Kenneth W. Kingma — Trusts and Estates (2006)
• Raymond S. Kreienkamp — Tax Law, Trusts and Estates (2007)
• Mark R. Leuchtmann — Trusts and Estates (2001)
• Edward J. Lieberman — Banking and Finance Law (2010)
• David A. Linenbroker — Real Estate Law (2010)
• John P. McNearney — Real Estate Law (2005)
• Christine F. Miller — Employment Law – Management (2013)
• Kathleen T. Mueller — Real Estate Law (2003)
• Joseph G. Nassif — Environmental Law (2003)
• Alan S. Nemes — Copyright Law, Litigation – Intellectual Property, Trademark Law (2005)
• Mary Anne O’Connell — Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law (2007)
• Joseph C. Orlet — Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants (2013)
• Matthew G. Perlow — Trusts and Estates (2003)
• Alan E. Popkin — Antitrust Law, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Legal Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs, Litigation – Antitrust (1993)
• Maury B. Poscover — Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law, Equipment Finance Law (1995)
• Terry L. Potter — Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, Labor Law – Union, Litigation – Labor and Employment (2012)
• Laura K. Rebbe — Real Estate Law (2008)
• David G. Richardson — Land Use and Zoning Law, Real Estate Law (2007)
• Kenneth A. Slavens — Litigation – Construction (2005)
• Gregory R. Smith — Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, Real Estate Law (2007)
• Mark E. Stallion — Copyright Law (2010)
• James R. Strong — Trusts and Estates (2003)
• Randall S. Thompson — Employment Law – Individuals, Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Union, Litigation – Labor and Employment (2013)
• Robert J. Tomaso — Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment (2006)
• Thomas E. Venker, Jr. — Tax Law, Trusts and Estates (1995)

NEBRASKA

Omaha

• Michael S. Degan — Commercial Litigation (2013)
• David E. Gardels — Corporate Law, International Trade and Finance Law (2005)
• Steven Grasz — Appellate Practice (2012)
• Todd A. Richardson — Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law (2006)

TENNESSEE

Chattanooga

• Alan L. Cates — Litigation – Trusts and Estates, Non-Profit/Charities Law, Trusts and Estates (2003)
• Ronald I. Feldman — Real Estate Law (2010)

Memphis

• Herbert B. Wolf, Jr. — Corporate Law, Tax Law (2003)

TEXAS

Austin

• Jackson B. Battle — Environmental Law, Litigation – Environmental (2010)
• Robert L. Davis — Real Estate Law (1995)
• David W. Hilgers — Health Care Law (1995)
• R. Keith Hopson — Environmental Law, Litigation – Environmental (1999)
• Hal Katz — Health Care Law (2008)
• Ace Pickens — Health Care Law (1993)
• Julian Rivera — Health Care Law (2010)
• Thomas H. Watkins — Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Environmental, Litigation – Patent (1989)
• Robert Werner — Real Estate Law (2013)

Dallas

• Robert W. Dupuy — Real Estate Law (2003)
• Charles W. Morris — Real Estate Law (2003)

WASHINGTON, D.C.

• William F. Demarest, Jr. — Energy Law (2015)

*Steve Carman relocated to the firm’s Austin office and Jeff Haughey relocated to the firm’s Denver office.