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Insight

Introducing Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch Honorees

Meet the next wave of top legal talent.

Ones to Watch
Best Lawyers

Best Lawyers

August 19, 2020 01:00 PM

What does the future of the legal industry look like? With the inaugural release of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, our newest ranking for attorneys early in their careers, we'd say it's looking diverse, passionate, multi-talented, and multi-dimensional.

We reached out to the newest class of Best Lawyer honorees to find out more about what makes this generation of lawyers so unique.

What Made You Become a Lawyer?

From serving in the armed forces to surviving catastrophic injury, each one of these top-level associates developed a passion for law through their own unique journey.



But Who Are They Really?

Although achieving the respect and recognition of your peers often demands long hours and dedication to the craft, Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch attorneys are anything but one-dimensional. We invited the "Ones to Watch" to share their hidden talents, opinions, and sandwich-litigation skills.

Do you know a lawyer making waves in the legal industry? Nominate them for consideration in our next edition.

Lawyers in Columbus, Ohio

Kevin O'Donnell Stanek
Kevin O'Donnell Stanek
Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Recognized since 2026
Columbus, OH
Practice Areas
Government Relations Practice
Kevin O'Donnell Stanek
Kevin O'Donnell Stanek

Kevin Stanek brings nearly a decade of experience working in the executive and legislative branches of Ohio state government, including as Gov. John R. Kasich's assistant director of policy for asset management and assistant chief counsel. Kevin’s hands-on government experience supports him in providing practical solutions and comprehensive plans of action for clients. Kevin represents governmental clients on policy matters and other legal issues before the Ohio General Assembly, execut...

Kevin O'Donnell Stanek
Kevin O'Donnell Stanek
Jeffrey A. Yeager
Jeffrey A. Yeager
Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP
Recognized since 2021
Columbus, OH
Practice Areas
Commercial Litigation
Litigation - Intellectual Property
Jeffrey A. Yeager
Jeffrey A. Yeager

As a partner in Hahn Loeser’s Litigation and Commercial Services and Restructing Groups, Jeffrey A. Yeager provides clients involved in complex business and civil litigation with creative, practical advice and strategies for managing risk and resolving disputes. Jeff has extensive experience litigating, arbitrating and mediating cases in the context of business contracts and torts, government bidding and procurement, real estate transactions, business and asset sales, bankruptcy and cre...

Jeffrey A. Yeager
Jeffrey A. Yeager
Philip K. Stovall
Philip K. Stovall
Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP
Recognized since 2026
Columbus, OH
Practice Areas
Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Litigation - Bankruptcy
Philip K. Stovall
Philip K. Stovall

Philip Stovall is a partner in Hahn Loeser’s Business Practice Area and focuses on debtor/creditor issues, commercial and bankruptcy litigation, insolvency, workouts, and tax controversies. Phil represents debtors, creditors, and other parties in interest in commercial bankruptcy cases and in complex litigation in state and federal courts. He also advises clients with respect to out-of-court insolvency matters, including out-of-court restructurings and workouts, and in matters involving...

Philip K. Stovall
Philip K. Stovall
Matthew J.P. Coffman
Matthew J.P. Coffman
Coffman Legal LLC
Recognized since 2023
Columbus, OH
Practice Areas
Employment Law - Individuals
Litigation - Labor and Employment
Specific Focus
Labor and Employment
Matthew J.P. Coffman
Matthew J.P. Coffman

Employment Attorney Matthew J.P. Coffman is thankful for his recognition as one of the Best Lawyers in America. When Matthew opened his employment law firm Coffman Legal, LLC in 2012, he was armed with a passion for helping employees and a desire to zealously pursue and vindicate the rights of his clients. A decade later, Matthew has established an employment law firm with several experienced employment attorneys who have successfully obtained millions of dollars of unpaid wages, overtime, lo...

Matthew J.P. Coffman
Matthew J.P. Coffman
Alexander M. Brown
Alexander M. Brown
Dickinson Wright PLLC
Recognized since 2015
Columbus, OH
Practice Areas
Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
Corporate Law
Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Alexander M. Brown
Alexander M. Brown

Alex Brown is a member of Dickinson Wright in Columbus, Ohio. He practices business transactional law, with an emphasis on advising privately-held and venture-capital backed companies in capital raising, mergers & acquisitions, and transactions involving technology, software, outsourcing, electronic commerce and intellectual property. He serves as outside counsel to a number of companies, from startup software businesses to national healthcare technology companies. Other areas of his prac...

Alexander M. Brown
Alexander M. Brown
Lawyer of the Year Badge
Marc J. Kessler
Marc J. Kessler
Taft
Recognized since 2012
Columbus, OH
Practice Areas
Commercial Litigation
Franchise Law
Litigation - Health Care
Specific Focus
Sports
Marc J. Kessler
Marc J. Kessler

Marc J. Kessler is an experienced trial lawyer who is widely regarded as one of the nation’s preeminent business litigators. He has extensive experience with large scale, “bet-the-company” matters and is widely recognized for his ability to handle the most complex and critical litigation issues . Marc’s expertise includes complex commercial transactions, procurement, healthcare, trade secrets and non-competition, product liability, business torts, real estate, intellec...

Marc J. Kessler
Marc J. Kessler
WN
William Nesbitt
Koffel & Nesbitt
Recognized since 2025
Columbus, OH
Practice Areas
DUI / DWI Defense
WN
William Nesbitt

William Nesbitt is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of DUI / DWI Defense. William, who practices law in Columbus, Ohio, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which William is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

WN
William Nesbitt
Caryn A. Boyer
Caryn A. Boyer
Taft
Recognized since 2024
Columbus, OH
Practice Areas
Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
Health Care Law
Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Caryn A. Boyer
Caryn A. Boyer

Caryn A. Boyer is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Health Care Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law. Caryn A., who practices law in Columbus, Ohio, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Caryn A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Caryn A. Boyer
Caryn A. Boyer
Carrie Dyer
Carrie Dyer
Mansell Law LLC
Recognized since 2022
Columbus, OH
Practice Areas
Employment Law - Individuals
Litigation - Labor and Employment
Carrie Dyer
Carrie Dyer

Carrie Dyer is Partner at Mansell Law, an employment law firm located in Columbus, Ohio. Mansell Law provides employment law services to individuals throughout the State of Ohio. Mansell Law also has an office in New York City . Mansell Law's NYC employment attorneys represent New York clients in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, The Bronx and Long Island. Carrie's practice involves assisting individuals with all types of employment-related matters , including sexual harassment , ra...

Carrie Dyer
Carrie Dyer
Lawyer of the Year Badge
James E. Arnold
James E. Arnold
Arnold & Clifford LLC
Recognized since 2001
Columbus, OH
Practice Areas
Bet-the-Company Litigation
Commercial Litigation
Litigation - Intellectual Property
Specific Focus
Aviation Litigation
James E. Arnold
James E. Arnold

James E. Arnold is recognized as one of Ohio's top trial lawyers. He was recognized by Best Lawyers as Central Ohio's "Securities Litigation Lawyer of the Year" in 2012, as the "Bet-The-Company Litigation Lawyer of the Year" in 2013, 2016, 2021, 2024 and 2026, and as the "Intellectual Property Litigation Lawyer of the Year" in 2014. Since 2001 he has consistently been recognized by Best Lawyers in multiple fields, including bet-the-company, personal injury (plaintiffs and defense), commercial...

James E. Arnold
James E. Arnold

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