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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

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
FS
Frederick A. Sewards
Arnold Todaro Welch & Foliano
Recognized since 2026
Columbus, OH
Practice Areas
Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants
FS
Frederick A. Sewards

Frederick A. Sewards is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants. Frederick A., who practices law in Columbus, Ohio, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Frederick A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

FS
Frederick A. Sewards
Michael R. Reed
Michael R. Reed
Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP
Recognized since 2024
Columbus, OH
Practice Areas
Litigation - Labor and Employment
Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants
Michael R. Reed
Michael R. Reed

Michael R. Reed handles a wide range of complex commercial litigation – from class action defense to construction disputes to will contests. Mike is well versed in all aspects of complex business litigation, including breach of contract, commercial leases, employment/non-competition agreements, intellectual property disputes, advertising space leases, commercial real estate transactions, securitization of subprime loans, breach of fiduciary duties, and professional fee claims. As part o...

Michael R. Reed
Michael R. Reed
Jonathan R. Secrest
Jonathan R. Secrest
Dickinson Wright PLLC
Recognized since 2021
Columbus, OH
Practice Areas
Commercial Litigation
Jonathan R. Secrest
Jonathan R. Secrest

Mr. Secrest has extensive experience representing clients in civil litigation matters involving non-compete issues, product liability, business disputes, real estate, and employment law matters, among others. His experience includes representing clients at trial, before appellate courts, and before state and federal agencies. He regularly represents food manufacturers in defense of food product liability claims and counsels clients in the food industry related to state and federal regulations...

Jonathan R. Secrest
Jonathan R. Secrest
Jack C. Butler
Jack C. Butler
Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP
Recognized since 2025
Columbus, OH
Practice Areas
Banking and Finance Law
Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Tax Law
Jack C. Butler
Jack C. Butler

Jack Butler is a Partner at Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP, and he concentrates on business matters and tax law. He focuses on company representation (corporate, LLC, and joint venture), including establishment, venture structuring, business relationship agreements, governance, and ongoing services; M&A transactions; debt and equity financings; captive insurance companies; business advisory; transaction planning and structuring; syndications; business succession planning; tax planning; ...

Jack C. Butler
Jack C. Butler
Douglas M. Oldham
Douglas M. Oldham
Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Recognized since 2023
Columbus, OH
Practice Areas
Employment Law - Management
Douglas M. Oldham
Douglas M. Oldham

Doug Oldham advises employers of all sizes on a broad range of fair employment and wage and hour policies and practices to avoid disputes with employees. When those disputes are inevitable, Doug represents employers in employment discrimination and wage and hour litigation in courts across the country. Since joining the firm more than a decade ago, Doug has accumulated significant labor and employment litigation experience. Doug is actively involved in briefing motions for summary judgment, m...

Douglas M. Oldham
Douglas M. Oldham
Lawyer of the Year Badge
CH
Courtney Hanna
Joseph & Joseph & Hanna Co., LPA
Recognized since 2024
Columbus, OH
Practice Areas
Collaborative Law: Family Law
Litigation - Real Estate
CH
Courtney Hanna

Courtney Hanna is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Collaborative Law: Family Law and Litigation - Real Estate. Courtney, 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 Courtney is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

CH
Courtney Hanna
Stephen E. Chappelear
Stephen E. Chappelear
Eastman & Smith LTD
Recognized since 1995
Columbus, OH
Practice Areas
Commercial Litigation
Litigation - Construction
Litigation - Intellectual Property
Specific Focus
Business Disputes
Stephen E. Chappelear
Stephen E. Chappelear

Steve focuses his practice in the areas of business and complex litigation, construction law, patent and trademark litigation, employment litigation, probate litigation, dispute resolution and appeals. He has 43 years of experience in more than 60 trials (both jury and non-jury). Among his accomplishments, Steve was listed in the 2004-21 editions of "Ohio Super Lawyers" by Law & Politics magazine; in 2009 and 2017, Steve earned the distinction of being listed one of the Top 100 Super Lawy...

Stephen E. Chappelear
Stephen E. Chappelear
Misty H. Aldrich
Misty H. Aldrich
Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP
Recognized since 2024
Columbus, OH
Practice Areas
Trusts and Estates
Misty H. Aldrich
Misty H. Aldrich

Misty Aldrich concentrates her entire practice on trust and estate planning law, including the formation, implementation, and administration. She has more than 30 years of experience, and before entering private practice, Misty spent six years at the Huntington National Bank as Trust Counsel in the personal trust department. At CPM, she steers her clients through all aspects of trust and estate planning. Misty assists clients in drafting all appropriate legal documents and structuring financi...

Misty H. Aldrich
Misty H. Aldrich
Denise M. Mirman
Denise M. Mirman
Friedman & Mirman Co. LPA
Recognized since 2012
Columbus, OH
Practice Areas
Family Law
Denise M. Mirman
Denise M. Mirman

Denise Mirman is the managing shareholder of Friedman & Mirman Co. LPA, a nine-lawyer firm that practices family law exclusively. She has been included in Super Lawyers every year since inception and is on several top lists in Columbus and Ohio. She has also been listed in Best Lawyers in America in Family Law for several years,a distinction limited to just 1% of the practicing attorneys in the country as voted upon by other lawyers, and she is the Best Lawyers in America 2015 Lawyer of t...

Denise M. Mirman
Denise M. Mirman

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