Charles Cook

Rusty has extensive experience in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, corporate and tax law. Rusty works with closely held and family businesses on business planning and taxation, including their formation, operation and sale. He is recognized as being highly knowledgeable in tax issues related to estate and succession planning, trusts and probate.

Thomas Richie represents clients in procedurally complex civil litigation, both in trial and appellate courts throughout Alabama and across the country. He has litigated a broad range of cases, from class actions to municipal tax disputes to the Chapter 9 bankruptcy case of Jefferson County, Alabama. He has been recognized as a “Rising Star” by Alabama Super Lawyers, and has had success both asserting and defending claims. Thomas has litigated cases in Alabama, Georgia, Massachuse...

J. Ben Ford is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs and Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. J. Ben, who practices law in Birmingham, Alabama, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which J. Ben is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Keith Covington is a partner in the firm’s Birmingham, Alabama office where he practices labor and employment, immigration, and construction law. Keith counsels employers on a wide variety of topics, including labor relations, union avoidance, equal employment opportunity, OSHA compliance, disability accommodation, non-compete agreements, and issues relating to employee discipline and termination. His immigration practice includes worksite compliance and obtaining employer-based non-imm...

C. Fred Daniels is a partner in the firm’s Birmingham, Alabama office, where his practice emphasizes estate and gift planning, administration of estates, taxation, closely-held businesses, and litigation involving the rights and duties of personal representatives and beneficiaries. Mr. Daniels has been the lead trial and appellate counsel in numerous estate, gift and income tax cases including O’Neal v. United States, 258 F.3d 1265 (11th Cir. 2001) (establishing that, in the Eleve...

General background: Annesley H. DeGaris is the founding partner of the Birmingham, Alabama law firm DeGaris & Rogers, LLC. He is recognized nationally for mass tort litigation involving defective medical devices and pharmaceuticals. Mr. DeGaris also has an extensive practice in individual personal injury and wrongful death cases in a variety of circumstances, including motor vehicle collisions, tractor trailer collisions, and toxic exposures. He has litigated cases against major trucking ...

Bill Athanas represents companies and individuals in government enforcement matters, focusing on federal grand jury investigations. He has almost 30 years of white-collar experience, roughly a third of which was spent as a federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C. and Birmingham. Bill has handled hundreds of complex criminal cases and represented clients in all facets of those matters – whether as subjects, targets or witnesses, or those who simply receive subpoenas for documents. In repre...

Shaun A. DeCoudres is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Insurance Law and Litigation - Insurance. Shaun A., who practices law in Birmingham, Alabama, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Shaun A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

James has experience with both debtor and creditor representation in bankruptcy, out-of-court workouts and restructurings, and bankruptcy-related litigation. He also regularly represents commercial lenders and mortgage servicers in federal court commercial litigation. James has represented debtors in Chapter 11 bankruptcy in matters involving numerous complex issues under the bankruptcy code, including termination of employee and retiree benefits and going concern sales free and clear of clai...

Laura Schiele Robinson, Partner in the Birmingham office, concentrates her practice in the areas of corporate and business, employee benefits and executive compensation, employer resources, health care and mergers and acquisitions.