Cynthia F. Wilkinson

Personal relationships have always been the backbone of Sonny Ferguson’s law practice. He says parties respond to someone who will listen to their issues and provide them with a truthful evaluation of the facts. Once the parties engage the firm’s services, as a mediator or as a Private Judge, Sonny believes they deserve 100% of his attention to their issues and a timely resolution to their matter. Sonny joined Christian & Small after serving as a judge for 15 years in the Dome...

Thomas A. “Tom” Woodall is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office, where he is a member of the Litigation practice group and leads the Dentons Sirote Alternative Dispute Resolution team. As a former Alabama Supreme Court Justice, Tom’s practice focuses on all aspects of the appellate process, from drafting briefs and motions to oral arguments, in all Alabama and federal appellate courts, including the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals, the Alabama Su...

Kris Cross is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office, where she is a member of the Litigation practice group. With over 20 years of general litigation experience at Dentons Sirote, formerly Sirote & Permutt, PC, Kris focuses on defending insurance companies in the area of life, disability, and ERISA litigation. Her work for insurers has included not only benefits litigation but also defensive litigation where insureds claim fraud in the marketing and sale of in...

Donald Johnson is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office, where he is a member of the Tax practice group. Don counsels business owners and businesses in areas of mergers and acquisitions, entity formation, and tax and business planning. He counsels developers and investors with regard to real estate income tax planning, including capital gain planning, like-kind exchanges, opportunity zone planning, tax incentives, and debt restructurings and workouts. Don represen...

Jay G. Maples is a shareholder in Dentons' Birmingham office, where he is a member of the Corporate practice and co-leads the Dentons US Region Aviation and Aerospace team. With his extensive corporate and tax experience, he regularly handles a wide range of complex transactions and issues spanning various industries, including aviation, manufacturing, insurance, banking and financial services, and real estate. Jay's exceptional knowledge and experience in the aviation industry enables him to...

Dylan Marsh is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs and Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs. Dylan, 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 Dylan is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Alicia Bennett is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Insurance Law. Alicia, 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 Alicia is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Christopher P. (“Chris”) Couch advises banks and other financial institutions on regulatory and operational matters as well as on compliance with banking and lending laws, rules, and regulations. He counsels national, regional, and community banks with respect to deposit operations, payment systems, treasury management products, consumer regulatory regimes, and new services offerings, including electronic and mobile banking. Chris also represents financial institutions, finance co...

Melisa Zwilling is a shareholder with Carr Allison and is a resident in its Birmingham (AL) office. Her practice focuses on labor and employment, insurance defense and Medicare compliance. Melisa has published countless articles and spoken at numerous conferences and seminars across the United States. For her outstanding legal work, she earned an AV Preeminent ® rating from the national lawyer ranking service Martindale Hubbell ® and has been selected as one of The Best Lawyers in Ame...

J. Winston Busby is a shareholder at Dentons Sirote in Birmingham, Alabama, where he serves as co-chair of the Trusts, Estates and Wealth Preservation practice. He is also a member of both the Dentons US Region Board of Directors and the Dentons Sirote Board of Directors. In his practice, Winston provides counsel to individuals, families, and business owners on estate planning, trust planning, wealth preservation, probate, and tax planning, emphasizing strategies to minimize both estate and i...