D. Matthew Centeno

Ralph Yeilding is Chair of the firm's Trusts and Estates Practice Group. His primary areas of practice include estate and gift tax planning, estate and trust administration, IRS estate and gift tax audits and litigation, and state court probate and trust litigation. Ralph regularly advises individuals and fiduciaries on a broad range of estate, trust and probate matters, including rendering advice concerning estate and gift tax planning, and drafting wills, trusts, family LLC's, limited partn...

Scott Sims is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office, where he is a member of the Real Estate practice group and leads the Dentons Sirote Hotels and Leisure team. Scott is a trusted counselor to business corporations, advising them on critical industry matters. He represents clients in commercial real estate transactions, loan closings, general business negotiations and transactions, cell tower leasing, and title work. Scott has worked on over 2,000 cell tower site...

Elizabeth Jones Flachsbart is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Product Liability Litigation - Defendants. Elizabeth Jones, 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 Elizabeth Jones is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Since 1993, Mr. Warren has represented employers in the employment and labor law field, with an emphasis on litigation prevention counseling and employment litigation defense. Mr. Warren has served as lead counsel in numerous bench and jury trials at the state and federal level and on state and federal appeals. He became a founding member of Ogletree Deakins’ Birmingham office in 1997. Mr. Warren’s litigation prevention counseling includes areas such as training employees and supe...

Anne has over 25 years experience partnering with clients to efficiently manage employment matters, whether that entails walking through an employee disciplinary issue, training supervisors on FMLA, early settlement of an EEOC charge or a jury trial. She has worked with clients throughout the Southeast to develop handbooks, administer FMLA and USERRA leave, oversee reductions in force, negotiate employment agreements (including non-competes), and all aspects of employee training. Anne has han...

Tom Ansley is a shareholder in Dentons’ Birmingham, Alabama office, where he is a member of the Real Estate and Corporate practice groups. He serves as corporate counsel to a diverse range of clients, including real estate developers and investors, commercial and project lenders, and healthcare providers, advising them on the intricacies of state and local laws and regulations, financial matters, industry concerns, and risk allocation. Ansley is involved in the financing, negotiation, e...

John H. Cooper is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office, where he is a member of the Corporate practice group. As the previous managing partner of Dentons Sirote (formerly Sirote & Permutt, PC) (1999–2005; 2006–2015), John’s practice spans corporate, securities and tax law, with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital, securities, business and succession planning, corporate finance, corporate tax, directors...

A founding member of Christian & Small, Eddie was a long time partner with its predecessor firm, Rives & Peterson, and has been trying cases in federal and state court for more than 30 years. Eddie’s experience includes retail and premises liability, transportation, product liability, pharmaceutical litigation, medical malpractice, and a variety of insurance cases. He combines his courtroom expertise and knowledge with the best technology available, efficient management of rigor...

For over 35 years, Greg's law practice has focused on estate planning and probate, with an emphasis on charitable planned giving. Greg is a past chairman and still active on the University of Alabama Planned Giving Advisory Committee, as well as serving on several other boards at the University of Alabama. He currently serves on the Professional Advisors Committee of the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham. Greg is listed in "The Best Lawyers in America®" and "Super Lawyers" in the...

Dana Thrasher specializes in ERISA, regularly advising employers, trustees and service providers concerning qualified retirement plans, non-qualified plans, fringe benefits, welfare benefits and executive compensation issues. She has developed significant expertise in the ERISA/employee benefits practice area, representing a large and diverse client base. She regularly advises clients regarding planning and evaluating benefit programs, establishing and administering employee benefit plans, mo...