Deborah Ann Wakefield

Jeff is one of the founding partners of Marsh, Rickard & Bryan. At first, Jeff wanted to be an engineer. His father was an engineer and he saw the profession as challenging and rewarding. Then, he discovered an affinity for words and speaking, which led him to the law. “Both professions require critical thinking,” says Jeff. “That was and still is very important to me.” Jeff gives much credit to the advantages of growing up in small town Alabama where everybody too...

Partner Brad Hightower has been practicing law since 2002, and focuses his practice on commercial and bankruptcy litigation. He routinely handles complex issues that arise in business reorganization, restructuring and liquidations. Prior to joining the firm, Brad interned with the Executive Office of the President in Washington, D.C. He was responsible for supplying science and technology articles to the White House website. Brad also completed a two year clerkship with the Honorable Margaret...

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...

As a partner in Bradley's Litigation and Construction Practice Groups, John Mark handles a wide variety of litigation matters involving construction disputes, products liability, fraud, breach of contract, intellectual property theft, tax, trucking negligence, and general commercial litigation. A degreed engineer, John Mark enjoys litigating cases involving complicated technical issues. He handles all aspects of litigation and has successfully tried several cases to final judgment. For exampl...

Charles Moore regularly represents financial institutions in a variety of matters. He has substantial experience in commercial finance, including mortgage warehouse lending, real estate finance, and bank holding company lending. Charles also commonly handles Change in Bank Control Act matters, Bank Holding Company Act matters, formation and capital raising activities of banks and bank holding companies, and other bank regulatory matters. Charles represents a number of Alabama-based community ...

Will Thistle practices primarily in the areas of federal and state and local taxation. He regularly counsels public and private businesses on Alabama tax matters, with particular emphasis in the areas of sales, use, and property taxes. A significant portion of Will's practice is dedicated to the representation of taxpayers in all phases of federal, state, and local tax controversy, including audit assistance, administrative hearings, and litigation. Other areas of his practice include advisin...

Grant Premo is an experienced advisor for banks, mortgage servicers, student loan servicers, and farm credit agencies on complex litigation and compliance matters. He is known for his expertise in navigating high-risk litigation and guiding clients to comply with important regulations, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), and Farm Credit Administration Regulations. Grant’s expansive litigati...

Brian Williams’ practice includes estate planning, estate and trust litigation, estate and trust administration, federal and state tax, and corporate and business transactions and issues. He practiced for 6 years as an in house counsel for a publicly traded corporation before entering private practice with his present firm in 1986. Brian graduated cum laude from the University of Alabama in 1976, B.S. degree/accounting major. He obtained his J.D. degree in 1979 from Cumberland School of...

Chris was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on October 2, 1968. He attended college at the University of Alabama and graduated with a B.A. in business in 1990. Upon graduation, he entered the University of Alabama School of Law and obtained his J.D. Degree in 1993. While in law school, he served as the student representative to the Board of Trustees. He was admitted to practice law in the State of Alabama in 1993, and the State of Colorado in 1994. Since obtaining his law license in the State of Al...

Rodney E. Nolen is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office, where he is a member of the Litigation practice group. For more than 30 years, Rodney has focused on creditors' rights and collections. He represents manufacturers, suppliers, and commercial lenders in recovering collateral and securing the repayment of defaulted loans in state and federal court. His clients include banks, commercial finance companies, construction material providers, electrical suppliers, ...