E. Berton "Bert" Spence

Carl Smyly was born and raised in Andalusia, Alabama. He received his undergraduate education at Birmingham-Southern College, where he was selected for membership in the Omicron Delta Kappa and Phi Beta Kappa scholastic honorary societies and was valedictorian of his graduating class in 1979. He then earned his Juris Doctor degree at the University of Virginia School of Law in 1982. Mr. Smyly has been assigned the highest possible Peer Review Ratings for legal ability and ethical standards in...

F. Todd Weston is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Insurance Law, Litigation - Insurance and Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants. F. Todd, who practices law in Birmingham, Alabama, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which F. Todd is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...

Kimberly R. West is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Health Care Law and Insurance Law. Kimberly R., who practices law in Birmingham, Alabama, has been recognized since 2016. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Kimberly R. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Chris Dorough, a shareholder at Carr Allison in the firm’s Birmingham, AL office, is a trial attorney specializing in the defense of workers’ compensation and other associated employment and tort claims. Chris counsels and advises clients on workers’ compensation matters and has successfully defended a broad range of clients, including national, regional and local retailers, insurance companies, self-insured employers, third-party administrators, group insurance funds and sm...

M. Tae Phillips is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management, Labor Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. M. Tae, who practices law in Birmingham, Alabama, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which M. Tae is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Carrie M. Motes is a dedicated partner at Christian & Small, operating from the Birmingham, Alabama office. Her practice areas include commercial litigation, civil defense litigation, personal injury defense, insurance matters, and professional liability. Carrie Motes has experience in representing a diverse client base, including individuals, small businesses, retailers, transportation companies, and healthcare providers. She is committed to understanding the unique needs of her clients ...

Jonathan S. Mann is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Insurance and Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs. Jonathan S., who practices law in Birmingham, Alabama, has been recognized since 2019. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jonathan S. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Jeremy N. Trousdale is a shareholder in the firm’s Birmingham, Alabama office. Jeremy focuses his practice on defending workers’ compensation, retaliatory discharge and outrage claims. He represents both self-insured clients and insurance carriers. A frequent speaker, Jeremy regularly presents current information on workers’ compensation issues for the Alabama Workers’ Compensation Organization, where he served as president (2015-2016), and the Alabama Self Insured Ass...

Bruce Ely’s more than 40 years of experience have allowed him to handle projects as diverse as serving on the recruiting teams that successfully induced both Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai to locate their first U.S. manufacturing plants in Alabama to representing taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service, the Alabama Department of Revenue and local taxing authorities. His practice focuses on three concentric areas: representing taxpayers in federal, state and local administrative and jud...