James C. "Jay" Lester

Mr. Samples was admitted to the Alabama Bar in 1976. Having established his career as a trial lawyer with another prominent firm, he came to Hare Wynn as a full partner in 1994. He is a native of Alexander City, Alabama. He is married to Colleen (a Master’s level R.N. and attorney), and they have been blessed with two children, Courtney and Connor. Shay worked his way through college and law school. He attended Alexander City Junior College where he was elected President of the Student ...

Bradley J. Sklar is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office, where he serves as Co-Leader of the Dentons Tax National Practice Group. Brad focuses on complex tax, entity, and business planning transactions, including mergers and acquisitions; sales of businesses; sale and purchase structuring and funding of large real estate transactions; raising capital; and navigation of state and local tax incentives. He counsels clients in tax and business planning and entity st...

Bill Bensinger focuses his practice on commercial dispute litigation, bankruptcy and restructuring litigation. He represents creditors, franchisors, landlords, unsecured creditors’ committees and financial institutions in a wide variety of matters, including preference and avoidance actions, workout transactions and insolvency matters. Bill represents franchisors in bankruptcy, including matters concerning the assumption of franchise agreements, and represents landlords in bank matters ...

Eric T. Ray is a Partner of the firm and is a member of the Creditors Rights & Bankruptcy and Litigation practice groups. Eric's practice regularly includes the representation of utilities, financial institutions, lenders and other creditors in chapter 11 bankruptcy cases, adversary proceedings and other types of commercial litigation throughout the country. Mr. Ray is experienced in all facets of creditor representation and routinely represents creditors with respect to adequate assuranc...

Bill's law practice focuses on a wide variety of tax, corporate and business matters, including deferred compensation, equity based incentive plans and the purchase and sale of owner-managed businesses - with an emphasis on developing exit strategies for the family or closely-held business owner. He also counsels clients on various federal, state and local tax issues. Thriving on creative solutions to complex issues, and believing that “if you are through changing, you are through&rdquo...

Christopher Selman is a highly experienced attorney whose practice focuses on construction, energy, and government contracts. He represents clients across the United States and internationally, including public and private owners, developers, EPC contractors, general and specialty contractors, subcontractors, manufacturers, suppliers, construction managers, and design professionals. His work spans a wide range of public and private projects, from large-scale infrastructure and energy faciliti...

David Stewart is the chair of the firm's Governmental Affairs Practice Group. He is also a member of the Economic Development Practice Group. While based in the firm's Birmingham office, he regularly represents clients before the executive and legislative branches in Washington, D.C. and Montgomery, Alabama. He also advises clients on federal and state campaign finance and ethics laws. Following David’s graduation from Washington and Lee, he worked in Washington, DC for Senator Jeff Ses...

James A. “Jamey” Harris, III assists companies and individuals in a wide variety of matters in the areas of commercial and products liability litigation. His practice focuses on real estate litigation, banking and financial services litigation, insurance litigation, public finance litigation, personal injury defense, elevator and escalator litigation, and products liability defense. In products liability defense, he has defended manufacturers of products that include abrasives, as...

Josh Harrison is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management. Josh, 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 Josh is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...