James M. "Jim" Pool

Ed Sledge represents businesses, including private equity groups, product manufacturers and financial services institutions, in high-exposure civil disputes in a variety of industries. Ed’s national practice focuses on complex business and commercial litigation in courts across the country; he also routinely represents businesses in consumer finance disputes and in personal injury and wrongful death matters. With his strategic, problem-solving approach and ability to anticipate and see ...

Ellis Brazeal is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group and co-leader of the firm’s aerospace and aviation team. Ellis has more than 30 years of experience in commercial litigation, including all levels of state, federal, and bankruptcy courts. He represents and advises financial institutions and other entities regarding corporate restructuring, and handles construction, surety, and government contract litigation. He is recognized for his work by legal publications, and he regularly...

Gerald Burnett practices on a multi-regional basis in all areas of commercial real estate, tax-free exchanges, tax law and disputes, commercial transactions, timber law and wealth transfer planning. He has had substantial experience in the litigation of tax controversies, having tried jury and non-jury tax cases in eight states. He has served as lead counsel in, negotiated and closed commercial real estate transactions in eighteen states. Some of his out-of-state work includes commercial proj...

David W. Drum is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office, where he is a member of the Corporate practice group. David represents clients in a variety of business transactions, with emphasis on mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures. David advises clients at all stages of transactions, from planning and due diligence to the negotiation of definitive agreements and filings under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act. David has counseled clients in a variety of industries in conn...

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.

Steve Monk is a member of the firm's Real Estate Practice Group. Steve's practice is primarily devoted to develop representational development work. Steve regularly represents clients in the annexation and zoning of properties for planned unit developments, traditional neighborhood developments and other mixed uses. Such representation includes preparation of developed plans for zoning, preparation of restrictive covenants, establishment of homeowners’/property owners’ association...

Scott is a member of the firm’s Trusts and Estates and Tax Practice Groups. Part of Scott’s practice focuses on estate planning strategies designed to minimize estate and other taxes, as well as ensure that assets left under a decedent’s will or trust for family members can be effectively and efficiently managed. In addition, Scott has significant experience in advising clients with respect to the administration of trusts and estates, and handling trust and estate litigation...

Lee Birchall’s practice focuses on public finance in Alabama, where he serves as bond counsel to cities, counties, utilities, school boards, and various other types of governmental entities that issue tax-exempt and taxable securities. He also represents cities and counties in negotiations with private developers for economic development transactions. In addition to representing public bodies, Lee has experience serving as counsel to underwriters, trustee banks and commercial banks in t...

DAN McCRARY is a partner at Balch & Bingham LLP, where he serves as Chair of the Energy Practice Group. Over the course of his career, he has represented energy companies in a wide variety of regulatory, transactional and litigated matters. These include numerous proceedings before the FERC involving rate filings, complaints, market-based rate authority (including triennial screens and Delivered Price Test analyses), energy auctions, affiliate transactions, transmission tariffs, fuel buyo...

Matt Lembke, one of five Bradley Arant Boult Cummings lawyers to have clerked for the Supreme Court of the United States, has the broad range of skills necessary to be effective in representing clients at both the trial and appellate levels. He has applied those skills for more than 16 years in dozens of high-stakes cases. Matt has extensive experience in handling appeals pending in both state and federal courts, including arguing cases in the Alabama Supreme Court and the D.C., Fifth, and El...