John K. Cottrell

Katherine D. Smith is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Katherine D., who practices law in Reston, Virginia, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Katherine D. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

David Dixon is the co-leader of Pillsbury’s nationally ranked Government Contracts & Disputes practice group, a five-time winner of the Law360 Practice Group of the Year. David concentrates his practice on counseling and disputes regarding the formation and administration of government contracts at the federal level.

David's practice consists of counseling independent directors of open-end funds, closed-end funds, exchange-traded funds and business development companies, as well as the funds themselves and their investment advisers on matters relating to the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Patricia M. Weaver is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Appellate Practice, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation and Mediation. Patricia M., who practices law in Bethesda, Maryland, has been recognized since 2016. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Patricia M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Ms. Harden has 20 years of civil litigation experience in the Commonwealth of Virginia. She has litigated diverse and varied topics throughout her career including eminent domain, breach of contract, medical malpractice, construction defect, partition, establishment of prescriptive easement, professional liability, covenant enforcement, and actions to quiet title. In recent years, Ms. Harden’s practice has focused on representing condemning authorities in eminent domain matters. Ms. Har...

Kwame Manley is the Global Co-Chair of the Paul Hastings Litigation Department, and the former Chair of the Investigations and White Collar Defense practice at Paul Hastings. Based in the firm's Washington, D.C. office, Mr. Manley focuses his practice on white-collar criminal defense, internal corporate investigations, and complex civil litigation. A former federal prosecutor, Mr. Manley defends individuals and companies before various agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ),...

John T. Bergin is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Mediation. John T., who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which John T. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Sara Mariska is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Land Use and Zoning Law. Sara, who practices law in Reston, Virginia, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Sara is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Merrill Kramer represents energy project developers, private equity companies, and institutional lenders on the development, financing, sale, acquisition, and investment in energy projects and portfolios. Merrill represents some of the most active and innovative players in the energy industry. He has represented Fortune 200 companies and other clients in the development and financing of over 80 energy infrastructure projects representing more than $30 billion in invested capital. Merrrill has...

David Masterman has practiced for over 30 years in Northern Virginia. He is admitted to the bars of Virginia’s state and federal courts, and to the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States. Mr. Masterman has served as chair of the family law section of the Arlington County Bar Association, the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association and, more recently, the Virginia State Bar. He served on the Board of Governors for the Family Law Section for 6 years and later on the Board of Governors o...