Jonathan H. Plott

Richard Smith, one of the founding partners of Christian & Small and a partner with its predecessor, Rives & Peterson, has been an integral member of the firm’s litigation group for his entire legal career. He served as the firm’s Managing Partner for five years. Richard’s practice focuses primarily on complex and corporate litigation for clients in the financial services, health care and construction industries, as well as corporate entities in other industries. His...

Andy is a general litigator with a diverse practice encompassing multiple areas of litigation. Andy’s practice consists primarily of product liability defense, with a focus on pharmaceutical or drug and device litigation. Andy’s product liability work also has a concentration in tires and construction materials. Andy also devotes a significant portion of his practice to a broad array of commercial disputes, including both business disputes and financial services and insurance liti...

Steven A. Burns is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Environmental Law. Steven A., 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 Steven A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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 ...

Chandler is a senior attorney in the Corporate and Securities Practice Group at Bradley. His practice focuses on public finance, including serving as bond counsel and underwriter’s counsel on both tax-exempt and taxable financings throughout Alabama. He has worked with numerous types of public entities, including cities, counties, school boards, utility boards and state-level authorities. He also represents governmental entities in economic development matters. Chandler also has extensi...

Ralph Smith is special counsel in the Corporate Practice Group. He handles general corporate and business matters, international transactions, healthcare, higher education, and NCAA compliance. Prior to joining Jones Walker, Ralph spent 25 years in private law practice in Washington, DC, and Birmingham before joining the University of Alabama System in 2004 as general counsel and member of the Chancellor's Senior Policy staff. Ralph also served the university as a distinguished lecturer of la...

Tom has appeared in state and federal courts across the country, and has tried antitrust, business, construction, civil rights, insurance, mineral rights, negligence, product liability, land use, real property, tax, and wrongful termination cases to verdict or final judgment. He has significant arbitration experience as well as first chair trial experience in both state and federal court, and has been recognized by Alabama Super Lawyers , Benchmark Litigation , Best Lawyers in America, and Bi...

Bill Averett is a member of Dentons Sirote's Landlord's Rights practice in the Birmingham, Alabama office. Bill's extensive trial experience includes representing national banks and lenders in all matters of creditor rights and collection, including appellate and bankruptcy proceedings. His high rate of success consists of obtaining settlements through both formal and informal channels. Bill graduated from the University of Alabama with a BA and from Samford University's Cumberland School of ...

Harry Ollinger is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Banking and Finance Law. Harry, 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 Harry is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Lane Finch is an analytical and creative problem solver with 37 years' experience advising insurance carriers on a broad range of claims and coverage disputes and litigating coverage and bad faith claims. He handles a broad spectrum of insurance-related litigation, such as claims for construction defects, products liability, professional liability, property claims, catastrophic injury, death, and bad faith claims involving millions and even hundreds of millions of dollars. Leveraging his vast...