Karen Berhow

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...

Michael Thomason advises public and private clients, from start-ups to large corporations, in the areas of business formation, mergers and acquisitions, investment and financing transactions, securities compliance, and a variety of other transactions and corporate matters. Michael advises companies on a broad range of issues affecting their businesses, including clients in banking and financial services, healthcare and healthcare technology, manufacturing, retail, media and entertainment, pro...

Paul Sykes represents businesses and individuals in a wide variety of intellectual property and technology-related legal matters. As a member of both the Intellectual Property and Competitive Practices and the Litigation Practice Groups, Paul counsels clients in the acquisition, licensing and protection of intellectual property rights, and he litigates those rights in the state and federal courts. Paul has been peer-selected for inclusion in the Best Lawyer's in America and Alabama Super Lawy...

Tempe Smith is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs and Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Tempe, 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 Tempe is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Justin is a partner in our litigation group. Justin seeks to apply a client's business objectives to the efficient management of legal matters. Justin proactively partners with clients to seek effective, practical and cost-effective resolutions to matters entrusted to him. As a product liability lawyer, Justin manages and tries cases across the country including in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Tennessee, Oklahoma, South Carolina a...

Meade represents clients nationwide in a variety of industries, including mortgage servicing, auto finance, farm credit, automotive, insurance, and construction. Her financial services practice includes representing financial institutions, auto-finance lenders and mortgage companies in defensive litigation matters throughout the country. She also spearheads regulatory compliance services in response to pending or new legislation. Her product liability work includes personal injury and class a...

Jason Avery is a member of the Firm’s Real Estate Practice Group and the Natural Resources and Banking and Financial Services Practice Teams. Unlike many other lawyers who concentrate in either a transactional practice or litigation, Jason represents clients in both areas, splitting his time between real estate transactional matters and real estate and mortgage litigation. This hybrid practice allows Jason to think progressively on transactional matters by understanding potential areas ...

Jennifer McGahey has extensive experience in both commercial litigation and labor and employment matters. She represents clients in a variety of industries, such as e-commerce, natural resources, government contract, healthcare, pharmaceutical, and retail, and her clients range from large publicly-traded companies to small family-owned businesses. Jennifer has litigated cases ranging from a single plaintiff to class action to the federal government. Jennifer handles cases across the country a...

Virginia F. Gambacurta is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Insurance. Virginia F., 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 Virginia F. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Thomas A. “Tom” Woodall is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office, where he is a member of the Litigation practice group and leads the Dentons Sirote Alternative Dispute Resolution team. As a former Alabama Supreme Court Justice, Tom’s practice focuses on all aspects of the appellate process, from drafting briefs and motions to oral arguments, in all Alabama and federal appellate courts, including the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals, the Alabama Su...