Mercy Messenger

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

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...

Anne Knox Averitt has extensive experience in labor and employment matters and commercial litigation. She works in the Birmingham office and represents clients of all sizes, from Fortune 500 companies to family-owned businesses in a number of industries, including retail, automotive, natural resources, manufacturing, healthcare, non-profit, communications, construction, and financial services. She also handles cases before arbitrators, administrative law judges, and federal and state court ju...

Crystal is a Shareholder in the Firm's Birmingham, Alabama office, whose practice focuses on a broad array of commercial real estate transactions and clients. Drawing on her past experience as Assistant General Counsel for a regional commercial real estate developer with approximately 15,000,000 rentable square feet under management in the southeastern United States and Sunbelt, Crystal advises clients in retail, restaurant, office and industrial and multifamily properties, including leasing,...

Denise Pomeroy practices in the areas of family law and adoption law. Denise graduated from Auburn University in 1985, with a B.A. degree and from Cumberland School of Law with a J.D. degree in 1989. She served as writing editor of the Cumberland Law Review and graduated magna cum laude. Denise is a member of the American, Alabama and Birmingham Bar Associations and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. She was the Birmingham Bar Association’s Young Lawyer of the Y...

Elizabeth Neal Pitman is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Health Care Law. Elizabeth Neal, 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 Elizabeth Neal is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

A native of Lexington, Kentucky, Drew has developed a diverse business, commercial, and real estate practice and has experience in construction, healthcare, and professional liability litigation. Drew represents a wide range of businesses from closely-held, small businesses to publicly traded hedge funds in litigation and transactional matters. He routinely represents professionals and businesses in asserting and defending breach of contract, negligence, fraud, and business tort claims. Drew ...

Jennifer Fox Swain is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Jennifer Fox, who practices law in Birmingham, Alabama, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jennifer Fox is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Rusty has extensive experience in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, corporate and tax law. Rusty works with closely held and family businesses on business planning and taxation, including their formation, operation and sale. He is recognized as being highly knowledgeable in tax issues related to estate and succession planning, trusts and probate.

Brooke M. Nixon is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Brooke M., who practices law in Birmingham, Alabama, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Brooke M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.